Attitudes towards family formation in cohabiting and single childless women in their mid- to late thirties

Abstract

This study aimed to explore attitudes towards family formation in single or cohabiting childless women of advanced age. The design comprised semi-structured qualitative interviews of 20 women aged 34-39 years attending the Fertility Assessment and Counselling Clinic, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen. A sample of 10 single women and 10 cohabiting women was chosen with equal distribution of postgraduate education length. Data were analysed using content analysis following the method of Graneheim and Lundman and consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ). The general attitude towards family formation was characterized by a fear of the consequences of choosing motherhood on one hand, and a 'ticking biological clock' and a wish to establish a nuclear family on the other. The women idealized the perception of perfect mothering in terms of uncompromising expectations of child rearing and showed an increasing awareness of solo motherhood as a possible solution to advanced age, the wish of a child and single status compared to earlier studies. Our study contributes to knowledge and understanding of personal considerations related to childbearing in nullipara women in their mid- to late 30s and may be useful in a fertility assessment and counselling setting.

Between a rock and a hard place: The reasons why women delay childbearing

“…[33] Personal beliefs about the ideal and right circumstances in which to have a child, along with a desire to feel personally and emotionally ready to have a child, have also been identified as being important in women's decision-making about the timing of pregnancy. [6,8,30,[34][35][36] Many women appear to have a sense of a "correct order" of preparation for parenthood, or "right time" to try to conceive. [34,35] In a Danish qualitative study of 20 currently childless women attending a fertility assessment clinic, results indicated that women had "uncompromising expectations" of childrearing, which included the belief that education and career should precede childbearing.…”

“…[6,8,30,[34][35][36] Many women appear to have a sense of a "correct order" of preparation for parenthood, or "right time" to try to conceive. [34,35] In a Danish qualitative study of 20 currently childless women attending a fertility assessment clinic, results indicated that women had "uncompromising expectations" of childrearing, which included the belief that education and career should precede childbearing. [35] Not surprisingly, several researchers have found a woman's relationship status to be important in determining the timing of motherhood, with the lack of a suitable partner being one of the most commonly cited reasons for delaying childbearing.…”

“…[34,35] In a Danish qualitative study of 20 currently childless women attending a fertility assessment clinic, results indicated that women had "uncompromising expectations" of childrearing, which included the belief that education and career should precede childbearing. [35] Not surprisingly, several researchers have found a woman's relationship status to be important in determining the timing of motherhood, with the lack of a suitable partner being one of the most commonly cited reasons for delaying childbearing. [3,6,8,[35][36][37][38] A recent study conducted in Sweden examined 356 currently childless men's and women's childbearing intentions and reasons for childlessness across different age groups (i.e., 28, 32, 36, and 40).…”

“…[35] Not surprisingly, several researchers have found a woman's relationship status to be important in determining the timing of motherhood, with the lack of a suitable partner being one of the most commonly cited reasons for delaying childbearing. [3,6,8,[35][36][37][38] A recent study conducted in Sweden examined 356 currently childless men's and women's childbearing intentions and reasons for childlessness across different age groups (i.e., 28, 32, 36, and 40). [36] Lack of a partner was the most commonly cited reason for current childlessness, particularly for the older participants.…”

“…[39] Relationship status and financial stability have been cited across multiple studies as salient factors influencing the timing of childbearing. [3,7,8,35,38,39] Linked to financial security is educational and career attainment. [7,33,36] Emotional readiness and personal values also appear to play a role in the decision to delay childbearing.…”