Comparison of Early-Stage Mothers and Childless Women Seeking Pregnancy: Experienced Stress, Resilience and Satisfaction with Relationship with the Partner

Abstract

Introduction: The birth of a child is a significant turning point in the life of a woman. It is a source of personal fulfilment, but also a great challenge. On the other hand, the inability to conceive a child in a natural way results in a serious distortion of a woman’s psychic balance. Becoming a mother is an indicator of personal fulfilment and the source of social acceptation. Therefore, both becoming a mother and the inability to conceive a child in a natural way may be seen as stressful factors that impact a woman’s life. Aim of the study: The research project aimed to analyze the differences in stress, resilience and satisfaction with relationship and sexual satisfaction between early-stage mothers, i.e., women having a child and childless women seeking pregnancy. Sample: The study involved 80 women—40 mothers and 40 infertile women. The mean age of the mothers was 31.10 yrs (SD = 3.76) and of the childless women seeking pregnancy—31.48 yrs (SD = 3.35). Both groups were homogenous with regards to education, place of residence, the form and time of their relationship with partners. Method: The perceived stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale PSS—Polish adaptation by Juczyński and Ogińska-Bulik. Resilience was measured with Personal Adaptation Scale (LIRS-pl)—Polish adaptation by Malina, Pooley and Harms. The quality of the relationship was measured using the Quality of Relationship Inventory (QRI) adapted to Polish version by Suwalska-Barancewicz, Liberska and Izdebski and the sexual satisfaction was measured with the Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire by Nomejko and Dolińska-Zygmunt. Results and conclusions: Statistical analyses indicate that the participating women differ in the level of perceived stress (higher among childless women seeking pregnancy; t = 2.721; p = 0.008), the depth/intensity of the relationship (higher among childless women seeking pregnancy; t = 2.376; p = 0.020) and conflict (higher among mothers; t = −2.829; p = 0.006). This research project proved that infertility and its consequences are not only negative. The research has shown that lower levels of relationship conflicts and greater commitment occur more frequently among infertile women than among mothers. Regardless of the observed differences in the studied sample, it is noteworthy that the compared groups are also similar to some extent. They neither differed in the level of personal resilience nor perceived support. Therefore, although the two experienced issues seem to be different, they may appear psychologically similar to some extent.

Prevalence and associated factors of infertility among 20–49 year old women in Henan Province, China

“…Although not life-threatening, the detrimental influence of infertility to patients, their families, and society should not be underestimated. For patients diagnosed with infertility, psychological pressure rises and the relationships between family members deteriorate [ 6 ], which may greatly affect the quality of life. In addition, the declining birth rate could potentially worsen the aging problem.…”

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the COMPI Fertility Problem Stress Scale—Short Form for infertile women

“…Infertility refers to a condition in which a clinical pregnancy cannot be established after 12 months of normal, unprotected sex, 1 which is not only a barrier to reproductive function but also a traumatic life event 2 . The inability to conceive naturally can lead to poor mental health in women, 3 making them prone to negative emotions such as fertility‐related stress, anxiety, depression, and stigma, which seriously affect their quality of life 4 and can even lead them to withdraw from fertility treatment 5 . Cortisol produced by the stress endocrine response inhibits various beneficial functions of human endometrial stem cells, indirectly reduces the receptivity of the uterus and has a serious negative impact on fertility 6 .…”

Miracles of science: Birth after uterus transplantation

“…[1][2][3] Losing childbearing ability causes major psychological distress in women and is detrimental to many couples. 4 The concept of regaining childbearing ability via UTx motivates many women to pursue giving birth to their own child and play an active role in their offspring's health and well-being instead of pursuing adoption or surrogacy. 5 The first attempt to perform UTx occurred in Germany in 1936, and this was followed by attempts using modern surgical techniques in Saudi Arabia in 2000.…”

“…Absolute uterine factor infertility may be congenital (i.e., Mayer–Rokitansky–Küster–Hauser syndrome) or acquired due to hysterectomy, and its estimated prevalence is 20 000 per 100 million population 1–3 . Losing childbearing ability causes major psychological distress in women and is detrimental to many couples 4 . The concept of regaining childbearing ability via UTx motivates many women to pursue giving birth to their own child and play an active role in their offspring's health and well‐being instead of pursuing adoption or surrogacy 5 …”