The body image experiences of breastfeeding mothers in the UK: A qualitative exploration

OWEN, Alison, CAMERON, Leah, CASSIDY, Heather and TAYLOR, Jennifer (2023) The body image experiences of breastfeeding mothers in the UK: A qualitative exploration. Journal of Health Psychology. ISSN 1461-7277 (In Press)

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Abstract or description

Despite the well-documented benefits of breastfeeding, the UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world (Merritt et al., 2023). One of the areas that has been identified as impacting on a woman’s experience of breastfeeding is body image. The aim of this study was to explore the body image experiences of breastfeeding mothers in the UK. Eighteen female participants were interviewed about their thoughts and feelings around their body image, specifically in relation to their breastfeeding. Three themes were developed following thematic analysis of the data: Breastfeeding as a functional tool, Body confidence and breastfeeding in public, and Not feeling like the real me: a loss of identity. Implications of the findings are discussed, with suggestions for health promotion and ideas for encouraging a more positive body image in pregnant and breastfeeding women, with the hope of improving breastfeeding rates and experiences.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty:	School of Life Sciences and Education > Psychology and Counselling
Depositing User:	Alison OWEN
Date Deposited:	25 Sep 2023 07:44
Last Modified:	26 Sep 2023 04:30
URI:	https://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/id/eprint/7906

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