Midlands baby boom on the way after lockdown
One in 10 couples in the West Midlands are using lockdown to plan for a baby.
Research by financial comparison experts money.co.uk found that nationally a third of couples are making more time for each other under lockdown. The areas with the highest percentage of couples planning a post-lockdown arrival are London and the North East, both 18 per cent compared to 10 per cent in this region.
Seven per cent of couples are already expecting, according to the poll.
Personal finance experts at money.co.uk have prepared a parental calculator at money.co.uk/guides/parental-leave-calculator
It is designed to easily show would-be parents how much maternity and paternity leave they can afford to take off, according to their personal financial situation.
Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at money.co.uk, said: “It definitely looks like we can expect a lot of lockdown babies to be born in early 2021.
"Ensuring you are financially prepared for the arrival of a new addition to the family is really important, so if you are considering getting pregnant, now is the time to start budgeting to avoid any costly surprises when the bundle of joy arrives in 2021.”
Lockdown has meant many couples are spending much less money, so can use that additional disposable income to press ahead with plans to have a baby.
Almost a quarter of couples (23 per cent) said lockdown has meant they have had the opportunity to save money and try for a baby immediately. Yet, for most, the decision is an emotional one rather than a mathematical one. More than half (51 per cent) said planning a baby is ruled by their heart, with 49 per cent admitting the decision is ruled by their head.
