Promoting empowerment or intensifying reproductive burden? Accounts of preconception health adjustments among women trying to conceive.
Psychol Health
; : 1-21, 2024 Jun 03.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38829650
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Women's preconception health is increasingly viewed as playing a critical role in pregnancy and birth outcomes and is becoming an increasing focus of public health messages within the UK and internationally. However, little is known about how women respond to and are impacted by preconception health messages as they try to conceive a baby.METHODS:
Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse 193 responses from women in the UK to a qualitative survey on experiences of trying to conceive. As part of the survey women were asked to reflect on their engagement with preconception health practices.RESULTS:
Three themes were generated 1) Being fit for conception; 2) Preconception health and emotional labour, and 3) Interrogating preconception health expectations.CONCLUSION:
The findings demonstrate that whilst engagement with preconception health changes was empowering for some, more troubling implications included heightened self-surveillance, stress, risks to wellbeing, and feelings of responsibility for poor outcomes. This demonstrates the importance of considering the unintended consequences of preconception health messaging in the shape of increased 'reproductive burden'. Furthermore, future development of preconception health policy and practice must also consider women's access to psychological support when trying to conceive.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Psychol Health
/
Psychol. health
/
Psychology & health
Asunto de la revista:
PSICOLOGIA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article