Background: 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 (2 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 women's degree of religiosity-the more religious they were, the more children they desired and the shorter their intended IPI. Women's postpartum fertility intentions were mostly consistent with their prenatal reports. In regression models, women who were very-religious, more educated and had previously given birth were less likely to report a lower number of desired of children at postpartum, compared to their prenatal report. Women who reported greater birth satisfaction and gave birth for the first time were less likely to change desired IPI. Conclusion: Having a negative birth experience could adversely affect women's fertility intentions. Yet, in a pronatalist and medicalized birth culture, social pressures may decrease the effects of birth experiences on fertility intentions.

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.

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 women’s degree of religiosity- the more religious they were, the more children they desired and the shorter their intended IPI. Women's postpartum fertility intentions were mostly consistent with their prenatal reports. In regression models, women who were very-religious, more educated and had previously given birth were less likely to report a lower number of desired of children at postpartum, compared to their prenatal report. Women who reported greater birth satisfaction and gave birth for the first time were less likely to change desired IPI. Conclusion: Having a negative birth experience could adversely affect women's fertility intentions. Yet, in a pronatalist and medicalized birth culture, social pressures may decrease the effects of birth experiences on fertility intentions.

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: 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 univariate analyses, emergency modes of delivery were associated with a decrease in the desired number of children and less satisfaction with birth was associated with desiring fewer children and increasing desired IPI. In multivariate analyses, only being very-religious, more educated, and previously giving birth decreased the likelihood of desiring fewer children. Greater birth satisfaction and giving birth for the first time decreased the likelihood 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 family planning.