TABLE 2:

Studies included in the meta-synthesis: Study characteristics and contribution to findings

Author year Country	Aim	Method Data collection Analytical approach	Setting	Participants Age (n)	Relationship status	Ethnic origin	Education/Vocational training	Contribution to findingsa 1 2 3 4
Sylvest et al. 2018 Denmark	To explore how attending a fertility assessment influenced women’s family planning decisions	Individual interviews Qualitative content analysis	Women interviewed one year after an individual fertility counselling at a Fertility Assessment and Counselling Clinic	20 women 35–40 years	Single 5 Cohabiting 15	Not reported	Longb 16 Mediumb 3 Shortb 1	X X– –
Birch Petersen et al. 2016 Denmark	To explore attitudes towards family formation and potential differences between single and cohabiting women	Individual interviews Qualitative content analysis	Women with no known fertility problems who attended a Fertility Assessment and Counselling Clinic for assessment and counselling on future fertility	20 women  ≥ 34 years	Single 10 Cohabiting 10	Not reported	Longb 16 Mediumb 3 Shortb 1	X X X X
Ngyuen 2016 USA	To examine how relationship status impact motherhood motivation	Individual interviews Qualitative data analysis	College-educatedc aspiring professional women without children but with a desire for children in the future	12 women 30–34 years	Single 7 Married 3 Divorced 1 Engaged 1	Hispanic 2 Caucasian 6 Asian american 3 Africa american 1	BA 2 MA 8 PhD 1 JD 1	X X X X
Lavender et al. 2015 UK	To gain an understanding of women’s views surrounding decisions on the timing of childbearing	Individual interviews Thematic analysis	Young, educated women, women at an age when they are most likely to begin childbearing, and women in the category of advanced maternal age	18 women 18–24 years (6) 25–34 years (6)  ≥ 35 years (6)	Single 9 Partner 4 Married 5	White British 17 White European 1	A level 2 Degree 12 PhD 1 GCSE 1 Masters 1 College 1	X X X X
Eriksson et al. 2013 Sweden	To gain a more comprehensive understanding of how young, highly educated women and men c without children, who had started professional careers, reflect on fertility and postponed parenthood	Individual interviews Content analysis	College-educatedc participants between 24 and 38 years of age who had started a professional career and had not yet had children	22 women 25–38 years	Single 6 Cohabiting 10 Married 6	Not reported	College 22	X X – X
Eriksson et al. 2012 Sweden	To gain a deeper understanding of how highly educated women and mend without children reflect on having children in the future	Individual interviews Content analysis	College-educated c participants from three university towns, who had started their professional careers at a workplace where the majority of the staff were also college educated	22 women 25–38 years	Single 6 Cohabiting 10 Married 6	Not reported	College 22	X X – X
Cooke et al. 2012 UK	To gain an understanding of factors influencing women’s decisions to delay childbearing	In depth semi-structured interviews Hermeneutic thematic analysis	Non-pregnant women with no children, women pregnant with their first child, and women with no children attending a fertility clinic e	6 women  ≥ 35 years	Single 2 Partner 1 Married 3	Not reported	School/College 1 Degree 4 Masters or above 1	X X X X
Söderberg et al. 2011 Sweden	To describe fertility experiences of young women who had not been pregnant or become mothers	Individual interviews Phenomeno-logical analysis	Women who visited an outpatient clinic for contraceptive counseling	10 women 23–27 years	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	X X X –

^aOverall theme: Timing of motherhood. Subthemes: (1) Making a life-changing decision, (2) The right time, (3) Fear of regret, and (4) Plan B

^bLong: Four years or more of vocational training, Medium: 2–3 years of vocational training, Short: One year or less of vocational training.

^cAt least 4 years of university education/bachelor's degree.

^dMen’s views were clearly separated and left out of the analysis of this meta-synthesis.

^eOnly non-pregnant women were included in the analysis of this meta-synthesis.