Is a post pandemic baby boom on the cards?

With social distancing rules meaning people are staying far away from one another to slow the spread of Covid-19, some couples are finding themselves closer than ever.

As people stay at home during lockdown couples may be having more sex, leading to more babies (both planned and unplanned). Alongside this, there are couples who are in quarantine apart who will have spent potentially months away from each other and will begin loving again very soon to make up for lost time.

It sounds far fetched, but the concept of a baby boom in nine months time actually makes a lot of logical sense.

The first baby boom took place between 1946 and 1964, in the era of the postwar euphoria and financial stability for many when things settled back into normal life after the war. A trend many expect to see post corona lockdown life.

As the minister responsible for maternity services, I’m just wondering how busy we are going to be, nine months from now. #InThisTogether #COVID19

— Nadine Dorries ?? (@NadineDorries) March 31, 2020

Clare Murphy, director of external affairs at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service said: “For some couples an unplanned pregnancy at this time will be a happy accident, mistimed but a welcomed addition.” A baby might be the only thing that can brighten people’s lives during these unprecedented times.

For couples who live together and are not social distancing, sex is one thing that they are not being restricted by. This makes it inevitable that pregnancies will be on the rise. This does not only link to a higher amount of sex but also to difficulties in obtaining contraception, due to the restrictions in place on visiting various shops.

Health experts say it is vital contraceptive services will still be accessed during the lockdown. Couples are more likely to find themselves having an unplanned pregnancy as a result of the prolonged lockdown, especially if the lockdown continues further.

Many people are challenging this notion of a baby boom, questioning why you would want to bring a baby into the world when the economy is dying, people are losing their jobs and we are living in a world of uncertainty.

However, since lockdown, shops including discount store Poundland has recorded a surge in sales for its pregnancy tests. This has seen a rise of 25% in the past month, sparking such baby boom speculation.

With Poundland being one of the only other shops open to the public in high-streets it makes sense as to why people are relying on its pregnancy tests, if they are unable to find them elsewhere.

Often, trends are seen in baby births in relation to other factors in people’s lives. So will 2020 be the year of babies? We’ve just got to wait and see.