From Gestation to the Fourth Trimester: A Mixed Methods Study of Biopsychosocial Influences of Pregnancy and Maternal-Infant Development

This thesis investigates how pregnant and postpartum individuals construct meaning from embodied gestational experiences, illuminating the nuanced interplay between psychosocial stress, social support, and healthcare interactions. Bridging insights from medical anthropology, reproductive ecology, and biocultural theory, the research frames pregnancy as a dynamic intersection of biology and culture, one that shapes, and is shaped by, maternal identity and the evolving landscape of maternal–infant bonding in the fourth trimester. Employing a multipronged approach, a qualitative systematic review guided by the SCRIBE framework, meta-ethnographic synthesis, and an empirical interview subset, the study critically synthesizes literature on embodiment, stress, health care, and postpartum outcomes. Contrary to deterministic models, psychosocial stress did not inevitably result in negative outcomes; rather, social support and the active process of meaning-making emerged as pivotal in shaping maternal responses. Pregnancy and childbirth are revealed as deeply embodied, interpretive events in which forms of "embodied knowing"—through sensation, fetal movement, and childbirth—often diverge from biomedical narratives. Emotional support, autonomy in healthcare decision-making, and the integration of lived experiences into maternal identity were central to both mother-infant bonding and psychological well-being. Furthermore, results show that, even with previously studied psychosocial variables, participants' outcomes did not align with established outcomes. Thus, producing an interpretive pathway in which the transition to motherhood follows for each person. Collectively, these findings position embodiment not as a passive biological state but as an active, interpretive mediator, underscoring the complexity and richness of the maternal experience.