Women go through tumultuous physical and emotional changes while pregnancy. Moods swings can lead to negativity seeping in which can lead to depression after childbirth, as per a study.
In the study, published in Psychological Assessment journal, the researchers discovered that pregnant a woman goes through changes and may experience strange feelings about the changes in their bodies.
“Women are under constant pressure about their appearance during pregnancy and after birth,” said Catherine Preston, a psychology expert in body image at University of York, England.
“It is important therefore that pregnancy care is not just about the physical health of the mother and the health of the unborn child, but also about women’s emotional well-being, which can give us a lot of important information about how they might react to being a new mum in the longer-term.”
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The researchers studied over 600 pregnant women and they were asked regarding how they felt about their physical appearance while pregnancy, weight gain concerns, and the physical burdens of pregnancy.
The study’s findings showed that women who felt more positive and confident about their appearance were likely to have better relationships with their partners, lower stress and depression and a more positive attachment with their unborn child.
Women who started developing negative feelings and major mood swings required additional emotional support during pregnancy and more likely to have post partum depression.
“There is growing evidence that women’s experience of their body during pregnancy can have a positive or negative impact on both maternal and infant well-being, so more should be done within our care systems to protect women against the more negative effects,” suggested Preston.