Lived Experiences of Fatherhood After Infertility.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the lived experiences of fathers in the perinatal period after infertility.

DESIGN

A descriptive, phenomenological study.

SETTING

Researcher's private office and participants' homes in an Eastern Canadian province.

PARTICIPANTS

Eight fathers who met the eligibility criteria.

METHODS

We recruited a purposive sample of eight participants and held one-on-one interviews in person, by telephone, and via virtual platforms. We analyzed the verbatim transcripts of the audiotaped interviews using Colaizzi's phenomenological data analysis method.

RESULTS

We uncovered seven themes that described the lived experiences of participants: The Journey: A Long Winding Road, Roles and Responsibilities: Supporter and Protector, Support: The Often-Forgotten Parent, Challenges and Hurdles: Bumps on the Road, So Many Feelings: The Rollercoaster, Coping: Living on the Road, and Reflection: An Unforgotten Journey. Participants shared their experiences of the perinatal period after infertility as long journeys and described how bumps along the road marked these journeys. The journeys were essential parts of their lives that they continued to remember years later.

CONCLUSION

The perinatal experience after infertility is an important and remembered time for fathers. It is essential to involve and support them in the perinatal process to facilitate positive experiences and overall family health, especially after infertility. There is an ongoing need to conduct research with fathers and to develop evidence-based programming and resources to assist them in the perinatal period after infertility.