Fewer women give birth on Halloween than on Valentine's Day, finds a new study. But this may not be a mere calendar coincidence. Researchers at the Yale School of Public Health suggest that pregnant women appear to be swayed by the cultural symbolism of the two holidays -- skeletons versus cherubs --  and this might influence their baby's arrival date.

They speculate that mothers-to-be may avoid delivering on the October holiday associated with death and witches. But scientists suspect that women have a more favorable view of Valentine's day, which is linked with love and romance, and may try for a Feb. 14 delivery.

Researchers raise the possibility that pregnant women may have some control over the timing of childbirth. Their findings suggest that a spontaneous birth (giving birth naturally) may be less spontaneous than doctors previously thought.

"The positive connotations of Valentine's Day may increase a pregnant woman's will to initiate birth and the negative connotations of Halloween may precipitate her will to resist giving birth," write the researchers. In other words, maybe a woman's mind is consciously or unconsciously influencing her hormonal mechanisms, and telling her body to speed up or slow down her baby's birth.

In the study, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, researchers reviewed more than three million U.S. birth records. They looked at the number of babies born in the two-week period surrounding Halloween and Valentine's Day between 1996 and 2006, and considered the mother's delivery method.

Researchers selected cultural holidays with widespread participation, like Halloween and Valentine's Day, because unlike religious or national holidays, these would not affect hospital staffing rates. They found that births -- both scheduled and unscheduled -- increased on the holiday associated with hearts and flowers but dropped on trick-or-treat.

On Valentine's Day, they observed a 3.4 percent increase in induced births, a 3.6 percent lift in spontaneous births, and a 12.1 rise in cesarean deliveries compared to the seven days before and after the heart-themed holiday. 

And there was a noticeable decline on Halloween. There was an 18.7 percent drop in induced births, a 16.9 percent dip in cesarean deliveries, and a 5.3 percent fall in spontaneous births compared to the other days in this two-week timeframe.

During this 11-year period, a woman's odds of giving birth on Valentine's Day went up by 5 percent overall, but it went down by 11.3 percent on Halloween. Although researchers admit they don't know the exact mechanisms behind this birth-timing pattern, they suspect that psychological factors and cultural beliefs can impact when women go into labor.

Of course, birth records don't reveal what may have been going on in couples' minds or lives nine months earlier.

Halloween and Valentine's babies, let's hear from you. Is it fun to share your birthday with pumpkins and costumes or hearts and romance? Others who have holiday birthdays feel free to add your comments.

Related:

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• Cravings for baby powder, and more tales of pica

Microscope Gallery

Marni Kotak stands in the Brooklyn art gallery where she will give birth in front of a live audience.

A performance artist named Marni Kotak is planning to give birth before a live audience in a Brooklyn gallery. I guess this shouldn’t be surprising considering some of her other shows have included re-enactments of her own birth and losing her virginity in a blue Plymouth. She’s calling her exhibit “The Birth of Baby X” and although her due date is more than a month off, she’s already made herself a birthing room and according to the gallery website, remnants from the final days of pregnancy and the birth will be added to the exhibition as it progresses. Remnants? Like what, her mucous plug? Her dignity? I’m horrified.

But wait, she's not going to stop after the baby gets here. She plans to keep going with an exhibit called “Raising Baby X,” in which she will put raising her child from birth to college on display. Even in the age of reality TV shows like "Teen Mom" and "Jersey Shore," this is a gross overshare. Marni says, “I have decided to do this because I want to show people that, as in my previous performances, real life is the best performance art.”

Um, Marni? I beg to differ.

Microscope Gallery

Marni Kotak calls her exhibit "The Birth of Baby X" and says it's performance art.

Is it too late to talk you out of this? God I hope not. As a mom of three kids who’s gone through two births, I can tell you there are so many reasons this is a bad idea. But here are my top ten.

1) Pooping yourself in public is not art.

2) Screaming “I will never have sex with you again!” at your husband while you are transitioning should never be followed by applause.

3) Breastfeeding. At three a.m. when you are sleep-deprived and hormonal, propped up on fourteen pillows sobbing while trying to get your baby to “Just latch! Please! Come on, you did it at the hospital! Why won’t you eat now?” you may not want a crowd.

