Beyond the Bump: Women's Experiences of Body Image during Pregnancy and in the Postpartum

Large, Zoë

Beyond the Bump: Women's Experiences of Body Image during Pregnancy and in the Postpartum

dc.contributor.advisor	Barber, Carrie
dc.contributor.advisor	Curtis, Cate
dc.contributor.author	Large, Zoë
dc.date.accessioned	2016-08-31T21:20:46Z
dc.date.available	2016-08-31T21:20:46Z
dc.date.issued	2016
dc.date.updated	2016-04-19T01:00:51Z
dc.description.abstract	Body image is an important aspect of identity, with body image dissatisfaction related to many negative experiences such as depression and low self-esteem. Pregnancy is a time of rapid and substantial change for women’s bodies, yet it is not well understood how body image is experienced either during pregnancy or in the postpartum. Given that body image dissatisfaction is more prevalent among women than men, it is important to consider this important life transition and the way body image may be experienced. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted among women either in late pregnancy or in the first year postpartum to explore their experiences of body image during and after pregnancy. Thematic analysis resulted in six major themes, which encapsulate the variety of experiences among women. There is variation among women’s experiences that is influenced by a range of other factors. Most women felt overall positively about their bodies during pregnancy, but there were some negative aspects and different experiences. In the postpartum, most women were dissatisfied with their bodies, although the importance of this differed. Factors that influenced the way women felt included the transition to motherhood, the media, and past/present social interactions. This exploratory study provides insight into the way 16 women experienced body image through pregnancy and the postpartum to contribute to this relatively limited research area. Many areas for future study have been identified.
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf
dc.identifier.citation	Large, Z. (2016). Beyond the Bump: Women’s Experiences of Body Image during Pregnancy and in the Postpartum (Thesis, Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)). University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/10613	en
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10289/10613
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher	University of Waikato
dc.rights	All items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
dc.subject	Body image
dc.subject	Pregnancy
dc.subject	Postpartum
dc.title	Beyond the Bump: Women's Experiences of Body Image during Pregnancy and in the Postpartum
dc.type	Thesis
pubs.place-of-publication	Hamilton, New Zealand
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Waikato
thesis.degree.level	Masters
thesis.degree.name	Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)