Experts await the 50 Shades of Grey baby boom

Best selling romance tale 50 Shades of Grey is being touted as the cause of a spate of pregnancies, according to an expert in culture. Packed with erotic scenes and ideas, the story of Anastasia Steele and the eponymous Grey has got broody wives and girlfriends so hot under the collar they are seeking out more sex with their partners, resulting in an increasing number of potential pregnancies.

[Related: 50 Shades is a record breaker]

Author EL James' first book in the trilogy has sold ten million copies world-wide, to become the fastest-selling novel of all time, outselling Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and even JK Rowling's Harry Potter books.

Hundreds of expectant mums have bombarded parenting websites claiming the books are responsible for them falling pregnant with "50 Shades' Babies".

Professor Ellis Cashmore, expert in Culture at Staffordshire University, predicts a spike in the number of newborns next year as a result of the book.

He said: "With the millions of copies it has sold it makes complete sense to assume that in nine months' time we are going see a baby boom.

"By the very nature of the subject matter I'm sure we can expect to see some couples revisiting and reigniting ideas that may have lain dormant for some time in the bedroom.

"It may reawaken passions or just accentuate the passions that already exist within relationships. 

"It is a very sexy book, from what I have read, nothing too over the top graphically - but it has struck a chord by exploring the woman's mind in sexual situations, from her point of view.

"And it seems to have worked, I have never known a first novel explode like his. Even the interest in Harry Potter only grew over a period of time.

"It is already quite a phenomenon, every woman is talking about it - whether it be in the gym, at work, on the bus or even in the supermarket.

"Previously we have seen a spike in pregnancies during World Cups but this time it looks like girls being inspired to get into the bedroom.

"It's not a difficult equation: more sex equals more pregnancies, which equals more babies."

Maternity websites are also going mad for the book they say helped them conceive.

One user drelvsjay wrote on forum Baby Centre: "my baby will be a fifty shades baby for sure. And I am damn proud of it."

While brownierobinbird posted: "I would like to thank the author of "50 Shades of Grey" for our newest edition."

But one father-to-be, Steve Thomas, 38, from Cardiff, South Wales, said he couldn't keep up with his wife's new found passion.

He said: "The book turned her into a bit of an animal. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it at first - but she just couldn't get enough and now we're expecting our third child together."

Has 50 Shades inspired you…?