Is the Recession Leading to Postponement of Parenthood Plans?

People are willing to spend whatever it takes to fulfill their dreams of having a family. But in these tough economic times, deciding to postpone having a child or adding to the family is a natural consequence as women struggle to hold on to their jobs and job prospects are uncertain. With the economy putting strain on finances, employers cutting benefits, savings dwindling and the cost of raising and educating children at an all time high, prospective parents are now filled with doubts about their ability to provide for children.

A fall out of the economic situation is that many people are losing their health insurance. The financial crisis is taking a personal toll on couples who have no option but to consciously decide to postpone parenthood till the economic downturn improves.

But there are many who advocate that parenthood decisions should not be tied to finances or economic cycles. There are optimists who suggest that in fact women who suddenly find themselves out of work without much chance of finding work in the near future might well decide that now is the time to have a baby.

Link between Recession and Birth Rates

Historically, the birth rate declines when there is a national crisis or recession. In the USA, during the Great Depression, the total fertility rate (TFR) reduced to 2.1 children per woman in 1936 and during the inflationary oil crisis decade of the 1970s the TFR set an all-time low record of 1.7. Obstetricians expect to see a drop in pregnancies in the coming months, especially among middle-class families with shrinking incomes.

Impact of Recession on Infertility Patients

But for most couples seeking infertility treatment, time is not on their side with those opting for treatment mostly in their 30’s. Most of them cannot wait for an economic recovery to happen, or for credit to free up as it could mean they may never have children, due to age-related declines in fertility. The economic recession may persist a few years, but for most couples with infertility issues, the biological clock does not stop tickling down.

How has the recession affected fertility clinics?

So far fertility clinics seem to have been untouched by the economic slide with consults for new IVF patients holding steady. It seems that people still hold family to be most important in their priority list in spite of the financial difficulties they have to deal with. Reproductive medicine is thriving despite the troubled economy, and most couples are ready to take on the physical, financial and emotional challenges that treatments bring about.

In the current scenario, there is an urgent need to devise solutions to make treatment more affordable and accessible for infertility patients. Some private clinics are offering money-back guarantees, where patients will receive a refund if they fail to conceive within three cycles of infertility treatment. Most health insurance does not cover fertility treatment and there is an urgent need to ease the financial burden of those who are opting for IVF and other infertility treatment towards their pursuit of having a baby.

Dublin, California based East Bay Fertility Center (www.ebfertiltity.com) has always empathized with couples struggling to find ways to finance their infertility treatment. East Bay Fertility Center offers in-house financing in order to make the cost of treatment affordable. East Bay Fertility Center also has arrangements with financial institutions that provide financing to their patients. Diagnostic testing and IUI (artificial insemination) may be covered by insurance depending on the diagnosis. Corporate discounts are also available and the cost for testing and treatment will be reviewed with each patient at the time of the free initial consultation.