Fertility intentions and the way they change following birth- a prospective longitudinal study

Abstract

Introduction: Women's fertility intentions, their desired number of children and desired inter-pregnancy interval (IPI) are related to micro (personal) and macro (socio-cultural) level factors. We investigated factors that contribute to changes in women's fertility intentions in Israel, a developed country with high birth rates. Methods: Pregnant women (N=1163), recruited from prenatal clinics and hospitals in two major metropolitan areas, completed self-report questionnaires prenatally (≥24 weeks gestation) and postpartum (two months after childbirth). Women reported their socio-demographic background and obstetric history prenatally, their desired number of children and IPI at both time-points, and their objective and subjective birth experiences postpartum. Results: The findings indicated that background characteristics were related to prenatal fertility intentions. The strongest contributor to prenatal fertility intentions was degree of religiosity- the more religious women were, the more children they desired and the shorter their desired IPI. Women's postpartum fertility intentions were mostly consistent with their prenatal reports. In regression models, only being very-religious, more educated, and previously giving birth were protective against a decrease in desired number of children from before birth to after birth. Greater birth satisfaction and giving birth for the first time were protective of changing desired IPI. Conclusion: Having a negative birth experience could adversely affect women's fertility intentions, but in a pronatalist and medicalized birth culture, social pressures may decrease the effects of birth experiences on fertility intentions. Keywords: Fertility Intentions; Birth Experience; Religiosity; Interpregnancy Interval; Mode of Delivery.

Prevalence and factors associated with the use of long-acting reversible and permanent contraceptive methods among women who desire no more children in high fertility countries in sub-saharan Africa

“…The result of the adjusted model showed that compared to young women [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24], women who desire no more children aged 25-34 [aOR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1. 44-2.38] and older than 35 years [aOR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.…”

“…Considering the association between family planning use and high fertility rates [8,14], it is imperative to examine its predictors among women who desire no more children in SSA countries with high fertility rates. Indeed, the use of LARC/PMs affords women the opportunity to make an informed decision to choose whether to limit or space childbearing [15,16]. This is important because, in SSA, high fertility clusters cut across different spatially close countries, suggesting that focusing on country-specific family planning needs may not accurately reflect the disparities and variations in access to contraceptives in the region [11].…”