A Qualitative Analysis of Embodiment Experience and the Redefinition of Psycho-Physical Identity in Postpartum Women: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study in the Cultural Context of Ghaemshahr, Iran

The present research aimed to deeply explore and describe the lived experience of embodiment and the process of redefining psycho-physical identity among postpartum women within the specific cultural context of Ghaemshahr, Iran. This was a qualitative study employing an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach. A purposive sample of ۱۶ primiparous and multiparous women residing in Ghaemshahr (aged ۲۲–۳۹ years, ۶ weeks to ۱۸ months postpartum) was selected using maximum variation sampling. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the established six-stage IPA framework. Rigor and trustworthiness were ensured through member checking, researcher triangulation, decision auditing, and reflexivity. Four major superordinate themes emerged from the analysis: (۱) The Alienated Body and Immediate Physical Estrangement, (۲) The Struggle Between the Cultural Discourse of 'Good Mother, Bad Body' and the Individual Desire for the Pre-Pregnancy Body, (۳) The Maternal Body as a Site of Simultaneous Pleasure and Captivity, and (۴) Gradual Reconstruction and Integration of a New Psycho-Physical Identity Through Redefining Physical Markers as Evidence of Power and Transformation. The postpartum experience of embodiment and identity among women in Ghaemshahr is revealed as a highly culture-specific, non-linear process heavily dominated by the traditional discourse of selfless motherhood. The findings underscore the critical need for developing culturally sensitive psychological interventions and educational programs specifically tailored for new mothers, their husbands, and mothers-in-law in semi-urban and traditional Iranian communities.

کلیدواژه ها:

Embodiment Experience ، Psycho-Physical Identity ، Postpartum ، Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)