Baby boom

Robert Livesey, superintendent registrar

Dress shops, photographers and reception venues are all reporting bumper bookings, defying their expectation that many would wait to wed in the year 2000.

The trend has prompted predictions of a deluge of newborns after couples confided they hoped to ring in the new Millennium with the birth of their first child.

A resulting boom in babies could pile on the pressure for hospital staff already facing unprecedented demand for their services during the forthcoming Year 2000 celebrations.

And the Millennium computer bug could wreak still more havoc on expectant mums if it hits hospital services as women go into labour on New Year's Day.

Sheila Guest, owner of Brides of York, Micklegate, said at least eight brides-to-be had secretly admitted their intentions to staff within the confines of her dressing-room curtains.

She said: "We were saying last year that 1999 was going to be a quiet year but we can't believe we have been so busy.

"I'd say about eight people have said they are getting married this year so they can have their babies in the year 2000."

Experts suggest that women wanting to give birth on January 1, 2000, should aim to get pregnant on April 10 this year, but they stress this is not a safe formula as no two women - or pregnancies - are the same.

Midwives and officials at hospitals, GP practices, and pre-natal clinics, today gave a cautious response to the idea.

Margaret Jackson, nurse manager at York District Hospital, said: "I couldn't comment yet because they are not pregnant yet and won't be until around May time."

A midwife at Harrogate District Hospital said: "I can imagine people would aim for the Millennium but it would be too early to know until about spring time."

A midwife at Castle Hill hospital, in Hull, said: "People are going to carry on having babies whatever, but whether they are making a conscious effort to save them until the year 2000, I don't know."

David Gill, practice manager at the Priory Medical Group, York's largest fund-holding practice, said: "This is the first I've heard of it, that's interesting.

"The effect on us would depend on what you are talking about as a boom. If it was just a three, four or five per cent rise that is not a problem as we do get variations from year to year."

He said in general, GP practices would have the resources to cope but he thought hospitals may require longer-term planning if it turned out to be a big boom.

Meanwhile those planning last minute celebrations or weddings to coincide with the Millennium may be disappointed as many venues are already or nearly fully booked.

A spokeswoman for the Royal York Hotel, said: "Our large rooms are booked up nearly all the way through but our smaller room is still available."

The Rev David Casswell, vicar of Clifton, said most Saturdays in the summer months of 1999 had weddings scheduled, but there were still some spaces.

And Robert Livesey, superintendent registrar at York Register Office, said that while register office bookings for this year remained the same as usual, weddings being booked for registered alternative premises such as the Merchant Adventurers' Hall and Treasurer's House were up on last year.

see COMMENT 'Baby boom blues'

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