The mental health of mothers and fathers during pregnancy and early parenthood after successful oocyte donation treatment: A nested case‐control study

Sälevaara, Mari; Punamäki, Raija‐Leena; Unkila‐Kallio, Leila; Vänskä, Mervi; Tulppala, Maija; Tiitinen, Aila

doi:10.1111/aogs.13421

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 31 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The reluctance of the recipient couples, especially women, to disclose the resulting offspring's genetic origin [13], concerns about the physical and mental health of the donor [14], decreased self-concept [15], concerns about the outcome of the treatment [16], ethical and religious issues [17], and economic and social challenges [18] are among the most known problems of using this technique. Furthermore, the significance of fertility as the most prominent gender-related role of women in traditional societies leads to new dimensions of social challenges for women in these societies [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psycho-social experience of oocyte recipient women: a qualitative study

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Although associated with many successes, oocyte donation can lead to numerous psychological challenges in recipient women. The identification of these challenges during the treatment process is crucial to improve recipient mental health. Thus, the aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of oocyte recipient women. Methods This research was conducted using a qualitative approach and inductive content analysis method. The data collection tool was in-depth interviews. Twenty women with the experience of receiving donated oocyte were selected and entered the study using purposive sampling method and considering the maximum variation. Results Three main categories of psychological challenges were extracted from patient interviews, specifically, distressing psychologic symptoms, social stigmatization, and negative coping mechanisms. The category of distressing psychologic symptoms was shaped based on the subcategories of self-esteem destruction, anxiety and stress, depression and spiritual discouragement. The category of social stigmatization included the subcategories of concern about disclosure, judgment of others, and conflict with religious teachings. And the category of negative coping mechanisms was formed based on the subcategories of aggression and denial. Conclusion The results indicated that the process of treatment with donated oocyte is followed by the experiences of distressing psychologic symptoms, social stigmatization, and negative coping mechanisms in recipient women. As such, paying attention to the socio-cultural factors which affect this process seems necessary to maintain the mental health of these women. Plain English summary Although associated with many successes, oocyte donation can lead to numerous psychological challenges in recipient women. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of oocyte recipient women. This research was conducted using a qualitative approach and inductive content analysis method. The data collection tool was in-depth interviews. Twenty women with the experience of receiving donated oocyte were selected and entered the study using purposive sampling method and considering the maximum variation. Three main categories of psychological challenges were extracted from patient interviews, specifically, distressing psychologic symptoms, social stigmatization, and negative coping mechanisms. The category of distressing psychologic symptoms was shaped based on the subcategories of self-esteem destruction, anxiety and stress, depression and spiritual discouragement. The category of social stigmatization included the subcategories of concern about disclosure, judgment of others, and conflict with religious teachings. And the category of negative coping mechanisms was formed based on the subcategories of aggression and denial. The results indicated that the process of treatment with donated oocyte is followed by experience of distressing psychologic symptoms, social stigmatization, and negative coping mechanisms in recipient women. As such, paying attention to the socio-cultural factors which affect this process seems necessary to maintain the mental health of these women.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psycho-social experience of oocyte recipient women: a qualitative study

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Sleep, mental health and wellbeing among fathers of infants up to one year postpartum: A scoping review

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundSleep disturbance among adults has consequences for their health and functioning. Among mothers of infants, there is evidence that fatigue and sleep disturbance are significantly associated with depression, anxiety and impaired relationships with partners and infants. It is not known whether consistent evidence of such associations exists for fathers. The aim of this review was to describe what is known about fathers' sleep and its associations with mental health and wellbeing, in the first 12 months postpartum. MethodsA scoping review was conducted, searching MEDLINE complete, Scopus, PsycINFO and CINAHL complete, from 1990 to 13 May 2019. Reference lists of relevant reviews were also searched. Articles were included if they were published in English, and reported on sleep among men cohabiting with their infants from birth to 12 months. ResultsThirty-six papers reporting on 31 separate studies met inclusion criteria. Sleep constructs and assessment of these varied greatly. While some measures of fathers' sleep improved, fathers' fatigue increased significantly with increasing infant age. In adjusted analyses, fathers' sleep problems were associated with poorer mental health, relationships with infants and partners, and safety compliance at work. ConclusionsFurther research on fathers' sleep in the first postnatal year is recommended, including: validation of brief self-report measures to assess sleep disturbance and fatigue; welldesigned longitudinal studies to clarify the causal direction of associations between infant sleep, fathers' sleep and fathers' wellbeing; and development of interventions to improve fathers' sleep, for example by supporting parents to address infant sleep problems.

show abstract

Striving for motherhood after uterus transplantation: a qualitative study concerning pregnancy attempts, and the first years of parenthood after transplantation

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

STUDY QUESTION How do women experience attempts to become pregnant, and the first years of motherhood, after uterus transplantation (UTx)? SUMMARY ANSWER Women who try to become pregnant after UTx experience the general strains typically associated with infertility and childlessness, such as failure of embryo transfer (ET), and specific worries about graft survival but when they become mothers they essentially feel like other mothers, with the associated rewards and stresses. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY UTx has proven to be a successful treatment for absolute uterine factor infertility (AUFI). Although UTx seems to have a positive effect on self-image there is a lack of knowledge about how women who have received uterine grafts experience pregnancy attempts, pregnancy itself and the first years of motherhood. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This prospective cohort study included the seven participants in the first UTx trial who had experienced surgically successful grafts. Pregnancy was attempted using ET 12 months after transplantation. Structured interviews were performed once a year for 5 years after transplantation. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Six of the seven participants (mean age 29.3 years at UTx) had AUFI owing to the congenital absence of the uterus, while the seventh woman had undergone a hysterectomy. Post-transplantation, yearly interviews (2013–2018) were performed, comprising a total of 34 interviews. Interview data were analysed thematically. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE All seven participants achieved pregnancy during the study period and six became mothers. Experiencing the previously unimaginable was classed as an overarching theme with the following underlying themes: The yoke of childlessness; Going through the impossible and Motherhood as surreal and normal. The results showed that the women who try to achieve motherhood after UTx generally describe their situation as manageable and present strains comparable to other women undergoing infertility treatments. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The fact that all participants came from one centre is a limitation. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS There are real psychological strains in motherhood after UTx, such as the concern the women expressed relating to health of the child and the effects of immunosuppressants. These findings are in line with those of other women who became pregnant after transplantation of organs other than the uterus. The results show that extra psychological support and attention should be given to those with repeated pregnancy failures or unsuccessful outcomes. In the cases where women became mothers, attention needs to be given to the possible worries connected to the UTx, but in other respects, they should be treated like any mother-to-be. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Funding was received from the Jane and Dan Olsson Foundation for Science; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. A.L.F. grant from the Swedish state under an agreement between the government and the county councils; Swedish Research Council. The authors have no competing interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT01844362.

show abstract

The mental health of mothers and fathers during pregnancy and early parenthood after successful oocyte donation treatment: A nested case‐control study

Abstract: Oocyte donation mothers showed fewer mental health symptoms in early parenthood compared with IVF/ICSI and NC mothers. No differences were found among mothers during pregnancy and among fathers at any time point.

Cited by 5 publications

References 31 publications

Psycho-social experience of oocyte recipient women: a qualitative study

Psycho-social experience of oocyte recipient women: a qualitative study

Sleep, mental health and wellbeing among fathers of infants up to one year postpartum: A scoping review

Striving for motherhood after uterus transplantation: a qualitative study concerning pregnancy attempts, and the first years of parenthood after transplantation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About