When stay-at-home orders were announced nearly nine months ago in the spring, some people speculated a COVID-19 baby boom.
While health experts at UnityPoint Health say it’s a little too soon to know, they are prepared for whatever may happen.
They say they have had a slight increase in pregnancies due to the lockdowns, but so far, nothing major.
As COVID-19 continues, health experts don’t know how the pandemic will affect birth rates.
While some predict a baby boom, others say factors unique to the pandemic complicate the scenario.
“Sometimes, when there is a pandemic like this, the birth rate goes down. Women choose to wait to have babies. So, there is a chance of that. However, it’s been a long time with not a lot to do. So, we are anticipating a boom. We are just making sure that staff are prepared. We’re ramping up our staffing in anticipation of a baby boom, and we’re ready for it,” says Cherie Saldana, RN/Baby Manager at UnityPoint Health.
If there is a baby boom, health experts say we’ll know in the next few months.