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Chapter 5 - High Stakes Pregnancies

The Impact of Infertility, Risk, and Loss

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 November 2022

Catherine McMahon
Catherine McMahon
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Sydney
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Summary

While conception, pregnancy and childbirth are ‘natural’ events for most, for some the process is more complicated, medicalised, and marked by unexpected or difficult events. This chapter examines the experience of pregnancy when high investment is juxtaposed with high risk. The impact of a history of infertility, conception involving ART, pregnancy loss is examined in depth as well as evidence regarding the most effective ways to support parents who experience perinatnal loss.

Keywords

Vanessa and Michael’s Story: Different Pathways through Perinatal GriefVanessa and Michael describe their very different feelings about having, and then losing a baby, and their need for their grief to be acknowledged.Annie’s Story: A Miscarrage, IVF, and Baby TwinsAnnie embraces her pregnancy with twins, despite the known risks, and challenges of moving countries. She emphasises the importance of professional support and social connection.Tentative pregnanciesPregnancy-focused anxietyTwin pregnanciesInfertilityStillbirthMiscarriage
Type
Chapter
Information
Becoming a Parent
Contemporary Contexts and Challenges during the Transition to Parenthood
 , pp. 102 - 130
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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