August or September induction (for school)?

[Linguaphile]

Just curious, really. Our 37-38 week mark falls half in September and half in August. We're scheduled for induction at 37+5 on September 2, but I'm now re-thinking dates. I was older in my year with an October birthday and was often bored in class. I was also embarrassingly tall for my age, which meant a lot of teasing. Then, of course, if the girls were born in August, there's the bonus that they'd go to nursery school a whole year earlier (presumably), which would save a LOT on childcare.

If you were in our odd position of (theoretically) getting to choose your twins' birthday, would you go for August or September? I'm just really ready to have them out, so would love to go a teensy bit earlier if it didn't matter about dates, but don't want to ruin their future either just for a few extra days without feet cracking my ribs!

[andadietcoke]

As you know, we've gone for August. 39w for me is the 3rd September and that's the latest they would have let me go.

As you also know, we went earlier largely due to the NICE guidelines, but we did also consider school years. DH is a teacher, and so we have lots of teacher friends, and they've all encouraged us to go for September. A primary teacher (before we knew we were having girls) told us that an August boy was developmentally 18 months behind a September girl, but then went on to say that generally everything has evened out by the time they're aged 6-7. The costs of two lots of nursery for an 'extra' year was also a factor.

Do you think there's any chance they'd give you an earlier date, or is this just hypothetical if you go into early spontaneous labour?

[neversleepagain]

September, definitely! My twins were born on September 29, I was desperate for them not to arrive in August.

As a school teacher you always knew the kids who were July/August babies. Most were behind academically and slightly more immature than the older ones.

[5madthings]

Def sept, lots of Aug borns do fine, including my ds1 but statistically it is better to be September born, I would always avoid an Aug bday if I could.

[Twicethehugs]

My birthday is in August, did fine at school but didn't like being the shortest! I work with children and some August born aren't quite ready for school when they start in my opinion esp. as all start in sept now. Not an easy decision though - I know what you mean about child are costs!

[legallyblond]

Honestly Lingua, if you do have the choice (as we know, you may well not ), I would go for Sept. DH is a primary school teacher and has a phd in differentiation in primary education and its impact on later educational outcomes. The evidence is overwhelmingly that July and August babies struggle, and do for many years, boys especially. BUT that said, the info is def clouded by myriad other "social" factors, and there are heaps of people who don't fit that generalisation! For the sake of a day or two, I would wait... But I am in similar boat (booked for 10 Sept) and neither DH nor I give two hoots.. We just want them safe and sound!!!