Early post-partum adjustment and admission to parenting services in Victoria, Australia after assisted conception

Abstract

Background: Higher rates of admission to residential early parenting services (REPSs) after assisted conception compared with spontaneous conception have been reported. The aim of this study was to characterize early post-partum psychological functioning and the rate of, and risks factors for, admission to REPSs in women conceiving with assisted reproductive technology (ART) in Australia.

Methods: A consecutive cohort of women who had conceived through ART was recruited systematically in early pregnancy. At 3 months post-partum, participants completed postal questionnaires which included a new measure of the degree of difficulty involved in conceiving, the Burden of Infertility and Treatment (BIT) scale.

Results: Of 166 women who participated, 8% had already been admitted to a REPS within 3 months, which is a higher rate compared with other women in the first 12 months (5%). Compared with community samples of new mothers, there was no difference in rate of depression. A higher proportion reported dysregulated infant behaviours (P < 0.0001) and a smaller proportion was breast feeding exclusively (P < 0.0001). Greater difficulty conceiving (higher BIT score) was associated with lower maternal confidence.

Conclusions: Clinical care of the increasing group of women who conceive with ART should include explicit assessment of early post-partum psychological functioning and early intervention if difficulties in managing infant behaviour are reported.