Moms Magically Avoid Giving Birth On Halloween

Apparently moms go to great lengths to avoid giving birth on Halloween. And even their bodies conspire to keep babies from popping out on the scary holiday.

The Telegraph reports on a new study showing births drop by 11.3% on October 31. Scheduled C-sections and induced deliveries are less likely to occur on that day than the days around it, but fascinatingly, there is a drop in natural births as well. Somehow, women’s bodies are holding those babies in until it’s safely November. Study author Rebecca Levy says women may subconsciously want to avoid giving birth on Halloween, because obviously if you do your baby will be a demon. She adds,

The study raises the possibility that the assumption underlying the term “spontaneous birth”, namely, that births are outside the control of pregnant women, is erroneous. We know that hormones control birth timing, and mothers do often express a desire to give birth on a certain day but the process that allows those thoughts to potentially impact the timing, we don’t know.

Ladies’ magical wombs apparently love Valentine’s Day almost as much as they hate Halloween: babies are 5% more likely to be born on February 14 than on the surrounding days. And while it’s too bad that moms are keeping kids from having Hallobirthdays, which are awesome, it is interesting to learn that they can subconsciously influence the day their babies are born. This research could have implications beyond birth timing — women’s thoughts and moods could influence their pregnancies in all sorts of ways we’re just beginning to understand. Of course, knowing more about this could lead to more mom-shaming (Premature? You were probably thinking bad thoughts!), but it could also give us a fascinating look into the connection between mother and fetus, body and mind.

Pregnant Women ‘Time Births To Avoid Halloween’ [Telegraph]