The life span between the mid-twenties and the late thirties is characterised by multiple demands. In recent years, the expression "rush hour of life" has been used to describe periods of time when conflicting demands are felt most acutely, in particular related to family formation and...

The study of fertility intentions has gained importance in the literature during the last decades. Nevertheless, research focussing on their realisation is still scarce due to limited availability of longitudinal data. Although a bulk of existing studies demonstrated regional variation and...

This article examines the characteristics of women and men who got a child despite declaring no such wish up to three years before the pregnancy. We compare these unintended or sooner-than-intended parents with those who got a child as intended and those who, in line with their intentions, did...

The aim of the paper is to investigate the link between fertility intentions and outcomes in Poland. Previous studies detected large differences between countries in the extent to which childbearing plans are realised. Specifically, failure to realise an intention to become a parent was found to...

Realisation of childbearing intentions implies couple's dyadic interaction and proceptive behaviour. Studies on childbearing intentions and outcomes have rarely considered non-use of contraception or 'proceptive behaviour' in general as an important mediator of fertility outcomes. The...

The present study addresses the issue of economic insecurity and its relationship with the reproductive plans of 5,358 Italian women in couples who have recently had their first child. Data were sourced from the ISTAT Sample Survey on Births, 2005 edition. This article’s originality lies in...