Body image and postpartum depression are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain postpartum depression, and postpartum depression frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Postpartum Depression
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives postpartum depression
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary postpartum depression trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as postpartum depression
How Postpartum Depression Affects Body Image
Postpartum Depression 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 Postpartum Depression 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 postpartum depression
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and postpartum depression