In recent weeks, Chinese parents have been trying to get pregnant in an effort to give birth in the Year of the Horse and avoid having a child in 2015, the 'unlucky' Year of the Sheep.

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Since sheep are meek animals and are raised mostly to be slaughtered, children born in the Year of the Sheep are believed to be destined for heartbreak, failure, and subordination. Many Chinese believe that only one in 10 people born in that year live a happy life, according to Washington Post.

According to health professionals, fertility appointments have markedly increased in the past few months. There were also some doctors who voiced out concerns about a corresponding spike in abortions in the latter part of this year, as some couples will realize they have gone past the cutoff for the Year of the Horse.

Based on the Chinese lunar calendar, the Year of the Sheep (or goat) starts February 19, 2015. Therefore, the cutoff for conception is around the end of May 2014.

Li Jianjun, an obstetrician at Beijing-based United Family Hospital, said there were many who have inquired about scheduled Caesarean section delivery to ensure that they give birth within the Year of the Horse.

The baby craze has become so widespread that state-run China News Service already published a report debunking the belief of bad luck for children born in the Year of the Sheep.

The root cause of this belief is not clear. Among the 12 animals included in the Chinese zodiac, the dragon is the most favored, followed by the tiger and the horse. These animals are associated with success.

Rats and snakes are also considered lucky because of their cleverness and agility. Sheep, however, have very few 'good' qualities, as interpreted by some.

People born in sheep years are viewed as passive, kind, loyal and generous. Although these virtues are nice, they are not very useful in a ruthless and competitive world.

There are times that provinces and hospitals in China have noted spikes in birth during years of the 'lucky' zodiac animals, with marked drops in sheep years. However, population expert Duan Chengrong said these ups and downs have no significant bearing on national demographics.