Delayed motherhood: understanding the experiences of women older than age 33 who are having abortions but plan to become mothers later.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the experiences of women who are delaying motherhood by having abortions.


METHODS
Mixed-methods study.


METHODS
An abortion clinic in Vancouver, BC.


METHODS
Women presenting for abortion at an urban, free-standing abortion clinic. Interviews were only with women older than 35 years of age.


METHODS
A chart review was initially performed, followed by a survey of women presenting to the clinic, as well as in-depth interviews that were audiotaped and transcribed.


RESULTS
Of the 1844 charts reviewed, 550 (30%) were for women 33 years of age and older and 117 (21%) of those had no children (6% of the total 1844). Plans for future pregnancies were reported in only 70 of the 117 charts; 37 (53%) of the women said they wanted children in the future and 20 (29%) said they were unsure. There were 1118 questionnaires completed (response rate of 86%). There were 334 (30%) women 33 years of age and older and 87 (26%) of those had no children (8% of the total 1113). Of these women, 47 (54%) planned to have children in the future and 24 (28%) were unsure. The most common reason these older childless women gave for having abortions was that they were "just not ready" (59%). We used logistic regression to examine predictors for delaying motherhood and the stepwise regression retained only 2 factors: high rating of "stable relationship" (P=.003) and a "partner who would be a good parent" (P=.008). The most striking themes in the interviews were women's uncertainty about childbearing and their focus on the quality of their relationships.


CONCLUSIONS
This study contributes additional insight into the uncertainty older nulliparous women experience about childbearing, and it points to women's primary focus on relationships with partners rather than with children as a possible explanation for this trend.
University of British Columbia, 1013-750 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1H9. ellenwiebe@gmail.com
Ellen
E
Wiebe
Amanda
A
Chalmers
Holly
H
Yager
D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D001955:British Columbia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted / Q000523:psychology*; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018454:Spouses; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires