I first heard today’s guest when she appeared on Rebecca Scritchfield’s Body Kindness podcast, and I couldn’t wait to get her on the show! We’re talking about body image in the perinatal period and why we should be talking more about it. We’ll discuss her research, the roles of self-compassion and mindfulness, and some wonderfully helpful resources.
Dr. Jennifer WEbb is an associate professor in the Department of Psychological Science and a core member of the Health Psychology Ph.D. program clinical faculty at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She received her baccalaureate degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from Harvard, went on to complete her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychologist at the University of Southern California, and did her postdoctoral fellowship training in Clinical Health Psychology at Duke Integrative Medicine. Her research program is informed in culturally and body diverse groups. Her particular emphasis involves the enhancing of the integration, dissemination, and accessibility of evidence-based, mind-body approaches to strengthen embodied self-regulation, positive body image, and wellbeing among women during the developmental transitions of young adulthood, pregnancy, and the postpartum.
Show Highlights:
How researchers are playing “catch up” in the field of body image and how it’s affected by mood and anxiety during milestone periods How negative body image 3 months postpartum and during pregnancy can increase the chances and severity of depressive symptoms later on The definition of body image: how we think and feel about our bodies, how they move, and how they function The impact of sociocultural pressures and the media and social media messages that we get during pregnancy and postpartum times Western notions of what pregnancy and postpartum body should look like: a narrow portrayal, thin ideal, and a constrained approach Why we need more cross-cultural research across diverse groups of women Obsessiveness around body image can even come from well-meaning healthcare providers The concepts of body surveillance and disordered eating The importance and impact of conversations with healthcare providers, which offer a huge opportunity to help with the reframing process A “health at every size” perspective and non-dieting, weight-neutral understanding Fighting against the “get your body back” messages that our society gives women during the postpartum How researchers define the elements of positive body image: Appreciating and accepting the body as it is Respecting the body through active self-care Protecting the body from negative messages What it means to show acceptance to ourselves and our bodies as we go through changes Lisa Rubin’s research on women during pregnancy and how appreciation for our bodies can help during pregnancy and postpartum and become a lifestyle commitment How mind-body practices can help How Jennifer’s research shows that mindful self-care can lower depression rates in the postpartum Other ways to support women: intervention work, collaboration, guided self-help, and a focus on wellbeing and not diet cultureResources:
Body Kindness by Rebecca Scritchfield
Breathe, Mama, Breathe by Shonda Moralis
Mindful Motherhood by Cassandra Vieten
Books by Dr. Marjit I. Berman
Expecting Mindfully by Sharon Salzberg, Sherryl H. Goodman, and Sona Dimidjian
Body Confident Mums`
345: A New Father’s Experience Through His Wife’s Postpartum Psychosis with Tony Pacitti
344: Comparing Yourself to Others with Dr. Kat
343: Innovative Trauma Informed Care for High-Risk Pregnancy with Parijat Deshpande
342: "Rattled" How to Calm New Mom Anxiety with Nicole Amoyal Pensak, Ph. D., PMH-C
341: Behind the Sessions: Becoming a Parent When You Had Difficult Parents
340: Perinatal Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) with Roxanne Rosenberg, LCMHC, PMH-C
339: Perinatal Health Anxiety with Michelle Flynn, MA, MIACP
338: Behind The Sessions: Returning to Work After a Perinatal Mental Health Condition with Dr. Kat
337: Evidence Based Birth®️ with Dr. Rebecca Dekker
336: In Conversation with Alanis Morissette and Postpartum Support International
335: Behind The Sessions: Communication Challenges After Baby Comes Home with Dr. Kat
334: A Therapist’s Postpartum OCD and How Shame Prevents Seeking Help with Ellen Chance, Ph.D.
333: Understanding Why You Feel Rage with Bianca Sprague
332: Behind The Sessions: Emotional Impacts of Infertility and Treatments
331: A Mom's Journey Through Neurodivergence and Perinatal Mental Health
330: How a Mom Can Stop "Doing It All" with Dr. Whitney Casares, MD
329: Behind The Sessions: The Healing Journey: Understanding the Ups and Downs
328: Autism and ADHD Diagnoses in Motherhood with Dr. Kiley Hanish, OTD, OTR/L, PMH-C
327: Mothering Without a Mother with Dr. Olivia Wedel, LPC, NCC, PMH-C
326: Behind The Sessions: Why Are We So Hard On Ourselves?
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