Statistically speaking, there are more babies born during certain times of the year. Given that this is the case, it could lead to the school of thought that there are months that increase the odds of conception. For those who are having difficulty with conception, this could give them a sense of hope that if they wait until those particular months, their problems will be over.
But, unfortunately, that is not how conception works. And people do not have a better chance of conceiving depending on what month it is.
The odds of conception vary based on women’s age, the time in the cycle when sex is had, the number of times sex is had, any fertility issues are present, and more, according to VeryWell Family.
Even when both parties are healthy and fertility issues are not present, many women do not get pregnant as soon as they begin trying. Instead, per the publication, less than 40 percent of women were pregnant after one month of trying.
But, after one year of trying, over 90 percent had conceived. As such, it may just be a matter of time and being patient that will lead to getting pregnant.
Here is why women do not have a better chance of conceiving depending on what month it is.
No Month Increases Odds Of Conception, But …
Of the twelve months of the year, there is not one that is more beneficial to women getting pregnant than others. But, there are months that if conception happens, babies are healthier for it.
According to Science, the best time for women to conceive is during the summer months. This is because women were prone to gaining more weight which led to babies having a healthier birth weight as a result.
Conversely, women who conceived in May, per the publication, had a higher chance of delivering premature babies which is associated with lower birth weight. Lower birth weight can lead to a whole host of illnesses and even cognitive impairment later in life, according to Science.
Therefore, it may not be possible to pinpoint when conception will happen. But, if the option exists to get pregnant during the summer, it may be more beneficial to both mothers and babies alike.
There Are Popular Months That Many Conceive
While it may seem that more people would conceive babies during the summer months when moods are better with long sunny days and vacations that do not happen during the earlier parts of the year, this is not the case. More people actually conceive during the winter than the summer.
According to Right as Rain by UW Health, more babies are conceived during the fall and winter. This could have to do with ancestors conceiving during this time to ensure that babies were born when the weather was more temperate and food sources were plentiful, per the publication.
However, it could also have to do with people being stuck indoors more during the cooler months and choosing to spend their time romantically as a result.
Whatever the case may be, according to LiveScience, August is the most popular month for babies to be born. This has been the case since 1990, with an exception to only a few years.
And the times that the month was not the most popular month for babies to be born, July was the most popular instead. This means that anyway it is sliced, summer is the time for most babies to be born.
Ways To Increase Odds Of Conception
For those who are looking to increase their odds of conception and get pregnant as soon as possible, there are a few things that can be done. Those things, according to WebMDinclude:
- Get a preconception checkup
- Track the menstrual cycle
- Know when ovulation happens
- Stay in bed for 10 to 15 minutes after sex
- Steer clear of hot tubs and Jacuzzis
Eating a healthy diet, not smoking, limiting alcohol, and having an overall healthy lifestyle can help with conception as well.
Unfortunately, one month versus another is not the answer to conceiving with ease. As such, there should be no stress to conceive during a certain month.
But instead, trust the process and if necessary, seek help to make the dream of having a baby come to fruition.
Source: VeryWell Family, Science, LiveScience, Right as Rain by UW Health, WebMD
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