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Has The Recession Ended This Decade's "Baby Boomlet?"
Is It About Time We Made A "Pregnancy Pact" Of Our Own?

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Sandicomm
08/09/09

In reply to Has The Recession Ended This Decade's "Baby Boomlet?"
I disagree--I have never seen more pregnant women on the street than this summer. Well, November was 9 months ago--it must be an Obama Boomlet.
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whynotshesaid promoted this comment Sandicomm was starred Sandicomm was unstarred

whynotshesaid
08/09/09

@Sandicomm: You should be at my office. Four of my female coworkers are pregnant, while three are out on maternity leave.

That's not including the five women who just had babies in the past year, and the three men whose wives also had babies.

Clearly, pregnancy is contagious.
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Edited by whynotshesaid at 08/09/09 1:29 PM whynotshesaid was starred whynotshesaid was unstarred

Sandicomm
08/09/09

@whynotshesaid: Or there's something fabulous in the water at your office.
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Alohamaid
08/09/09

In reply to Has The Recession Ended This Decade's "Baby Boomlet?"
if these means there will be less ginormous status strollers taking up the aisles in supermarkets, trains. cafes and ENTIRE FUCKING SIDEWALKS it's a trend I can get behind.
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MilointheMeadow
08/09/09

@Alohamaid: Elevators, too.
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VPea
08/09/09

@MilointheMeadow: (evil laugh) NEVER! And my mega stroller shoots out cannonballs too like an old timey war ship
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greengrey
08/09/09

@MilointheMeadow: Trains, too.
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TealCuttlefish
08/09/09

@Alohamaid: And buses. I'm in a wheelchair, and I have to compete with giant strollers. The local transportation district has made a rule outlawing the giant strollers, stating that strollers must fold up, but that doesn't stop people. I can tell the bus drivers are getting cranky with the strollers.
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MilointheMeadow
08/09/09

@greengrey: Oh man, that's the worst - I mean it's already hot as hell down there no matter what season it is. It sucks for everyone involved, including the baby, I imagine.
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greengrey
08/09/09

@TealCuttlefish: On buses do they have handicapped sections? I know on trains there's always a couple sections per car for for disabled/elderly. By law if you're not disabled/elderly and are asked to move, you have to move.
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trashywilma
08/09/09

In reply to Has The Recession Ended This Decade's "Baby Boomlet?"
It seems to me like the idiotic are breeding more than ever. Maybe the educated and financially savvy aren't having kids, but the rest of society certainly is.
I held a newborn a few weeks ago, born to a friend's brother. He's been in and out of jail for weed possession, she's bipolar schizophrenic and regularly throws his stuff out on the lawn. They can't afford baby formula most of the time because he can't work. For some reason, they thought having a baby would be a fun idea.
As I held that sweet newborn in my arms, I looked down at him and all I could think was: "Wow, in twelve years you're going to be car-jacking me."
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VPea
08/09/09

@trashywilma: very klassy generalization there.
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aimeeg
08/09/09

@trashywilma: With respect, being 'financially savvy' doesn't make you a good parent, and not being 'financially savvy' or indeed 'educated' does not make you an idiot. Surely childbearing shouldn't be reserved purely for the priviledged?
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curiousgeorgiana
08/09/09

@aimeegoddard: Agreed. My parents wouldn't be alive if these were the requirements for child-bearing.
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Ayoshe
08/09/09

@aimeegoddard: Describe how the two described above will make good parents. Be specific. Use 'big' words.
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VPea
08/09/09

@aimeegoddard: I have a household income of six figures and a 3 week old baby. I dropped some ice cream (just a delicious spoonful!) on his face. No one is perfect. Money means nothing in that sense .. although if I were broke maybe I wouldnt have been eating the Haagen Daaz. hmmmm makes you think.
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labyrinthine IS DOING THIS
08/09/09

@trashywilma: ignore the haters. it was funny!
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MilointheMeadow
08/09/09

@VPea: Dropping ice cream on a baby's face and not being able to afford baby formula? Two verrrry separate things.
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VPea
08/09/09

@MilointheMeadow: breast milk is free. simple solution.
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MilointheMeadow
08/09/09

@VPea: I don't know, that may not be a wise option if she's taking meds for bipolar and/or smoking weed regularly. (Does anyone know if that affects breast milk?) Anyway, it might not be an option for them. And if one can't afford baby formula, there must be other important things they can't afford. Not to mention the environment of said couple doesn't sound exactly child-safe.
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CParis
08/09/09

@VPea: Sometimes not a good idea if mom has to take alot of meds.
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Leucadia
08/09/09

@VPea: True: but breastfeeding or pumping is difficult once you go back to work, and lower-income moms have to go back to work sooner.
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Alys Brangwin can't stop the beat
08/09/09

@VPea: And yet, not every woman can breast-feed!
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trashywilma
08/09/09

@VPea:
Well, there's the whole issue of mom taking a whole variety of anti-psychotics.
Regardless, she need not worry. Grandparents, friends, and family have pretty much been suckered into supporting this kid financially.
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VPea promoted this comment trashywilma was starred trashywilma was unstarred

VPea
08/09/09

@trashywilma: hmm good point. esp if she needs her medicine
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aimeeg
08/09/09

