Changes in partnership quality after successful in-vitro fertilization and natural conception

Abstract

Objective: This prospective study explored changes in self-reported partnership quality related to childbirth in couples after successful in-vitro fertilization (IVF), and in those experiencing spontaneous pregnancy. Background: Previous research suggested decline in partnership satisfaction after childbirth in couples with spontaneous pregnancy. However, longitudinal studies on partnership quality in couples undergoing IVF are still scarce. Method: Seventy-five couples with successful IVF, and seventy with spontaneous pregnancy, completed the Partnership Questionnaire; data were recorded before pregnancy (baseline) and 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after childbirth. Multi-level models were applied for data analysis. Results: Reports of general partnership quality, feelings of togetherness and experience of tenderness increased, while reports of conflictive behaviors declined overall across the observation period in couples with IVF. Couples with spontaneous pregnancy indicated marked negative changes in these facets of partnership quality after childbirth (month 6); subsequently, partnership quality progressively improved, reaching a similar level to that of couples with IVF at month 24. Conclusion: While couples with IVF reported an overall positive trend in partnership quality, in couples with spontaneous pregnancy partnership quality declined immediately after childbirth but improved again over time. The experiences of infertility and IVF treatment may promote the acquisition of dyadic coping strategies, which can buffer the negative effects of stressors characterizing the initial period of parenthood. Moreover, selection processes may be important for higher partnership quality in couples with successful IVF, where couples with abundant coping resources are more likely to stay together during infertility and the burdensome treatment.