When the pandemic started in March, there were lots of jokes about a “baby boom.” We’re all stuck inside for an indeterminate amount of time, people would say — surely, nine months from now, there will be a whole lot more babies in the world.
Of course, we know now the opposite is true: there was actually a pandemic baby bust. In December, a Modern Fertility study found that 30 per cent of families said the pandemic caused them to change their family planning decisions, with most deciding to delay.
But even during a pandemic, life goes on. People are still getting pregnant, doing fertility treatments, finding surrogates, working towards adoptions, and having babies.
We want to know how people make those decisions. Is it because of the stark reality of a fertility window? More access to child care because people are bubbling with their in-laws? Seeing the fragility of life up close and knowing with certainty you want to be a parent?
Let us know. If you made the choice, after March, to have a child, we want to know how you made that decision, and what it means to you.
If you don’t see the form below, please follow this link.