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My wife’s theory is that there will be a lot of babies born in about 6 months (9 months after the quarantine started), but only for first time parents. Being qu

by cbsks 6y ago

My wife’s theory is that there will be a lot of babies born in about 6 months (9 months after the quarantine started), but only for first time parents. Being quarantined with a child is the absolute best birth control.

durnygbur 6y ago
For this a childless couple has to live together. Not separately in one person household, not with parents, not sharing the place with flatmates.
- fastball 6y ago
  How does that change the point?
  - durnygbur 6y ago
    In Europe at least even until the age of 35 most people belong to one of the three latter groups.
    - fastball 6y ago
      Do you have these stats on that? It seems like a lot of unmarried couples live together these days. Anecdotally, I know more unmarried couples that live together than I do unmarried couples that live separately, at least if we're talking about the kind of relationship that is anywhere close to "making babies".
      - durnygbur 6y ago
        I'd say it's common knowledge in Europe. https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/8whym9/rising_proportion_of_single_person_households_in/ https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/8whym9/rising_propo... https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/bbimot/share_of_youth_not_in_employment_education_or/ https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/bbimot/share_of_you... https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/ct33wa/neet_rate_in_europe_2017/ https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/ct33wa/neet_rate_in... https://old.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/8vriuq/share_of_people_aged_2534_living_with_parents_in/ https://old.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/8vriuq/share_of_pe... https://old.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/gplbtg/share_of_young_people_aged_2534_living_with/ https://old.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/gplbtg/share_of_yo...
senectus1 6y ago
pffft. no way. didn't slow us down at all and I got a 10 and 12 year old. Wife isn't having any more for medical and conscious decision reasons. We just feel that 2 for 2 is plenty a replacement rate for our middle class efforts.
- thehappypm 6y ago
  The parent is referring not to sex, but unprotected sex.
gedy 6y ago
I thought so too, but birth control is so common, day after pill, etc that I don't think it will matter much, unlike the old days. I'd love to be wrong though.
globular-toast 6y ago
Do people who spend more time together have more sex? I would have assumed the opposite.
mattlondon 6y ago
I initially thought this too, but then someone pointed out that people choose to have kids when they feel their life is stable (and safe). Sure there will be a load of unplanned pregnancies, but a lot of people actively planning their family might choose to wait to see if they have a job/a place to live/are still alive after the pandemic is over. Apparently there was a similar drop in birth-rate after the 2008 financial crash - people just held back waiting to see what happened before committing to having kids.
leokennis 6y ago
In this regard, human psychology is weird. Ask any first time parent of a ~6 month old if they're going to have a second one and the answer will most likely be a resounding "no!". Then when that baby is ~2 years old, suddenly the pain of delivery, the sleepless nights and the baseless crying seem to be forgotten, and the cycle starts again.

by cbsks 6y ago

durnygbur 6y ago

For this a childless couple has to live together. Not separately in one person household, not with parents, not sharing the place with flatmates.

fastball 6y ago
How does that change the point?
- durnygbur 6y ago
  In Europe at least even until the age of 35 most people belong to one of the three latter groups.
  - fastball 6y ago
    Do you have these stats on that? It seems like a lot of unmarried couples live together these days. Anecdotally, I know more unmarried couples that live together than I do unmarried couples that live separately, at least if we're talking about the kind of relationship that is anywhere close to "making babies".
    - durnygbur 6y ago
      I'd say it's common knowledge in Europe. https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/8whym9/rising_proportion_of_single_person_households_in/ https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/8whym9/rising_propo... https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/bbimot/share_of_youth_not_in_employment_education_or/ https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/bbimot/share_of_you... https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/ct33wa/neet_rate_in_europe_2017/ https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/ct33wa/neet_rate_in... https://old.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/8vriuq/share_of_people_aged_2534_living_with_parents_in/ https://old.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/8vriuq/share_of_pe... https://old.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/gplbtg/share_of_young_people_aged_2534_living_with/ https://old.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/gplbtg/share_of_yo...

senectus1 6y ago

pffft. no way. didn't slow us down at all and I got a 10 and 12 year old. Wife isn't having any more for medical and conscious decision reasons. We just feel that 2 for 2 is plenty a replacement rate for our middle class efforts.

thehappypm 6y ago
The parent is referring not to sex, but unprotected sex.

gedy 6y ago

I thought so too, but birth control is so common, day after pill, etc that I don't think it will matter much, unlike the old days. I'd love to be wrong though.

globular-toast 6y ago

Do people who spend more time together have more sex? I would have assumed the opposite.

mattlondon 6y ago

I initially thought this too, but then someone pointed out that people choose to have kids when they feel their life is stable (and safe). Sure there will be a load of unplanned pregnancies, but a lot of people actively planning their family might choose to wait to see if they have a job/a place to live/are still alive after the pandemic is over. Apparently there was a similar drop in birth-rate after the 2008 financial crash - people just held back waiting to see what happened before committing to having kids.

leokennis 6y ago

In this regard, human psychology is weird. Ask any first time parent of a ~6 month old if they're going to have a second one and the answer will most likely be a resounding "no!". Then when that baby is ~2 years old, suddenly the pain of delivery, the sleepless nights and the baseless crying seem to be forgotten, and the cycle starts again.