Is there a Covid baby boom? Experts disagree but Australia’s maternity wards are straining

Demand for maternity services is up as much as 20% in some parts of Victoria, prompting fears the system is ‘at breaking point’

Despite experts arguing a Covid-19 baby boom is unlikely, those on the maternity frontline say some hospitals are already under a strain because of a spike in births.

Madeline Kaio and her husband, Chris Williams, always thought they would have kids eventually, but when Australia locked down last year it was the first time they ever seriously considered starting a family.

Related: Covid rewrites Australia’s future, with huge drop in population signalling challenges ahead

If my temperature was 39, her temperature was a couple of degrees higher. So I was essentially boiling

Anecdotal evidence is that even before Covid, we were at capacity. [Health systems] don’t have a lot of flexibility

Related: Between Covid, climate change and the budget, no wonder women are rethinking having babies | Jane Caro

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from Pregnancy | The Guardian https://ift.tt/34OC3U3