4). The in-laws who aren’t nearly as helpful as you hoped while you were pregnant. They said they’d be there for you, that they’d stay a month and make dinner and babysit. And then a week later they suddenly flew to Vegas for a “vacation.” That’s not art. It’s reality.

5) Those upcoming teenage fights:  “You didn’t even want me!! You just wanted PERFORMANCE ART!” *doorslam*

6) Newborns are only interesting to people who are not their parents for a week, tops.

7) Postpartum depression can really bring down an audience.

8) It’s tough enough as a parent to make decisions about your parenting without feeling judged. Trust me when I tell you that the very last thing you need as an unsure new mommy is bad reviews.

9) We all know what happens to child stars.

10) WE DON’T WANT TO SEE IT!

Marni, I sure hope I’ve given you something to think about. But if you insist on going through with this, just know, I warned you.

Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is a writer, mother, comedian and all-around really special person. Her latest book is "I'm Kind of a Big Deal," she blogs at Baby on Bored and she co-hosts The Parent Experiment.

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When it comes to birth order, it seems that everyone has something to say. While many middle children say, “I feel invisible!” firstborns may complain about extra responsibilities. The “babies” of the family inevitably mention being “babied.”

To get the full story, I asked a group of parents to identify the best and worst parts of growing up as an oldest, middle or youngest child. Here’s what they came up with, along with a little research of my own:

Kiichiro Sato / AP file

Oprah Winfrey was the oldest child in her family.

Fiery firstborns
Having captured Mom’s and Dad’s sole attention for at least a year or two of their early lives, firstborns are often remarkably capable. They’re called on to do the jobs that require advanced skills, and are expected to “know better” when it comes to following rules. They often end up in a leadership position looking after younger siblings. Shouldering extra work may seem burdensome, but it comes with a benefit: firstborns are typically high achievers. In fact, according to a WebMD article in 2011, of the first 23 astronauts who made trips into space, 21 were firstborns or only children.

Firstborns also tend to be cautious and controlling, and in need of approval from parents or other authority figures.

Karl-josef Hildenbrand / AFP - Getty Images file

Microsoft chairman and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates was a middle child.

Middle child mediators
It’s true—middle children do feel invisible. They don’t get to enjoy the prestige of the oldest child, nor do they receive the attention of the youngest. These children may look beyond their own families in attempt to feel special, and their most significant relationships may be with peers. The upside is that many middle kids become good negotiators and mediators, having practiced the skill throughout childhood.

Christopher Polk / Getty Images file

Actress Katie Holmes, aka Mrs. Tom Cruise and mom to Suri, was the youngest of five children.

Laid-back babies
Youngest children feel somewhat privileged growing up, getting to experience privileges such as watching PG movies or getting their ears pierced at an earlier age than older siblings. They also enjoy the extra attention garnered from their role as the “baby” of the family. However, many get used to making fewer meaningful contributions to the family as older kids step up to take on the work, a trend that can continue through adulthood. They also tend to be attention-seeking in nature, easygoing and free-spirited.

Can you relate? Chances are, your kids can too. And while there are some things you can’t control when it comes to birth order, there’s a lot you can do to give each of your kids the best start possible, no matter their place in the family.

Firstborns and only children: Make sure your firstborn or only child knows that your love isn’t dependent on what they can do or accomplish. Avoid giving too much responsibility or holding them to unreachable expectations. And when you dole out responsibilities at home, allow each child to have an age-appropriate opportunity to contribute.

Middle children: Be careful not to let your middle child fly under the radar. Solicit their opinion and respect their point of view. Watch to see if your middle child frequently gives in or goes with the flow to keep the peace, and if so, help them find ways to assert themselves.

Youngest children: Take time to teach your youngest child to make meaningful contributions to the family and do things for themselves. Expect the same effort and responsibility as you do from your older children. Give your youngest lots of positive attention, but don’t give in to demands for negative attention.

Each birth order position certainly has its ups and downs, but with some careful consideration on your part, each child will thrive, no matter their place in your family.

Amy McCready is the founder of Positive Parenting Solutions and mom to two teenage boys. Online positive discipline training from Positive Parenting Solutions helps parents of toddlers to teens correct misbehavior without nagging, reminding or yelling.  Her book, If I Have to Tell You One More Time… (Tarcher/Penguin) will be available in August 2011.  You can follow Amy McCready and Positive Parenting Solutions on Facebook.

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