Psychosocial Resource Depletion of Parents of Twins after Assisted Versus Spontaneous Reproduction

Objective-To examine the effect of mode of conception (spontaneous versus induced) on parenting stress, psychological well-being and marital quality during the transition to parenthood among parents of twins. Methods-The Parenting Stress Index was assessed in 37 parents of twins conceived by assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and compared to that of 38 controls who conceived spontaneously. Results-First-time parents after assisted reproduction experienced significantly higher levels of parenting stress than parents who conceived spontaneously (89.3 vs 72.8). Primiparas following assisted reproduction score lower on psychological well-being than do controls. The two study groups did not differ in their perception of marital quality. In addition, ART primiparous mothers experience higher levels of parenting stress and lower levels of psychological well-being in comparison to primiparous mothers who conceived spontaneously. Conclusions-The transition to parenthood following assisted reproduction is demanding for both parents of twins. In particular, first-time mothers may require qualified emotional support to facilitate adjustment to twin parenthood.