The wish for a child among individuals who conceive with assisted reproduction technologies

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the present study was to explore the wish for a child among Greek individuals who had procreated through various assisted reproductive methods. Background: Research has mainly focused on the motives of people to have children, with little attention given to their desire for a child, which has been debated mostly by psychoanalysts, philosophers and anthropologists. Methods: A hermeneutic phenomenology design was used with the large study from which the present data were derived. The sample comprised 19 women who had conceived with assisted reproduction methods, and retrospectively described their overall experience, during an in-depth interview. Results: According to findings, the awareness of the wish to reproduce becomes poignant when women realise that this might not be possible to fulfil. The participants’ motives to reproduce were: (a) appropriate life conditions, and (b) acquisition of social status, whereas their desire to have a child was: (a) to be like the mother of their early years, (b) to become pregnant in order to prove one’s fecundity, and (c) to compensate for guilt over an abortion. Conclusion: Findings suggest that women have both unconscious desires and conscious motives when they embark on the road for parenthood. The identification of both concepts may be of value to researchers, theoreticians, and clinicians who support individuals who wish to become parents.

Keywords:

• infertility
• pregnancy
• qualitative methods
• assisted reproduction
• mother(s)