title: 'Living each week as unique': maternal fears in assisted reproductive technology pregnancies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to explore women's fears during pregnancy following conception via assisted reproductive technology (ART).
  
  
  METHODS
  19 expectant first-time mothers were interviewed during the third trimester of pregnancy using a semi-structured schedule. Perceptions of and feelings about pregnancy were assessed. Content analysis was used to identify themes and subthemes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  four overarching themes emerged: the baby's survival, the health of the baby, the efficacy of the mother and childbirth. Of these, the most commonly reported fears were related to miscarriage or fetal death, and the baby being born with an abnormality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  in addition to fears that are experienced by some women who conceived spontaneously, the women in this study who conceived via ART reported other fears, such as miscarriage or fetal death, that are more specific to this context. This suggests that these concerns should be taken into consideration when providing psychological support for ART mothers.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Infância e Família, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Rua Anita Garibaldi, 1786 apt.711, Bairro Boa Vista, CEP 90480-200, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: liamaradornelles@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lia Mara Netto
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Dornelles
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maccallum Professor
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rita de Cássia Sobreira
authors.initials: Rde C
authors.lastname: Lopes Professor
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cesar Augusto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Piccinini Professor
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Pandolfi
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Passos Professor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008880:Midwifery; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011295:Prenatal Care
keywords: Assisted reproductive technology; Fears; Parenting; Pregnancy