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Each year, on the same date, 5% more babies are born in French maternities. But what is this phenomenon due to? Answers with midwife Anna Roy.
Did you know ? The number of babies born in France is not uniform and can vary depending on the day or even the month of the year. And September 23 would represent a recognized peak each year, with a 5% increase in births especially on that day, according to the National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED).
Why does September 23 represent a peak in births?
For Anna Roy, midwife and author of It’s my pregnancy published by L’Iconoclaste, (September 2022), there is nothing very mystical about it and it can be explained quite simply. “These births are those of babies conceived during the holiday season, either on New Year’s Eve or between Christmas and New Year’s Day, when people are happy to meet and share a joyful moment” does she mention.
An argument also put forward by INED which reveals in a report published in 2011: “Couples seeking to conceive (therefore non-users of a contraceptive method) are probably more likely to be reunited. Because of this, and also because of circumstances, more of them have sex around New Year’s Eve. Added to this is less contraceptive vigilance for others”. Unsurprisingly, the number of abortions is also higher in pregnancies that begin during this period.
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Is this peak felt in French maternities?
More babies necessarily means more childbirth and more work in French maternities. But on a daily basis, this does not necessarily have an impact on the rate of hospitals: “There aren’t really any differences, especially in the big maternity wards where I work. We are expecting a large number of births, whatever the period, so do not panic if you are due on September 23” reassures the midwife.
Moreover, if you have to choose your motherhood, this affluence around September 23 can only underline the need to start early. “September or not, I recommend that women think about the desired maternity even before conception, and settle the registration formalities as soon as possible.” confirms Anna Roy.
In short, think about motherhood before even thinking about the name given to your unborn child!
Are there other favorable times for births?
September 23 is not the only date that represents a boom in births in France. “It is also known in the trade that the month of May has more births than any other” reminds the midwife. In this case, it would be the summer period, and the month of August in particular, which would play a role in the design. As for covid and the announced “containment babies”, Anna Roy does not confirm the trend: the boom simply did not take place.
Finally, to the question of the full moon which would concentrate more births, the midwife recognizes a certain activity: “There is no scientific study that corroborates this phenomenon. But in my little experience, yes, more things happen during rising and waning moons, which is 48 hours before and 48 hours after the full moon.”