Many delay plans for baby

When Quiana Pinckney sees babies, her heart melts. When she looks in her bank account, she sees a car loan and a credit card that need to be paid off.

Emotionally, she’s ready to start the family she’s always dreamed of. Mentally, she knows that she and her husband, Michael, should wait a little bit longer.

The Pinckneys are not alone. In metro Atlanta and across the nation, more people are delaying starting or adding to their families, perhaps in part due to the economy. Statewide, there were 5,352 fewer recorded births in 2008 than 2007, according to the Georgia Hospital Association. Georgia is one of 13 states that saw a decrease in 2008.

Consider the cost:

> $11,000 for the average middle-class family to raise a child in its first year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The biggest portion of that goes to child care.

> About $7,600 after insurance for prenatal care and a routine delivery, based on the latest figure released in 2007 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

While there may not be a perfect time to have a baby, for some couples, even finding a suitable time is tricky with job security, health insurance and income all on a slippery slope. Every recession since the Great Depression, with a nearly 26 percent drop, has been met with reduced births, said Carol Hogue, professor of maternal and child health at Emory University.

“It’s been very predictable,” Hogue said.

Planned Parenthood and clinics like it have been busier. There’s also about a 20 percent drop in people seeking fertility treatments, according to Dr. Mark Perloe of Georgia Reproductive Specialists, one of four infertility clinics in metro Atlanta.

Then, there are real-life examples.

Eric and Beth Garmon of Gainesville married in October 2007. They decided to wait two years before having their first baby. Then last summer, Eric lost his job as a land surveyor. While Beth Garmon’s position as a landscape architect appears safe, her success is inextricably linked to people building new homes or having enough disposable income to beautify their yards.

The Garmons pushed pause. Eric Garmon, 31, enrolled in North Georgia College and will spend the next two years pursuing a degree in secondary education.

“It is hard, to be honest,” said Beth Garmon, 26. “We have friends who have families already. I’m a little bit jealous. But we’re fortunate that we did wait.”

But planning for a child around paychecks and promotions changes the experience, some argue. The spontaneity is part of the joy, said Maurice Ralston, who has a 3-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter with his wife, Kathryn Colegrove Ralston.

“I say I don’t like surprises, but in the case of my children, all previous rules went out the window,” said Ralston, 43, who works with the Atlanta Shakespeare Company. “We’re certainly concerned about the economy and our place in it, but if you wait until you’re ready, I don’t think the day will ever come.”

However, Michael Pinckney, an engineer at General Electric Energy, says an emotional decision can be shortsighted. He and his wife, Quiana, want two more children to grow up with his 6-year-old daughter, Myka —- just not right now.

“Even before the economy issue happened, we decided to wait until the end of the year when we have some things paid off,” said Michael, 32, of Atlanta. “We hope our jobs are secure; the economy hasn’t affected us directly, but [our employers aren’t] saying it’s not going to happen.”

Said Quiana, a 29-year-old public relations specialist: “It’s not strictly a numbers conversation. It’s about being responsible.”

The economy hasn’t doused the desire for families. Jennifer Miller of Adoption Information Services in Lawrenceville said the agency hasn’t been adversely affected.

“A lot of people are surprised that we are still busy,” Miller said.

Perhaps they shouldn’t be.

“There are certainly other factors in family planning. In times of economic downturns, different people react in different ways,” said Elisabeth Burgess, a Georgia State sociology associate professor who focuses on families. “Some people react by taking family more to heart. … Family becomes more important, so you might decide to have a child.”

That might come at a cost, though. Seventy percent of infertility clinic patients pay completely out of pocket, said Atlanta’s Evelina Sterling, co-author of “Budgeting for Infertility: How to Bring Home a Baby Without Breaking the Bank.”

One “life cycle” or treatment is $15,000 or higher. Some people use credit, home equity loans and retirement savings to fund multiple treatments. To keep business, Georgia Reproductive Specialists, for instance, is offering as much as 70 percent off select services.

“If you’re of a certain age, it’s something people can’t wait on,” Sterling said. “It’s not like saving for a car.”

Said fertility doctor Perloe: “The economy shouldn’t prevent people from starting a family if that’s what they want.”

The Garmons said it won’t stop them. When the time comes, if they have to make adjustments, like canceling cable television or cutting back on extras, they will.

“We’ll do what we have to do to make ends meet,” Beth Garmon said. “If you work for a company that’s having layoffs every week, you have to think twice, but it’s something to think about anyway. Having a baby is a big commitment.”