title: Impact of clinical factors and personality on the decision to have a second child. Longitudinal cohort-study of first-time mothers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate which factors related to the first birth influence subsequent reproduction within 5 years after the birth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort of 547 first-time singleton mothers with a normal pregnancy recruited prospectively of whom 451 women consented to follow-up 5 years later.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected by several questionnaires on sexual, reproductive and childbirth-related factors as well as on personality, postnatal depression, fear of childbirth and contact between mother/child. Medical records were also used. Associations between these factors and having a second child were analyzed using logistic regression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women's subsequent reproduction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Planning a second child at 9 months postpartum was most important in determining to have a second child. Women who had restored their sex life 9 months after birth and women who had a high score in the personality monotony avoidance scale, were less likely to give birth to a second child. No differences were observed regarding mode of delivery, factors related to birth and having a second child, nor was there an association between postnatal depression, fear of childbirth, a negative birth experience and self-estimated contact with the child and subsequent reproduction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circumstances in relation to the first birth, such as mode of delivery and a negative birth experience, did not affect subsequent reproduction. Planning another child by 9 months after birth was the strongest factor correlated with having a second child.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Danderyd University Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.
authors.forename: Anna-Karin Klint
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Carlander
authors.forename: Ellika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Andolf
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Edman
authors.forename: Ingela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wiklund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section; D019052:Depression, Postpartum; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications; D010298:Parity; D036801:Parturition / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Reproduction; birth experience; fear of childbirth; mode of delivery; personality