Why February Babies Are Extra Special

My first and oldest baby will be eight soon, and we are in the middle of planning her The Greatest Showman themed birthday party. I am not really sure what this will entail, but something great is planned in her mind and I just hope I can think as creatively as she does so we can make it come to life.

It’s hard to keep up with her spirit at times. She has a joyful energy that has been present since she was born; she is kind and smart too. I know I am biased but she really is a good kid. I would like to think I had some influence on her awesomeness—fine, I will take a little credit—but she is a February baby and February babies are just extra special.

1. They are creative and compassionate.

Depending on when your February kid is born, they are either Aquarians or Pisces. Characteristics of both zodiac signs include creativity, compassion, and innovative and intuitive thinking. TIME magazine highlighted that this creative thinking and the ability to solve problems is found in celebrities and well-known public figures. February babies George Washington, Rosa Parks, Steve Jobs, and Bob Marley all had the passion and humanitarian drive to think outside of the box so they could leave their mark on the world for the better. Your February baby could too.

2. They are unique.

February babies are born in the shortest month of the year and have the chance to be born on Leap Day, during a Leap Year. How cool is that?! February 29th, 2020 is the next time a Leap Day baby will get to celebrate on their actual birthday. There is a 1 in 1,500 chance of a baby being born on Leap Day, and there are about 187,000 people in the United States born on Leap Day and 4 million in the world. And according to this chart, February birthdays are less common than most of the other months of the year. Celebrations are made better by sharing your birthday month with Punxsutawney Phil and Cupid too.

3. They are built for athletics…and grad school.

A study done on winter babies found that they were longer at birth, and by the age of 7 were significantly taller and heavier than their peers born during the summer and fall months—people have always assumed my February kid is two years older than she is because of her height. A big and faster winter baby will dominate a playing field, get more attention and coaching, and then more opportunities for athletic success. Basketball scholarship anyone?

The same study also showed “that winter/spring babies are both ‘bigger’ on the anthropometric variables and ‘smarter’ on the selected neurocognitive variables.” In our society where parents are choosing to delay kindergarten registration for educational and athletic advantages, your February baby is already head and shoulders above the rest. Literally.

4. They are less irritable and moody.

A professor in Budapest asked students about their mood and the temperaments that best describe them. She found that when you are born seems to influence your likelihood to experience crankiness and mood disorders. People with winter birthdays were more even tempered and less prone to frequent swings compared to people with summer birthdays. Which might explain the next point.

5. They are just easier.

Look. No child is easy. And there are always outliers. I have a February baby and twin summer babies. My February kid is easy. One of my twins is impossible. The other is super easy. So if I was just to compare the easy winter baby to the tough summer baby, the answer would be obvious; but even without that comparison, my oldest really is an easy kid. A study out of New Zealand accessed a kid’s ability to share, concentrate, and make friends. Their overall temperament and behavior characteristics were charted and it was determined that winter babies are better behaved.

Health professor Adrian Barnett thinks vitamin D exposure while in utero is the reason. “Those born in summer tend to do worse [behaviourally]. This could be because they missed the peak vitamin D time,” Mr. Barnett said. Pregnancies with summer right in the middle will likely get the highest vitamin D levels.” Vitamin D plays key role in brain development and also influences the gestational carrier’s mood and health which also affects baby’s growth.

There are exceptions to every rule, and OF COURSE all babies are wonderful no matter when they are born. But if you have a February baby like I do, much of this likely rings true. I have a pretty mellow Aquarius on my hands who tends to do well and be pretty flexible in social situations. I don’t anticipate she will join the WNBA because of her height advantage, but I can totally see her on the floor of a studio in NYC, living on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the thrill of chasing her next artistic idea.