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The decision of when to conceive is a very personal one. You may want to give birth in a certain month to reach a personal milestone, or you may want to avoid being pregnant during extreme weather. Maybe you just want to give birth in the same month you were born. Regardless of your reasons, this decision will be up to you. We can only help by discussing your options and sharing the most common months to conceive.
Phil Druce, co-founder of OvulationCalendar.com say’s, “When trying to plan the best time to conceive and ultimately give birth, take into consideration your personal circumstances such as work commitments, any planned holidays/travelling, your finances and support from family and friends.”
How to avoid being very pregnant in winter or summer
If the thought of going into labor in the thick of a snowstorm sounds terrifying to you, you may want to plan a spring or summer baby. In order to avoid the winter months, you will want to start trying to conceive in August and hope to become pregnant by December. Keep in mind that you may not conceive in your first month of trying so it is good to give yourself a window of opportunity instead of just one rigid month.
Some people are equally as turned off by the thought of conceiving in the heat of summer. If you are one of these people, you will want to target conception in the months of January through May. This will keep you from carrying around 30lbs of extra weight in potentially sweltering heat.
If you would like to avoid extreme temperatures on either end of the spectrum, try to conceive in August, December and January. Getting pregnant in these months should result in a baby born in May, September or October, respectively.
Use the chart below as a guideline to plan which month you think would be best for you to conceive. Just keep in mind that this is only a rough guide and your actual due date may be outside of the estimated month based on your actual ovulation and conception dates. The date you actually deliver will also depend on the specific circumstances surrounding your pregnancy. Every pregnancy is different, and your baby may decide to make an early entrance, or on the other hand, may decide to remain in the oven for a little longer.
Most popular month for conceiving
Although you may have plans of your own, we can tell you that there is one month out of the year that results in more babies being conceived than any other month. That month is December. A study on the seasonality of conception (Tita, et al. 1997, pp. 976-981) found that nine percent of all U.S. born babies are conceived in December and born in September.
A note about timing conception
Before you limit your efforts to any month out of the year, consider that it may take up to 12 months of trying before you can conceive. This is true even for healthy, fertile couples. Limiting your efforts to just a few months out of the year can mean that you may not get pregnant within that year. Still, there is no reason not try for those months. If, for example, you are hoping for a September baby, you may want to start trying in November or December. If you do not get pregnant in those months, keep trying.
References:
Tita, A et al. “Seasonality in Conception of Births and Influence on Late Initiation of Prenatal Care.” Obstetrics & Gynecology, 97 (6): 976-981.
Author: Dr Zeenobiyah McGowan Ph.D., an expert on women’s health and helping couples conceive naturally. Dr McGowan is a mother of one beautiful girl. She founded Impact Humanity, a charity which helps under privileged children get the basic necessities like food and education in Kenya.
Image from https://minnrealtors.wordpress.com/2013/12/26/save-energy-during-the-cold-winter-months/
