Objectification of women is heightened during the reproductive years and is associated with a myriad of adverse outcomes. Yet, little research has examined the impact of self-objectification among postpartum women and whether potential effects can be ameliorated. The current study investigated the association between self-objectification and well-being among women who had given birth in the last three years, and whether self-compassion moderated or mediated the link. As hypothesized, women (N = 162) higher in self-objectification reported greater body shame, appearance anxiety, depressive symptoms, and disordered eating, and lower life satisfaction, self-esteem, and more negative experience being a mother, whereas women higher in self-compassion reported more positive outcomes on these measures. Self-compassion mediated the association between self-objectification and poorer well-being on most outcomes. Unexpectedly, neither self-objectification nor self-compassion were associated with sexual dysfunction or breastfeeding confidence. The findings suggest that although women might be prone to self-objectification and body shame during the postpartum period, self-compassion explains this relation and potentially holds promise for disrupting negative experiences during the transition to motherhood.

在育龄期，女性的物化现象更加严重，并与许多不良后果相关。然而，很少有研究探讨产后女性自我客体化的影响以及是否可以改善潜在影响。目前的研究调查了过去三年内生育过的女性的自我客体化与幸福感之间的关系，以及自我慈悲是否调节或介导了这种联系。正如假设的那样，自我客体化程度较高的女性（ N = 162）报告了更大的身体羞耻、外表焦虑、抑郁症状和饮食失调，以及较低的生活满意度、自尊和更多作为母亲的负面体验，而自我客体化程度较高的女性自我同情报告了这些措施的更积极的结果。在大多数结果中，自我同情介导了自我客体化与较差的幸福感之间的关联。出乎意料的是，自我客体化和自我同情都与性功能障碍或母乳喂养信心无关。研究结果表明，尽管女性在产后期间可能容易出现自我客体化和身体羞耻感，但自我同情解释了这种关系，并有可能在向母亲过渡期间消除负面经历。