Body Changes with Baby: A Qualitative Insight into Body Image After Birth

Abstract

Pregnancy is stressful to a woman's body and often leaves physical reminders such as stretch marks, loose skin, or scars that last for many months or years after giving birth. This study used semi-structured interviews and an inductive qualitative approach to interview eight participants and explore some of the methods women uses to cope with body changes from pregnancy.Analysis of interview transcripts revealed the most common changes experienced during pregnancy were weight gain, hair growth, and stretch marks; after pregnancy, weight loss, hair loss, and sagging breasts were the most common changes. The dominant coping strategy cited by participants was normalization; reaffirmation from the baby or child and purchasing better fitting clothes were additional coping strategies. Clinical implications of these findings include the need for better support systems for mothers who experience distress due to body changes during pregnancy and after birth.

Postpartum Body Image and Self-Esteem

“…After giving birth, due to the changes that occur in the body, often, a good part of women come to realise that they may be further from the "perfect body" than they were before. Immediately after giving birth, the woman's body does not change significantly, the traces and the impression of a pregnancy are still visible, and this leaves room for dissatisfaction (Lewis, 2017).…”