If you’ve been thinking of starting a family, now is the time to do it as according to some new research, December is the most popular month of the year to conceive. Yes, really.
The study, which was carried out by family history website Ancestry.co.uk, used approximately 130million historic birth records from the 1800s in order to conclude that December is the month of choice for many couples when it comes to making babies.
However, this wasn’t always the case. During the Victorian era, spring was the most popular period for starting a family.
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Thanks to central heating, the seasons no longer determin when we start families
“The cold winter months acted as a natural turn-off for our ancestors, with Victorian women typically wearing multiple layers to bed and sometimes even being sewn into their underclothes for extra warmth,” said the report.
“Underwear aside, this trend can also be attributed to the fact that many Victorian weddings took place at Easter because it was one of the few times a year that industrial workers were given a holiday,” the report added.
But in recent centuries, the times have changed and the popularity of starting a family in the colder months is all down to the fact that we now have central heating, say researchers.
Nowadays, we (thankfully!) don’t have to worry about getting cold so the seasons are no longer a factor when it comes to getting pregnant.