Patricia E Hershberger1. 1. School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0482, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the lived experience of pregnant women who used donor oocytes for conception. DESIGN: Qualitative, using a descriptive phenomenologic approach. SETTING: Interviews were completed at a location and setting selected by the participant. Of the 16 interviews, 13 were conducted at the participant's home, 1 was conducted at a private office, and 2 were conducted by telephone. PARTICIPANTS: Eight women, between the ages of 33 and 46 years, were recruited at a large urban infertility center. The women were between 9 and 23 gestational weeks pregnant at the time of data collection. Each of the women participated in two open-ended, in-depth, audiotaped interviews and answered a demographic questionnaire. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from the women's description of their experience, which were (a) acknowledging the desire for motherhood, (b) accepting and coming to terms with donor oocytes as a way to achieve motherhood, (c) navigating an intense period of decision making, and (d) living with the lasting legacy of achieving motherhood through oocyte donation. CONCLUSION: Clinical practice can be improved by incorporating recognition, support, and communication of the experience to women contemplating or undergoing donor oocyte treatment.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the lived experience of pregnant women who used donor oocytes for conception. DESIGN: Qualitative, using a descriptive phenomenologic approach. SETTING: Interviews were completed at a location and setting selected by the participant. Of the 16 interviews, 13 were conducted at the participant's home, 1 was conducted at a private office, and 2 were conducted by telephone. PARTICIPANTS: Eight women, between the ages of 33 and 46 years, were recruited at a large urban infertility center. The women were between 9 and 23 gestational weeks pregnant at the time of data collection. Each of the women participated in two open-ended, in-depth, audiotaped interviews and answered a demographic questionnaire. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from the women's description of their experience, which were (a) acknowledging the desire for motherhood, (b) accepting and coming to terms with donor oocytes as a way to achieve motherhood, (c) navigating an intense period of decision making, and (d) living with the lasting legacy of achieving motherhood through oocyte donation. CONCLUSION: Clinical practice can be improved by incorporating recognition, support, and communication of the experience to women contemplating or undergoing donor oocyte treatment.
Authors: Patricia E Hershberger; Karen Kavanaugh; Rebekah Hamilton; Susan C Klock; Lisa Merry; Ellen Olshansky; Penny F Pierce Journal: Comput Inform Nurs Date: 2011-10 Impact factor: 1.985
Authors: Agatha M Gallo; Diana J Wilkie; Edward Wang; Richard J Labotka; Robert E Molokie; Christiane Stahl; Patricia E Hershberger; Zhongsheng Zhao; Marie L Suarez; Bonnye Johnson; Cherese Pullum; Rigoberto Angulo; Alexis Thompson Journal: Clin Nurs Res Date: 2013-04-08 Impact factor: 2.075