Psychosocial implications of pregnancy after infertility.

Couples who become pregnant after being infertile experience profound psychosocial changes related to the "identity shift" that they must make from infertility to pregnancy. They often straddle the two worlds of infertility and fertility, not feeling completely a part of either world. Nurses play a key role in counseling, educating, and supporting these individuals and couples during the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. This article discusses current knowledge about pregnancy after infertility and the implications for nursing practice.