SynthesisBMC pregnancy and childbirth2014
Women's experiences of their pregnancy and postpartum body image: a systematic review and meta-synthesis.
Synthesis in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 94 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
94 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Postpartum Women's Body Dissatisfaction: A Systematic Review of Theoretical Models and Regression Analyses.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Pooled it
- Comparing body image dissatisfaction between pregnant women and non-pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Pooled it
- Body Image Assessment Tools in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- Sensory challenges experienced by autistic women during pregnancy and childbirth: a systematic review.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2022Pooled it
- The experiences of postnatal women and healthcare professionals of a brief weight management intervention embedded within the national child immunisation programme.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2021Trial
- Weight and body image during pregnancy: a qualitative study of the experience of pregnant women, midwives and dietitians.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2026Article
- From Compassion to Satisfaction: The Role of Body Appreciation in the Relation Between Flows of Compassion and Couple Satisfaction in Postpartum Women.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Subtypes and associated factors of prenatal depressive symptoms and their association with health-related quality of life among pregnant women: a cross-sectional study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Article
- Management of postpartum rectus diastasis in primary care.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026Article
- Combining Abdominoplasty and Breast Procedures Under Tumescent Local and Spinal Anesthesia: A Retrospective Study.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2026Article
- Association Between Clinical Pilates During Pregnancy and Postpartum Biopsychosocial Health: A Cross-Sectional Study.International urogynecology journal · 2026Article
- Tracing the developmental arc of matrescence: a phenomenological study of urban Indian mothers.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- Kuwaiti women's perception of social support in pregnancy: a qualitative study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Article
- Relationship between nutrition knowledge level, body perception and emotional eating among pregnant and lactating women: a cross-sectional study of 200 Turkish women.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Article
- Identifying early key influencing factors of positive results in the early screening for postpartum depression with interpretable machine learning.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Exploring the relationships among weight stigma, weight bias internalisation, feeling fat, and self-esteem across preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum.Health psychology and behavioral medicine · 2026Article
- 'At the heart of the community' - a Somali woman's experience of 'alignment' of support to escape social isolation in pregnancy and early motherhood.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2025Article
34 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPregnancy-related physical changes can have a significant impact on a woman's body image. There is no synthesis of existing literature to describe the intricacies of women's experiences of their body, and relevant clinical implications.
methodsFour electronic databases were searched in February 2014 using predefined search terms. English-language, qualitative studies published between January 1992 and December 2013 exploring pregnancy and postpartum body image were included. Following quality appraisal, 17 papers were synthesised using the interpretive thematic synthesis approach within a social constructionist framework.
resultsThree themes were highlighted: "Public Event: 'Fatness' vs. Pregnancy", "Control: Nature vs. Self", and "Role: Woman vs. Mother". Women perceived the pregnant body to be out of their control and as transgressing the socially constructed ideal, against which they tried to protect their body image satisfaction. Women perceived the physical manifestation of the mothering role as incongruent to their other roles as a wife or partner, or working woman. Body dissatisfaction dominated the postpartum period.
conclusionsWomen's perception of their pregnancy body image is varied and depends on the strategies they use to protect against social constructions of female beauty. Women have unrealistic expectations for their postpartum body, highlighting this as an area where women need better support. Attending to women's narratives about their pregnant body may identify at-risk women and provide an opportunity for health professionals to provide support to either address or accept body image dissatisfaction. Clinical communication training may enable health professionals to explore body image concerns with women and guide them in identifying ways of accepting or reducing any dissatisfaction.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.