Reproductive identity of women undergoing IVF: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Abstract

This study investigated how women undergoing IVF make sense of themselves in the context of their reproductive experiences. Interviews were conducted with fourteen women aged 27–42. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used. Four main themes emerged: Motherhood beyond all, Us and them, Changes in self-perception, My agency. The results are discussed in the context of reproductive identity. It has shown that being a mother is an identity the participants strongly strive for. Participants feel connected to women with whom they share the experience of dealing with infertility and different from those without such an experience. The specificity of their reproductive experience leads to changes in self-perception that can be interpreted as either impairment or growth. On their reproductive journey, they show their agency by undertaking a series of activities (control of thoughts, feelings, and body). Practical implications of the obtained results are discussed.