Date of Award

11-15-2017

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Christopher Allen

Subjects

Women -- Psychology, Body image in women, Postnatal care, New mothers -- Body image -- Psychological aspects

DOI

10.15760/honors.490

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.

Comments

An undergraduate honors thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in University Honors and Psychology

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/22780

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