@labyrinthine IS DOING THIS: I'm not hating at all! I agree that the two people you describe sound like utterly rubbish parents who should never have bred. All i'm saying is that financial security does not necessarily make a good parent and it should not necessarily be a pre requisite for becoming a parent.
Anyway, i'm not trying to hate on anyone. *shrug*
Re: icecream on baby's face... I like that image... the little splat sound i'm imagining, shocked look on baby's face... I like it.
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Never_Nude
08/09/09

@trashywilma: I'm a juvenile defense attorney. You speak the truth. I see generational involvement with the justice system, and the families are generally low-income/lack options. Money provides opportunity, but money also hides a multitude of sins.
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andBegorrah
08/09/09

In reply to Has The Recession Ended This Decade's "Baby Boomlet?"
But whatever shall the poor eat?
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curiousgeorgiana
08/09/09

In reply to Has The Recession Ended This Decade's "Baby Boomlet?"
Sure, we're celebrating now. But soon we'll all be pushing strollers with plastic babies inside and getting CNN updates when the youngest person in the world dies. You'll be sorry then.
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whynotshesaid promoted this comment curiousgeorgiana was starred curiousgeorgiana was unstarred

whynotshesaid
08/09/09

@curiousgeorgiana: Not if it means I can have sexy Clive Owen to keep me company. Even if he is a big ole drunkard.
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curiousgeorgiana
08/09/09

@whynotshesaid: True. Plus, we can get advice from hippie-high Michael Caine.
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cuteasabutton
08/09/09

@whynotshesaid: I would happily volunteer find out if the human race could continue if Clive Owen were the father.
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curiousgeorgiana
08/09/09

@cuteasabutton: No matter how many attempts it takes. Totally dedicated to that research task.
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whynotshesaid
08/09/09

@cuteasabutton: Sign me up. I'll make that sacrifice for the sake of humanity.
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haguenite
08/09/09

In reply to Has The Recession Ended This Decade's "Baby Boomlet?"
Yes! Less STFUParents-worthy behaviour to look forward to.
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BiteMeMitchell!
08/09/09

@haguenite: Ha, although I do love that website, it keeps me amused for hours on end!
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haguenite
08/09/09

@BiteMeMitchell!: I love it too, but for the sanity of my fellow sane people I would wish less baby-pooped-in-bath-and-that's-not-Nutel... pictures.
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cuteasabutton
08/09/09

@haguenite: As long as STFU Marrieds continues I'm happy.
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Ayoshe
08/09/09

In reply to Has The Recession Ended This Decade's "Baby Boomlet?"
Whether or not this started in 2008 or 9 months earlier as certain commentors appear to be implying, good. About time people realised that if you don't have enough resources to have kids, you shouldn't have them.
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MilointheMeadow promoted this comment Ayoshe was starred Ayoshe was unstarred

MilointheMeadow
08/09/09

@Ayoshe: I think some here will take issue with this, but I tend to agree. Even though my mom was on welfare for a few years when I was born, I think limited financial resources must make parenting a million times harder than it already is.
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drunkexpatwriter
08/09/09

@MilointheMeadow: I agree that if you don't have money to support kids you shouldn't be having kids.
I'm just saying that since the economic crisis started in Summer 2008, we'll only know if the recession effected whether or not people decided to have kids once the 2009 birth rates come out.
Most people consider the Lehman crash the start of the crisis and that happened in September 2008 which means that June 2009 is the first month that could possibly be effected.
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Ayoshe
08/09/09

@MilointheMeadow: Ah, let them take issue - its been hashed out a number of times on the site the last few days that everyone can have an opinion, but a valid one takes some thought. It's not just financial resources that are scarce on the ground.
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MilointheMeadow
08/09/09

@drunkexpatwriter: Yeah, I wasn't even thinking about the recession. The timeframe does seem wonky in the article.
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drunkexpatwriter
08/09/09

In reply to Has The Recession Ended This Decade's "Baby Boomlet?"
But the recession didn't start until 2008 and it takes 9 months for babies to be born, so how could bank failings in mid to late 2008 effect people's decisions to wear condoms or not in 2007?
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whats_in_a_name
08/09/09

@drunkexpatwriter: This article was probably originally written by one of the people that will spend hours trying to figure out what's so special about September to make it month with the most births instead of thinking back 9 months before.
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drunkexpatwriter
08/09/09

@whats_in_a_name: By why isn't Jezebel calling them out on that?
I expect the New York Times to put out silly copy these days, but I also expect Jezebel to call them on it. And, I'm guessing that the Jezebel girls know how long it takes to make infants!
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SarsDoesntSave
08/09/09

@drunkexpatwriter: Well, the subprime market really started to tank in late summer 2007, so the writing was on the wall before the total meltdown of 2008.
That assumes would-be parents were paying attention then, I guess...
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kelsium
08/09/09

@drunkexpatwriter: The recession started to impact the lower middle class long before anyone called it a recession.
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andBegorrah
08/09/09

@drunkexpatwriter: I don't know nothing 'bout birthing no babies.
Bathtub gin on the other hand....
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ucelluccia
08/09/09

@kelsium: Seconded. Although, being in Oklahoma, our lower-middle-class family didn't really get hit until the rest of the country did a little later.
Oklahoma kind of evens things out; we joke that we're always in a recession, so what's the difference?
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