Conceivinghood: a woman's journey to motherhood

While we talk openly about motherhood and parenthood, very little is discussed about conceivinghood, the life phase of trying to conceive. Women's experience of trying to conceive can vary greatly and can be difficult to discuss openly.

It is now well-established that women in developed countries are increasingly delaying pregnancy until they reach a period in life when raising children is consistent with their career and life goals (Mills et al, 2011), or more commonly, because they have not found a partner with whom they wish to have a family.

This trend of delaying pregnancy has meant that many women start the journey to conception when their fertility is already in decline (Mills et al, 2011; Bellieni, 2016). Furthermore, with increasing age, there is a higher risk of developing a disorder that can affect fertility, such as uterine fibroids and endometriosis (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2018) or concurrent medical diseases.