Body image and eating habits during pregnancy and postpartum: themes and suggestions for maternal healthcare

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Abstract
Pregnancy to postpartum is a critical transition period for changes in mental health, including disordered eating habits and body image concerns. In order to understand why some people experience new or worsening eating disorder symptoms during this period, it is important to gather insights from individuals with recent lived experience of pregnancy. Lived experience is also valuable for informing how to best address eating disorder concerns in obstetric healthcare settings. Women around eight weeks postpartum (N = 175) completed surveys that included open-ended questions about eating habits, body-related self-perception, and healthcare experiences during the peripartum period. These responses were coded using structured tabular thematic analysis to identify common themes. About 45% and 25% of participants in our sample endorsed self-critical responses to changes in body shape/weight and eating habits, respectively. Smaller proportions of the sample endorsed acceptance of or empowerment from physical changes. Factors that impacted how individuals responded to physical changes included expectations, social factors, physiological factors, and stage of pregnancy. Commonly endorsed suggestions for healthcare providers included reduced weight-focused judgement and increased nutritional guidance. Identified themes provide insight into what factors may contribute to risk for unhelpful changes in eating habits and body image concerns during pregnancy and postpartum. Future research should quantitatively explore these themes and their relation to postpartum mental and physical health outcomes. This research highlights the importance of incorporating lived experience into discussions of peripartum mental health and obstetric healthcare.
Funding Information
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (T32 HL07560)
  • University of Louisville Graduate Student Council

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