A qualitative insight into women’s experience of their post partum body image

Abstract

Pregnancy and the postpartum period can feel like puberty all over again for many women, as fluctuations in hormones, sleep, energy and appetite throw off the body’s reliable responses to mood and weight management. Body image perception of the Post partum women may vary, and it depends up on the strategies adopted by them. A discrepancy between women’s body image and this constructed ideal can cause body dissatisfaction, possibly leading to significant psychological distress. A Qualitative study was conducted with a goal to study regarding women’s experience of their post-partum body image. The purpose of the study was to explore the experience of women regarding their post-partum body image alteration and how it affects the physical and psychological wellbeing and to identify the ways of accepting or reducing any dissatisfaction. Purposive sampling techniques was used to select 15 samples from urban community. Most of the samples expressed they felt weak in their post-partum period. Participants were thinking that after delivery they will come back to pre-pregnant state within 1 month. “I have tried many things like dieting, walking, abdomen exercise even, I tried keto also “I lose my weight, but I will never come back to a pre pregnant body.