6 reasons why July babies are special, according to science

If you’re preparing to welcome a little firecracker of your own this month, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate. For starters, you have already proven to be a tough mama by enduring pregnancy during the hottest month of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Here’s why July babies are so amazing

1. They look on the bright side ☀️

The weather isn’t the only thing about July that’s sunny: Research has shown that people born this month tend to have sunnier outlooks on life. The “hyperthymic temperaments” most commonly found among spring and summer babies mean they are prone to “excessive positivity”—which, as they will tell you, is not a bad thing at all!

2. They are in good company

The month of July is named after famed Roman leader Julius Caesar—whose birthday is attributed to July 12 or 13—but he’s not the only influential person who celebrated a birthday in July. Other notable July babies include Nelson Mandela (July 18), Princess Di (July 1), Jackie Kennedy (July 28) and four past presidents (John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge, Gerald Ford and George W. Bush).

3. They are good at regulating their emotions—even from a young age

According to a study out of Japan, babies born in the summer showed more “effortful control” than their autumn or winter peers by the age of 18 months. This refers to their “ability to voluntarily choose a course of action under conditions of conflict and to plan for the future and detect errors.” And more effortful control is closely linked with greater emotional and behavioral regulation skills.

4. They are going to need perseverance

Studies have shown that babies born in the summer months are less likely to pursue higher education degrees. Experts theorize this link is due to the fact that summer babies are usually the youngest in their classes. But, as our naturally optimistic July babies would surely argue, that just means they are going to need a bit more perseverance!

5. They are the tallest in class

Brace yourself, mama: Babies born this month (as well as in June and August) have greater average birth weights. From there, they tend to go on to be taller than people born in other seasons.

6. They are more likely to be left-handed

Studies have shown that babies born between March and July are “significantly” more likely to be left-handed. As for the reason why? Researchers hypothesize it has something to do with “seasonal variation in other factors such as the incidence of infectious agents.”

There you have it, mama! Coping with pregnancy during the sweltering summer months has its perks with your July baby—as your little optimist will kindly remind you later.

A version of this post was published June 29, 2018. It has been updated.