1 ORIGINAL ARTICLE “Caring for my family integrity”: Fertile couples’ irst childbearing experience in the urban society of Mashhad, Iran TALAT KHADIVZADEH 1,2 , ROBAB LATIFNEJAD ROUDSARI 3 , MASOUD BAHRAMI 4 , ALI TAGHIPOUR 5 & JALAL ABBASI SHAVAZI 6 1 Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, 2 Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, 3 Research Center for Patient Safety, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, 4 Nursing and Midwifery Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, 5 Health Sciences Research Center, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, and 6 Department of Demography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Abstract Background: This qualitative study was conducted to discover fertile couples’ experiences of having their irst child in the urban so- ciety of Mashhad, Iran. Methods: In this grounded theory study, 45 participants were selected. In-depth interviews were conducted at health centres, homes and workplaces. Data analyses were carried out adopting Strauss and Corbin’ s mode of analysis through a constant comparative method applying open, axial and selective coding using MAXqda software. Study rigour was veriied via prolonged engagement with participants, member check and debrieing with peers. Results: The core category that describes couples’ experience of having their irst child was ‘caring for my family integrity’. The process of irst-time childbearing included four interrelated stages: (1) gaining conidence about the spouse’ s capability for being a parent, (2) evaluating situational condi- tions to make a decision whether to try to become pregnant, (3) managing childbearing across the life course and (4) parental role attainment. Conclusion: Couples’ decisions about having their irst child are inluenced by their mutual relationship and the results of their evaluation of a variety of circumstantial, economic, child-training abilities and health-related conditions. Both planned and unplanned events inluence childbearing experiences. It is important to comprehend the four-stage process and apply it in reproductive health care especially in the delivery of family planning services. Keywords: Childbearing, Reproduction, fertility , behaviour Introduction Having a child is an irreversible experience and involves parents in a sustained commitment to social, economic and psychological support of their offspring over a long period of time (Wetlesen, 1991). Furthermore, entering parenthood results in the most profound change in an individual’ s life course (Hobcraft & Kiernan, 1995). For many parents the arrival of the irst child brings feel- ings of fulilment and happiness; for others it may bring increased anxiety, uncertainty and depression (Rijken, 2009). Often, the transition to parenthood is a very stress- ful event. For some this comes as a surprise; for others it is the result of deliberation and thought (Rijken, 2009). Nowadays, due to the advancement in contraceptive methods, people are generally able to choose whether or not to have a child and when to do so. There are a large number of theoretical and empiri- cal studies in demography, sociology, economics and the health sciences that attempt to understand how people in different contexts behave, in relation to their fertility (Rijken, 2009). Socio-economic theories view fertility from the perspective of direct costs and opportunity costs (Longo, 2012). Socio-cultural theories purport that fertility is affected by values such as gender role, self-fulilment, hedonism, religion or by other particular norms (Rijken & Knijn, 2009). In other studies, emo- tional and affective motivations are considered as more important issues (Liefbroer, 2005). Pathways into parenthood clearly include many fea- tures; from background characteristics, the role of fam- ily of origin (Lesthaeghe, 1995) and the couples’ wishes to have a child to the process of decision-making and Human Fertility, 2014; Early Online: 1–10 © 2014 The British Fertility Society ISSN 1464-7273 print/ISSN 1742-8149 online DOI: 10.3109/14647273.2014.925591 Correspondence: Robab Latifnejad Roudsari, PhD, Associate Professor in Reproductive Health, Research Center for Patient Safety, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Tel: + 98 511 8591511. Fax: + 98 511 8597313. E-mail: latifnejadr@mums.ac.ir (Received 12 September 2012; revised 6 April 2013; accepted 5 August 2013) Hum Fertil (Camb) Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of Newcastle on 09/13/14 For personal use only.