Coping with Body Image in Pregnancy + Postpartum
Written by Becca Gasperoni, MA, LMFT
Pregnancy and postpartum bring so much change to our lives. Between physical body changes, impacts on relationships, adjusting to your new identity, and frequent mood changes, it makes sense that a time of such profound transition can feel overwhelming and destabilizing at times.
If you find yourself struggling with your body image during pregnancy and postpartum, you’re not alone. Research has shown that over a third of women experience body image challenges in pregnancy and research indicates that body image dissatisfaction significantly increases during the postpartum period.
Research also shows that body image dissatisfaction has a direct impact on maternal mental health. Women with body image dissatisfaction during pregnancy or postpartum are four times more likely to develop depression compared to mothers who are satisfied with their body. We need to consider the implications of body image dissatisfaction on moms, birthing individuals, babies, and families. We know that when mothers are struggling with their mental health, families suffer, as well.
Pregnancy and postpartum are among the most disruptive life events to body image. This makes sense when we consider how quickly physical changes occur during pregnancy and postpartum. In 40 weeks of pregnancy (or less) a woman’s body changes significantly. When considering the sociocultural pressure moms face to “bounce back”, these body changes can be hard to cope with.
Can you imagine a world in which mothers could focus on nurturing their babies and their mental health in postpartum rather than trying to fulfill societal pressure to quickly return to an unfair and unreasonable beauty standard?
We need to consider the societal and cultural pressure we place on moms and the unfair expectations we hold around the idea of bouncing back. This messaging greatly contributes to increased rates of body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, overexercising, and other problematic behaviors, all of which contribute negatively to maternal mental health.
Therapy can help. Research has shown that mindfulness skills and compassion-focused therapy can help nurture healthy body image and decrease disordered eating. Mindfulness skills like awareness, non-judgment, acceptance, and neutrality can help you establish a healthier relationship with your body image. If you’re struggling with body image during pregnancy and postpartum, therapy can help you reframe your thinking and work toward more acceptance and gratitude for your body. We have a responsibility to challenge sociocultural expectations and support women in the perinatal period.
If you’re struggling and need more support, reach out! I’m here to support you in navigating this journey.
Becca is a perinatal mental health therapist in private practice and a primary therapist and clinician in residential eating disorder recovery. She has unique experience supporting moms in pregnancy and postpartum. If you want to connect, reach out at becca@nurturetherapyservices.com
