懷孕第三期婦女身體改變經驗之研究

Abstract

本研究的目的是透過懷孕婦女的聲音描述、詮釋及瞭解懷孕婦女身體改變的生活經驗。以現象學及女性主義的觀點，作為研究的理論導向。研究方法採立意取樣，選擇18位在北部某教學醫院產科門診進行產前檢查，懷孕29週至39週的婦女參與本研究；以深入及自由開放的訪談方式進行資料收集，訪談焦點主要集中於懷孕婦女對身體改變的反應。 從參與研究者提供的敘述，揭露出二個核心主題，這兩個核心主題以婦女懷孕之後身體相關的生活經驗為特色，有：一.我的身體到哪裡去了？，二.我的身體＝寶寶的身體。核心主題一反映出懷孕婦女採用懷孕前社會所建構女人美麗的標準來評估自己的身體，以及她們希望生產後重新獲得懷孕前具有女性特質的自我。核心主題二反映出懷孕婦女以身體的改變，作為寶寶健康和成長的指標。 本研究懷孕婦女很清楚地表達出，對「我的身體」的關注，以及「寶寶的身體」的關注兩者之間的矛盾。對「我的身體」的關注，反映出懷孕婦女想要達到的完美標準，就是社會所建構理想的女人身體心像「苗條」；對「寶寶的身體」的關注，反映出懷孕婦女想要做一個「好媽媽」，將孩子的利益擺在自己的利益之上。這種想要達到理想的母職角色，以及理想的女性身體的掙扎，反映出多數婦女於懷孕後期所面對的衝突。 參與研究懷孕婦女身體改變經驗的過程中，反映出「客我」與「主我」的對話。同時，懷孕婦女身體心像的重建及角色、認同的換移，反映出女人生命歷程中從「過去的自我」過渡到「現在的自我」。 本研究藉由懷孕婦女的聲音，將婦女懷孕後期身體改變的意義呈現出來，以提供社會及專業照護人員，對懷孕婦女身體改變之複雜經驗，有更多面性及深入的了解。使健康照護人員能夠開放自己面對懷孕婦女各種不同的經驗，並提供一個無指示性的環境，讓婦女可以自由地表達懷孕帶來的任何感受，促進彼此的互動關係，作到以「顧客為中心」的照護。

The overall purpose of this study was to describe, understand and interpret the meaning of body change through the voices of pregnant women in Taiwan during the third trimester of pregnancy. The combination of phenomenology and feminist approach was employed as a methodology to provide the basic foundation informing the study. Eighteen pregnant women participated in the investigation. Eighteen women in the 29th to 39th week of pregnancy receiving prenatal examinations at clinics at a medical center in Taipei, Taiwan participated in this study. In-depth, open-ended interviews concentrating on the women’s reactions to the changes in their bodies were conducted. Two major themes central to women’s experience of their bodies during late pregnancy were identified. One theme, ‘My body: where did it go?’, reflects the women’s use of non-pregnant adult female standards of beauty to assess their pregnant bodies and their hope of regaining their “feminine self” after childbirth. The other theme, ‘My body = my baby’s body’, reflects the women’s view of the changes in their bodies as an indication of their baby’s health and growth and as a sign of their adequacy as mothers. Many of the women clearly expressed a conflict between their concern for ‘my body’ and their concerns for the ‘baby’s body.’ Concerns about ‘my body’ reflect the women’s desire to measure up to the ideal, i.e., thin, body image socially prescribed for women. Concerns about the ‘baby’s body’ reflect their desire to be a ‘good mothers,’ to put the welfare of their child ahead of their own welfare. Women’s experience of body change in the late pregnancy reflects a dialogue of 「me」and 「I」. Moreover, the re-shaped body image, the role and identity transitions of pregnant women reflects the transitions from 「pass self」to 「present self」of this life period. The strength of this study is in presenting the meaning of bodily changes of pregnancy through voices of pregnant women, providing the pregnant women with an opportunity to reflect on their own experiences of body change during the third trimester of pregnancy. Awareness of the complex and possibly conflicting reactions pregnant women have to their bodies may help health professionals be more open to hearing and respecting what pregnant women have to say, help them provide a nondirective environment in which women can feel free to talk any negative feeling they may have thus providing a care model of ‘client- oriented’ for women approaching the end of pregnancy.