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50% of people who are pregnant or postpartum report feeling dissatisfied with their bodies. 

A small survey of 161 women aged between 18 and 45 who were either pregnant or postpartum found that more than half were unhappy with how they looked either during or following pregnancy. 

“We found that that over 50% of respondents to our survey reported body dissatisfaction in pregnancy or the postpartum. There was also substantial interest in a program that addresses the issue of body image, eating and weight for individuals in the perinatal period. We collected feedback regarding how such a program could best be delivered – for example, in a group format, delivered virtually etc,” Rachel Vanderkruik, PhD, lead researcher of the survey, Staff Psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Member of the Faculty at Harvard Medical School told Theravive.

Body dissatisfaction is considered having a negative subjective view of one’s own shape or size. 

The survey found that more than 60% of mothers surveyed felt they should be thinner than they were at the time of the survey. More than 50% reported that comments from other people about how their bodies looked or their size impacted their body image. 

Some reported it was difficult not having control while their body gained weight during pregnancy. They also reported that they had liked being thin previously and gaining weight had caused feelings of anxiety and depression. 

“The issue of body dissatisfaction has often come up in the perinatal period– some distress or discomfort related to weight gain or other body changes, or frustration that they’re not losing weight fast enough after delivering. It appears there is a gap in terms of opportunities to have support and healthy conversations around expectations regarding these issues,” Vanderkruik said. 

The survey respondents reported that the negatives of pursuing what they considered an ideal body image included disordered eating, disordered exercise habits, poor mental health, loss of time and money and negative self-talk. 

Vanderkruik says this body dissatisfaction has the potential to be harmful for both mother and baby. 

“Body dissatisfaction is a key risk factor for eating disorders, which can be harmful to the health and wellbeing of both mom and baby. There has also been research linking body dissatisfaction to depression, and depression in pregnancy or the postpartum can also be harmful to both mom and baby if untreated,” she said. 

However, not all of the survey respondents had negative feelings about their bodies. Some of the survey respondents said that the experience of childbirth and pregnancy gave them a greater appreciation of all their bodies could do.

They also said the experience helped them focus on nutrition and health.

82 percent of those surveyed said they would be interested in programs during pregnancy and postpartum that focused on body acceptance.

Vanderkruik says that right now, intervention programs like this are lacking, but there are some that could be adapted for pregnant and postpartum people.

The survey found that almost half of respondents had a BMI that was overweight or obese prior to pregnancy.

Weight gain during pregnancy is normal and expected, however being overweight or obese prior to pregnancy can increase health risks for both babies and mothers. Gaining an excessive amount of weight during pregnancy can also be harmful.

Vanderkruik says it is a delicate balance between preventing body shaming and also encouraging healthy habits.

This is something she is hoping will be addressed by developing programs for pregnant or postpartum women to share their experiences of body image during and following pregnancy.

“We’re looking into tailoring an evidence-based eating disorder prevention program that targets body satisfaction specifically for the perinatal population, and would take findings from this study into the programs adaptations and implementation – stay tuned!”