Conceiving a first child: fathers’ perceptions of contributing elements to their decision

Objective: To describe the elements that contribute to men's decision to have a first child. Background: The factors contributing to women's and couples' decisions to conceive a first child are known. Less research has been carried out on men's experiences with respect to such decisions. Methods: Qualitative research was carried out in 2011. Twelve Canadian first-time fathers were interviewed. Results: The findings show that fathers consider a set of personal, socio-economic, interpersonal and temporal characteristics when making the decision to conceive a child. Conclusions: Better knowledge of the elements influencing men's decisions to have a child will make it possible to provide them with support during the transition to fatherhood.