And baby came too?

Among the many challenges facing parents, not the least is finding family-friendly shops and activities.

In a survey last month, 73% of parents said they had had negative experiences.

And a report last year found that one third of those questioned had been turned away from restaurants because they had children with them.

So what exactly are parents looking for?

Supervised

Women say a supervised play area where they could leave their children while they are shopping would be good. Men cite more parking spaces for parents with children.

The increasingly vociferous demands for better facilities contrast with the arguments of those who remain deliberately childless and resent preferential treatment being given to those who choose to have kids.

And, of course, there is no obligation for businesses to make themselves more welcoming to families; they are entitled to decide that trade might increase if they focused on other customers instead.

But there are clear signs that many businesses are realising that catering for families could have long-term financial benefits.

"I think more and more restaurants are becoming family-friendly, with high chairs and children's menus," says Catherine O'Dolan, editor of Junior magazine.

"Also in the travel market, a lot of nice hotels will have children's clubs."

But aside from purely monetary concerns, some organisations are happy to lay on what are as much social facilities as business ventures.

Stateside

In the United States, one of the things that new parents mentioned was how much they missed going to the cinema.

In New York, special parent and baby screenings proved very successful, and they can now be found in big UK cities such as London, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The latest to join the club is Cinema Bambino, which attracts up to 50 parents and offspring to The Theatre Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire for monthly showings.

They came about when local mother Georgia Mazower suggested the idea to theatre management. The first screening was in January and they attract cinemagoers from up to 20 miles away.

"It's really as a response to the community," says Caroline Sharman

Georgia says it makes a change from the prospect of a visit to the local multiplex with young children.

"By law you're entitled to go, but I think you would be frowned on and certainly if your baby started screaming everyone would start tutting and you would be out very quickly," she explains.

"You do need an environment where you feel comfortable. Mums are indebted to organisations like this which open their arms to us."

Community

Parents pay £5 for annual membership of the film club and each movie costs £3.50. The theatre's director, Caroline Sharman, is happy to help out.

"It's really as a response to the community," she says. "I'm a mum and I know what it was like to be at home with babies."

As well as watching the film, parents get a chance to compare notes on the best places to visit.

"Some have really got things sussed and are very child-friendly," says Claire Ogden

Kate Watson's son Charlie suffered from colic, which made things difficult for her.

"Usually in shops, people were incredibly kind and assistants would put me to the front of the queue, but you can feel very self-conscious when your baby is screaming and you can't console him," she says.

"It varies from place to place," says Claire Ogden. "Some have really got things sussed and are very child-friendly and give you toys and can't do enough for you.

"Other places refuse even to heat up your baby food. It prevents us from going back."

Encourage

Withdrawing your custom is one way of putting your views across, but increasingly organisations are looking to encourage businesses to be actively family-friendly.

The baby charity, Tommy's, now hosts Parent Friendly Awards, voted for by parents to acknowledge those businesses which go the extra mile for families. The prizes will be handed out next week.

And there are various websites where parents can nominate the good and the bad when it comes to child friendliness.

Change might be gradual, but there's no doubt that businesses are recognising the pressure to be more welcoming to families, which are, after all, a powerful economic group.