Couples Rattled by Recession Delay Kids

Baby booms and busts have long been reliable economic indicators, so it's no surprise that couples facing layoffs and a tough housing market are holding off on pregnancies. Pricey fertility clinics are the first to feel couples' hesitation to reproduce. The magnitude of the economic affect on the American population will be only be known years from now, reports the Los Angeles Times.

One 39-year-old newlywed eager to start her family soon after her October nuptials changed her mind when her husband lost his job. With two mortgages to pay, she decided to let her biological clock tick away. A 35-year-old has also postponed a planned pregnancy. "Having another baby feels more like a strain than the blessing it's supposed to be," she said. (More children stories.)