Impact of childbearing on women's body image investigated

A psychologist who investigated the effects of childbearing on women’s body image will present her findings today, 10th July 2009, at the British Psychological Society’s Division of Counselling Psychology annual conference, held at the University of Warwick.

Dr Elena Gil-Rodriguez from London Metropolitan University said: "Pregnancy and the year following birth bring major transformations to a woman’s body, and these changes may impact on a woman’s body image and life in general. We wanted to investigate women’s experiences of this important transitional time."

Eight women took part in the study, which used semi-structured interviews to identify recurrent themes. "We found that body image was inextricably linked to women’s sense of self as well as their relationships and the context within which they live," Elena continued.

"However, a positive finding was that although the changes to a woman’s body led to concerns, the experience of childbearing was generally found to be empowering, and appeared to protect the women against any negative impact on their body image.

"The women’s interpersonal relationships were also very important in relation to their body image, and investment in their relationships with their baby, partner, family and friends also seemed to protect against body image concerns."

The British Psychological Society’s Division of Counselling Psychology annual conference is taking place at the University of Warwick from 9 - 11 July 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION please contact: The Media Centre, the British Psychological Society. Tel: 0116 2529500, email mediacentre@bps.org.uk