Body dissatisfaction among pregnant mothers can have long-term health effects on mothers and children; reveals study
Pregnancy is frequently portrayed as a time of great enthusiasm and anticipation. The typical physical changes that occur during pregnancy, however, can raise the likelihood of body dissatisfaction in some pregnant and postpartum women.
Defined
as a negative subjective view of one's body size or shape, body
dissatisfaction can increase the risk of postpartum depression and
eating disorders, both of which can have long term health consequences
for mother and child.
A
research team led by Rachel Vanderkruik, PhD, MSc, recently conducted a
survey to learn more about the prevalence of body dissatisfaction in
pregnancy and postpartum; identify the factors that contribute to these
feelings; and what type of intervention could help.
What the Survey Found
In
a survey of 161 pregnant and postpartum individuals between the ages of
18 and 45, 50% of respondents reported feelings of body
dissatisfaction.
Over
40% of respondents said being pregnant or having a baby had made them
self-conscious about their appearance. "It's been really hard. I like to
be thin. I have no control over my body gaining weight. It has caused
anxiety and depression," one respondent wrote.
More
than 60% of respondents believed they should be thin or thinner than
their current size, and over half said comments from others about their
body or size had an impact on their body image.
Respondents
said the downsides of pursuing an ideal body image included poor mental
health, disordered eating and exercise habits, lost time and money, and
negative self-talk.
Not
all respondents reported negative feelings about their bodies, however.
Some said pregnancy and childbirth led to a greater appreciation for
what their bodies were capable of and helped them focus more on their
own health and nutrition.
"During
pregnancy I started to accept my appearance more and learn to
appreciate my body for what it could do, not just how it could look,"
said one respondent.
When
it comes to possible solutions, 82% of respondents said they'd be
interested in a program that focused on body acceptance during pregnancy
and postpartum. Most would prefer the interventions to be virtual,
facilitated by professionals and conducted in a group setting.
"I
would like to speak with other women about how to be healthy postpartum
but also [how to be] accepting of the body changes and how we will not
look like we used to pre-pregnancy."
There
is currently a lack of intervention programs specifically targeted to
pregnant and postpartum individuals, Vanderkruik says.
However
there are existing evidence-based programs for body acceptance, such as
The Body Project, that could be adapted to address the unique needs of
pregnant and postpartum individuals.
Another existing intervention, Project Health,
could be adapted to address the issue of excessive gestational weight
in a way that is also sensitive to feelings of body dissatisfaction.
Notably, nearly half of survey respondents reported pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) in the overweight or obese categories.
While
weight gain is normal during pregnancy, being overweight or obese
pre-pregnancy or gaining excess weight while pregnant can also increase
health risks for mother and baby.
"There's
a tension--we want to prevent any body-shaming or unrealistic
expectations about returning to a certain body shape or size shortly
after delivering," Vanderkruik explains. "At the same time, we want to
support healthy behaviors and a healthy lifestyle, too."
More
research will be needed to address the limitations of the survey and
further detangle the complex relationship between weight, body image and
healthy behaviors in pregnancy and postpartum.
"We
would need to do more research on these issues; there were limitations
to our survey study, including that assessments participants' BMI and
mental health were self-reported, and that it was cross-sectional (it
only captured data from one point in time)," Vanderkruik says.
"But
judging by the response to the survey study, the issues of body image
and eating seem to be something that many pregnant and postpartum
individuals care about and are interested enough to take the time to
complete the survey without compensation and provide thoughtful
information."
The results were recently published in the Archives of Women's Mental Health.
Vanderkruik, a Staff Psychologist
and the Associate Director of Research and Cognitive Behavioral
Sciences at the Ammon-Pinizzotto Center for Women's Mental Health at Massachusetts General Hospital, has heard individual reports of body dissatisfaction from clients in her clinical practice.
With the survey, she wanted to gain a better sense of the scope of the problem and raise awareness of the challenges it creates.
"I
think there can be some shame and discomfort talking about issues of
body image in pregnancy and postpartum," Vanderkruik says. "There is
still a culture that emphasizes being so happy to be pregnant and such."
"But
women's experience with their bodies changing is significant, and I
think there is not always a lot of honest conversations about the impact
of that."