2008 Births down 2% from 2007 (years, women, rate, tied)

[kwflconch]

The Associated Press: Recession means fewer babies; US births fell 2 pct

There were 4,247,000 babies born last, down from the record high of 4,315,000 in 2007. The economy is said to be blamed as more people lose jobs and their incomes shrink, and lose their homes, which all helps to pay for children of course.

So, have you delayed having another child or starting a family due to the economy?

My daughter and her husband are wanting to have a third baby, but my son in law lost his job, so they're going to have to wait until he finds another job and when the economy improves, unfortunately.

But it's weird because, lately, it seems as if there have been a lot of women who are pregnant, so I don't know.

[121804]

Some saying goes that there is never enough money for a baby and that there is never a perfect "time". All that is debatable, of course.

I'm sure that the economy plays a role in it. We would love to go from 2 to 3, but so much would change...and currently as a SAHM, I know our finances and that if I needed to get out in the world to bring in paper money, I could do something to make what we currently need. Adding on a 3rd would change that & put on a lot more financial pressure.

My dh's employer just dropped their highest health insurance coverage & that also affected maternity care. What cost us $500 in 07 would know cost us around $4,000 in maternity care. We just don't have it.

Women get preggers for all sort of reasons and don't have a dime to support themselves; they don't care.

I am sure that there are many variables and that the downswing in the economy is playing a role. I know it is for us.

[lisdol]

I think 2007 was a "boomlet" too, wasn't it? That would explain a drop.

[malamute]

Birth rates are something that goes in cycles. I don't think it's all that much to do with the economy because when times are good, people might decide instead of being tied down with kids, they want to travel, buy lots of nice things.

It could be a cycle where for a number of years, babies are the craze, everyone wants one, they could even be seen as some kind of status symbol, for example when Hollywood celebrities pose with their babies or pregnant bellies.

Then the next few years, people decide they don't like being tied down, travel and freedom is the new fad.

[Skyscrapercrazy]

That's a good thing. I don't know how can people be happy over population growth. The world has already too many people and it's utterly dumb to think that the planet's resources will last forever.

The more the population decreases, the better.