TY - JOUR
T1 - Personal growth during early and advanced pregnancy according to women’s mode of conception
AU - Mijalevich-Soker, Elad
AU - Horowitz, Eran
AU - Azuri, Joseph
AU - Davidi, Ofer
AU - Mashiach Friedler, Jordana
AU - Taubman — Ben-Ari, Orit
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Society for Reproductive & Infant Psychology.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Background: Pregnancy can be a complex and stressful period, especially for women conceiving through fertility treatment, but this can foster the experience of personal growth (PG). Most of the knowledge on women’s PG during pregnancy is based on a single measurement and relates to conceiving achieved through fertility treatments in general. Relying on Schaefer and Moos’s PG model, the current prospective study sought to (1) investigate the differences in PG according to women’s mode of conception (spontaneous; first-line fertility treatment; IVF) and (2) examine the contribution of the mode of conception, perceived stress, self-mastery, and cognitive appraisal (threat, challenge, and self-efficacy) to PG in two phases during pregnancy. Methods: Israeli pregnant women (Mean age = 32) recruited through a convenience sample, completed self-report questionnaires twice: the first or second trimester of pregnancy (Phase 1; n = 400) and the third trimester (Phase 2; n = 268). A total of 268 participants completed both assessments. Results: Women who conceived through IVF experienced higher PG and lower self-mastery than women who conceived spontaneously. Regression analyses indicated that IVF, being primiparous, lower self-mastery, lower threat appraisal, and higher challenge appraisal were related to greater PG in Phase 1. Only expecting the first child and challenge appraisal predicted women’s PG in Phase 2. Conclusions: The study highlights that women who conceive through IVF experience greater PG than other women and the significant role of cognitive appraisal in PG over time during pregnancy. These findings may inform focused-based interventions to enhance women’s mental health during this period.
AB - Background: Pregnancy can be a complex and stressful period, especially for women conceiving through fertility treatment, but this can foster the experience of personal growth (PG). Most of the knowledge on women’s PG during pregnancy is based on a single measurement and relates to conceiving achieved through fertility treatments in general. Relying on Schaefer and Moos’s PG model, the current prospective study sought to (1) investigate the differences in PG according to women’s mode of conception (spontaneous; first-line fertility treatment; IVF) and (2) examine the contribution of the mode of conception, perceived stress, self-mastery, and cognitive appraisal (threat, challenge, and self-efficacy) to PG in two phases during pregnancy. Methods: Israeli pregnant women (Mean age = 32) recruited through a convenience sample, completed self-report questionnaires twice: the first or second trimester of pregnancy (Phase 1; n = 400) and the third trimester (Phase 2; n = 268). A total of 268 participants completed both assessments. Results: Women who conceived through IVF experienced higher PG and lower self-mastery than women who conceived spontaneously. Regression analyses indicated that IVF, being primiparous, lower self-mastery, lower threat appraisal, and higher challenge appraisal were related to greater PG in Phase 1. Only expecting the first child and challenge appraisal predicted women’s PG in Phase 2. Conclusions: The study highlights that women who conceive through IVF experience greater PG than other women and the significant role of cognitive appraisal in PG over time during pregnancy. These findings may inform focused-based interventions to enhance women’s mental health during this period.
KW - cognitive appraisal
KW - fertility treatment
KW - personal growth
KW - Pregnancy
KW - self-mastery
KW - stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85212425589&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/02646838.2024.2441878
DO - 10.1080/02646838.2024.2441878
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C2 - 39690485
AN - SCOPUS:85212425589
SN - 0264-6838
JO - Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology
JF - Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology
ER -