When is the best time to get pregnant? One mom claims she's figured it out — but do other parents agree?
"The best time to get pregnant is at the end of February — I know I'm right and this is why," Lilly Scott, a Washington, D.C.-based mom and creator of the fitness app "Lilly Scott’s Electric Collective" announced in a TikTok video with more than 5M views.
The precision of Scott’s plan — from the target birth date to postpartum predictions and even the weather patterns while pregnant — set people off in the comments.
“Then you’re pregnant all summer. No thanks,” and “None of this applies if you live in South Florida. Everything from April to (December) is sweat,” followers wrote.
“Hello no. I’m not giving birth to a Scorpio,” someone added.
Scott enthusiastically laid out her plan.
“Number one, it’s Valentine’s Day ... you guys go all in (and) have the best time of your lives,” she said in the video, adding, "Obviously, we can't pick (when) we ovulate."
If a pregnancy occurs, the first trimester, often characterized by morning sickness, will unfold in March, what Scott called “a throwaway month” and “the worst month of the year.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, pregnancy-related nausea often begins in the first three months. Some women never experience it and others feel it throughout pregnancy.
“But then it’s June,” said Scott. “You’re in your second trimester, baby! And you’re feeling better just in time for summer — bam!
“You get to travel still, you’re feeling good,” she continued. “There’s no pressure to look good because you have a bump at this point ... you eat what you want, it’s delicious, it’s healthy. You’re having fruit (and) vegetables, making this baby big and grow. And then it’s fall.”
According to Scott, that’s when the real fun begins.
“The third trimester, ugh,” she said. “But it’s fine because you’re getting cozy. Everyone’s getting back to work ... everyone knows to pull back (on) asking you to do things. You don’t feel super confident in your skin because now you’re going from cutely pregnant to feeling really massive. That’s OK. Here’s a sweater. ... you’re getting cozier and cozier.”
As the weather changes, you enter the holiday season with family.
“The brisk, cold air is around you,” said Scott. “All of a sudden your water breaks — you give birth to a Scorpio!”
For women who receive maternity leave, they can spend time with their babies. "Everyone comes together for Thanksgiving, they see your baby, they do some chores for you. Moms usually get, what, six weeks?"
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) proposes guidelines stating that new mothers receive at least six weeks of paid leave. Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees can take 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave within a year after the birth of a child. Individual health insurance plans can also dictate maternity leave policies.
Cut to December, when over the holiday break, couples often can relax together. "No one is going to ask you to wrap anything," she said. "But people are going to bring you gifts. You're going to eat cookies.
“Now the baby is growing and you’re slowly recovering,” she continued. “By April, May, maybe you’re done breastfeeding. You give it six solid months and then you have your body back for summer. One hundred percent all for you.
“You get the hang of it and you live happily ever after,” said Scott. “And that, my queen, is science.”
Scott, a mother of one, tells TODAY.com that her video was a tongue-in-cheek interpretation of her ideal pregnancy — not family planning advice.
“I’ve been thinking about when I want to get pregnant again — the second you have your first baby, everyone asks when the next one is coming,” she says. “We all know it can take time to get pregnant.”
Planning for her next child helps Scott combat anxiety over health complications amid the birth of her 13-month-old daughter.
“I sat down with a calendar and (realized that) February is the perfect timing for me and the terms of my health insurance,” she says.
Opinions about a baby’s astrological sign, she clarifies, are subjective. “That’s what fun about TikTok — there are so many different perspectives. I wasn’t saying that March babies are unwanted — they’re special and amazing! I love Scorpios.”
“That’s what fun about TikTok — there are so many different perspectives."
Scott deleted negative comments over her breastfeeding plan.
“I don’t think it’s fair to pressure women,” she says. There are millions of reasons why someone might not breastfeed and it’s no one else’s (business). I stopped making breast milk when my daughter was 5 months old. The moment breastfeeding was over, I loved being a mom even more. My daughter benefits from my joy.”
According to Dr. Kiarra King, a board-certified OB-GYN, conception, pregnancy and postpartum life are personalized journeys.
“Some conceive quickly after one try and others deal with infertility or pregnancy loss,” King tells TODAY.com. “There is no perfect or ideal time to conceive, as getting pregnant depends on many factors.
“People often exclusively breastfeed, pump, use formula or rely on a combination, based on the individual’s capacity to nurse and the infant’s needs,” she adds. “Do what works for your lifestyle and don’t let societal pressures or social media dictate your decisions.”
Scott jokingly predicts a possible baby boom among TikTokers, asking, “Will people get pregnant in February because of this video?”