This book explores how experiences of IVF can affect the transition to parenthood for non-donor infertile couples.

Drawing on empirical research and the broader social sciences literature, the book sets out the context of complex modern family building and discusses how infertility and IVF continue to shape parenthood and family building after successful IVF conception. It looks at how stigma, disclosure, loss, and gender affect the transition to parenthood, as well as what happens when parents start thinking about trying for siblings. We highlight the key roles for health care professionals (nurses, midwives, and health visitors) when caring for these new parents, in providing social support and facilitating good communication to foster emotional well-being.

Ideal for nurses and midwives working in reproductive health as well as primary care nurses and health visitors, this applied text is a key reference for all healthcare professionals who meet people at any point on their journey to achieving pregnancy through IVF, during maternity care, and through the first few years of parenthood.

Helen Allan is Professor of Nursing at Middlesex University, UK.

Ginny Mounce is Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at Oxford Brookes University and Clinical Research Manager at the Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, UK.