Women's Experience of Body Change in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy
Date Issued
2006
Date
2006
Author(s)
Chang, Shiow-Ru
DOI
zh-TW
Abstract
The overall purpose of this study was to describe, understand and interpret the meaning of body change through the voices of pregnant women in Taiwan during the third trimester of pregnancy. The combination of phenomenology and feminist approach was employed as a methodology to provide the basic foundation informing the study. Eighteen pregnant women participated in the investigation. Eighteen women in the 29th to 39th week of pregnancy receiving prenatal examinations at clinics at a medical center in Taipei, Taiwan participated in this study. In-depth, open-ended interviews concentrating on the women’s reactions to the changes in their bodies were conducted.
Two major themes central to women’s experience of their bodies during late pregnancy were identified. One theme, ‘My body: where did it go?’, reflects the women’s use of non-pregnant adult female standards of beauty to assess their pregnant bodies and their hope of regaining their “feminine self” after childbirth. The other theme, ‘My body = my baby’s body’, reflects the women’s view of the changes in their bodies as an indication of their baby’s health and growth and as a sign of their adequacy as mothers.
Many of the women clearly expressed a conflict between their concern for ‘my body’ and their concerns for the ‘baby’s body.’ Concerns about ‘my body’ reflect the women’s desire to measure up to the ideal, i.e., thin, body image socially prescribed for women. Concerns about the ‘baby’s body’ reflect their desire to be a ‘good mothers,’ to put the welfare of their child ahead of their own welfare.
Women’s experience of body change in the late pregnancy reflects a dialogue of 「me」and 「I」. Moreover, the re-shaped body image, the role and identity transitions of pregnant women reflects the transitions from 「pass self」to 「present self」of this life period.
The strength of this study is in presenting the meaning of bodily changes of pregnancy through voices of pregnant women, providing the pregnant women with an opportunity to reflect on their own experiences of body change during the third trimester of pregnancy. Awareness of the complex and possibly conflicting reactions pregnant women have to their bodies may help health professionals be more open to hearing and respecting what pregnant women have to say, help them provide a nondirective environment in which women can feel free to talk any negative feeling they may have thus providing a care model of ‘client- oriented’ for women approaching the end of pregnancy.
Subjects
身體心像
體現
懷孕後期
body image
embodiment
late pregnancy
SDGs
Type
other
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