From loss to possibility: an autoethnographic exploration of IVF and motherhood in a pronatalist society

This autoethnographic study explores the emotional, psychosocial, cultural complexities, and social expectations of in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) in Turkey. The study aims to offer an intimate perspective on the embodied and cultural dimensions of assisted reproduction by incorporating personal reflections with critical sociological analysis. This qualitative study adopted an autoethnographic approach by prioritizing personal narratives, lived experiences, and critical self-reflection. The primary data sources included my longitudinal personal journals and diaries kept throughout five IVF treatments (2017–2022) and memory work involving reflective writing and interactions with my close witnesses. My narrative reveals how reproductive technologies are experienced not solely as medical interventions but as profoundly social and relational processes. Central to this account is the dynamic relationship between personal agency and pronatalist discourses, as well as the ways in which cultural norms and informal conversations shape women’s experiences of infertility and IVF. IVF in Turkey is deeply embedded in social and cultural contexts. The findings emphasize the powerful influence of pronatalist discourses and relational dynamics on the personal experience of assisted reproduction, highlighting the need to understand these technologies beyond their medical scope.