Women say they are inducing pregnancies while keeping in mind how it might affect how much childcare they need to pay in future, once their child turns three.
The revelation comes as women have responded to calls by campaigners Pregnant Then Screwed, who are calling on everyone (parents or not) to sign a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt demanding investment in childcare at the Spring Budget.
In response to a tweet from the group, one Twitter user wrote: 'Our childcare sector is absurdly broken. To the extent that I know someone who scheduled her induction so her child would be born in March not April, thereby saving herself thousands of pounds.'
When it comes to children accessing 30 Hours Childcare from the age of three, the funding only becomes available the term after the child turns three. This means if a child turns three towards the start of a term beginning, they have to wait for that term to pass before they can access the childcare.
It especially bites in April births. If your child is born after April 1, you have to wait until September to access the free hours.
Parents flooded to the tweet to confirm the issue. One wrote: 'My boy born on April 5 means five more months of full time nursery pay despite him turning three as he misses the cut off by five days... relentless'.
One user, also seemed to confirm that it was entering the minds of pregnant women, saying in response: 'I am due 26th March - eligible for a C section but also could do naturally. If I go beyond due date into natural labour she could be born in the next term meaning paying for childcare @ full price until Sept. Decisions were made.'
'It's appalling - it should be paid along side child benefit from as soon as they hit the required age,' wrote another parent.
Pregnant Then Screwed are asking for people to sign their letter to ensure childcare isn't overlooked in the next budget, on March 15.
'Lasses. We are at the end of our tether, am I right? We can’t go on like this - the Government must make a commitment to childcare in the spring budget (15th March), or we will see childcare costs rise by, on average, £1,000 a year and we will see thousands more providers close their door,' reads the post.
The letter can be signed in less than three minutes - you can access it by hitting the link in Pregnant Then Screwed's instagram bio, or clicking here.
The letter states: 'You want to reduce the number of people who are ‘economically inactive’ yet without an affordable, accessible, high quality childcare system, parents do not have the vital infrastructure they need to work. It is not simply down to individual choice when too many parents don’t have the choice at all.'