Women's reality who had achieved pregnancy after infertility : study of their parenthood and couple's marital and sexual relationship

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Interviews of 22 females who had achieved pregnancy after infertility treatment were conducted in this qualitative study to identify emotional problems of transition to parenthood and the couple's marital and sexual relationship after pregnancy. In general, most of them had established good parenthood, but the multiple pregnant mothers were facing mental difficulty towards the babies. An unexpected spontaneous pregnancy after they had given up a wish for pregnancy caused confusion. Especially when the husband and wife accepted the pregnancy differently, the relationship between them was strained. When the woman was feeling denied due to infertility, pregnancy contributed as the means and the goal of regaining self-respect, while creating a gap between the ideal and the reality. Pregnancy was the only purpose of intercourse during infertility treatment, thus causing a new conflict of views towards sexuality between the couple. This investigation showed pregnancy after infertility treatment did not necessarily solve all the problems caused by infertility but brought out a new conflict in many cases.