If you’ve started to receive more invitations to birthday parties or baby showers recently, it’s not happenstance. It’s baby season!
According to Brian R. Heaps, MD, OB-GYN with UT Physicians Women’s Center – Sugar Land and assistant professor with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, the number of deliveries begins to increase in mid-July and peaks in September. Then it begins to decrease and level out again by mid-November.
“Babies are born every day, but there is an uptick in the late summer and early fall. As an OB-GYN, you’re kind of cued into this from the very beginning,” Heaps said. “I actually tested this. In a staff meeting, I polled the room and asked, ‘How many of you were born in August or September?’ Six out of 10 raised their hands!”
The explanation for this annual trend is quite simple — holidays!
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look back nine months and notice that many babies are conceived during holiday months,” Heaps said. “Some people think it has to do with the colder weather, but I believe it’s the reduced stress and relaxed state of mind when people gather — and maybe even a few cocktails!”
Though the timing does place a little more strain on doctors and nurses, expectant mothers should not worry.
“We’re busier, but we just keep delivering one baby at a time. Fortunately for us, people graduate from medical school in July, and we usually get a new crop of doctors in August to help ease the pressure a bit,” he said. “No matter how busy we are, we enjoy delivering babies. We like to receive photos, and we like to take credit for how well the kids turn out!”
This September, be sure to thank an OB-GYN for their hard work this baby season!
