Body image and miscarriage are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain miscarriage, and miscarriage frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Miscarriage
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives miscarriage
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary miscarriage trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as miscarriage
How Miscarriage Affects Body Image
Miscarriage can worsen body image through reduced self-care motivation, changes in appetite and weight, and a general negative lens that extends to physical self-perception.
Addressing Body Image and Miscarriage Together
- Body neutrality: Not requiring positive body feelings, just reduction of hostility
- Body functionality focus: What your body does vs. how it looks
- Intuitive eating: Reconnecting with hunger and satisfaction cues disrupted by miscarriage
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and miscarriage