ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 focuses on family building after a successful IVF birth, or “trying” for a sibling after IVF. In this chapter we explore couples’ experiences of considering a sibling for their baby after IVF in the contact of their imagined relationships with their frozen embryos; their imagined relationships with their future families and their identities as parents of a family not just an “IVF baby”. This phase of parenthood after IVF leads to a revisiting and reinterpretation of their infertility which may be painful and anxiety provoking. This phase leads them to re-imagine IVF and their identities as fertile people. We also demonstrate that the contemplation of providing siblings for their child causes them further uncertainty because of the reminder of their infertile identify and the possibility of further IVF. Our findings show how infertile couples not only prepare for parenthood in their transition but they prepare for family making as they contemplate pre-conception care during their 1st cycle of IVF and future cycles, unused frozen embryos, and future siblings. Experiences of non-donor couples are again illustrated as before.
