Pathways and Barriers to Parenthood: Existential Concerns Regarding Fertility, Pregnancy, and Early Parenthood

This volume explores the transition to parenthood from a holistic developmental approach, relating to barriers such as fertility problems and traumatic childbirth, as well as pathways such as positive experiences of pregnancy and childbirth. It presents an extended process, beginning with infertility issues, continuing with subjects pertaining to decisions regarding parenthood, pregnancy and birth, and ending with the early stages of parenthood from a positive psychology perspective. The volume draws on theories of resilience, meaning, terror management, and attachment, and considers psychological, sociological, legal, policy, medical, and therapy issues. It relates to the developmental needs of individuals and couples, as well as to the role played by family, society, and the media, offering a comprehensive in-depth evaluation of the latest topics.

Orit Taubman – Ben-Ari is a psychologist and professor at the Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work at Bar Ilan University in Israel. For over fifteen years she has been studying intergenerational relationships and personal growth following life transitions and stress-related events, such as the transition to parenthood and grandparenthood, and coping with infertility. Her scholarly publications were among the first to introduce the construct of personal growth to the discourse on life transitions. She is interested in exploring both the deleterious and positive or constructive predispositions and outcomes within families coping with various stress-related events. She has published extensively on these issues in international journals.