Professionals recommend that women with eating disorders do their best to resolve the eating disorder related weight and behavior problems before they attempt to get pregnant. However, since this is sometimes easier said than done, getting information and advice about pregnancy and eating disorders is a great first step.
Pregnancy and motherhood require a great amount of physical and psychological strength. During pregnancy, the growing baby receives all its nourishment from the mother’s body, and when a woman’s stores are low, her body will drain them to support the growth and development of the baby.
The mother can become severely malnourished if the stores are not replenished through healthy eating habits. This in turn can lead to depression, exhaustion and many other serious health complications.
Where do you start?
It can be very frightening ffor women with eating disorders to have to gain the necessary 25-35 to sustain a growing embryo. Some women with disordered eating are able to more easily cope with weight gain during pregnancy because they see it as a sacrifice for an important cause. But others may plunge into depression at the idea of weight gain coupled with pre-existing body image issues. Most women with eating disorders fall somewhere between these two extremes.
The Relationship between Specific Eating Disorders and Pregnancy:
Women with anorexia nervosa risk having a baby with abnormally low birth weight and related health problems. Women with bulimia nervosa who continue to purge may suffer dehydration, chemical imbalances or even cardiac irregularities. Pregnancy heightens these health risks because of the additional demands of a woman’s body while she is gestating. Overweight women who are constantly fluctuating on the scale due to binge eating are at greater risk of developing high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and overgrown babies.
- Risks for the Mother: Poor nutrition, dehydration, cardiac irregularities, gestational diabetes, severe depression during pregnancy, premature births, labor complications, difficulties nursing, post-partum depression.
- Risks for the Baby: Poor development, premature birth, low birth weight for age, respiratory distress, other perinatal complications, feeding difficulties.
Advice for the new or prospective mother:
It is important to consult with your physician, counselors and/or registered dietician before attempting to get pregnant and reveal the truth to them if you have struggled with an eating disorder. It may become necessary to get “high risk” obstetrical care, but the risk of revealing personal struggles definately outweighs the risk of damaging a new life. Doesn’t it?
REMEMBER: Eating healthy, well-balanced meals to maintain a healthy weight is essential to protect the health of yourself and your baby!
What if I Become Pregnant while Struggling with an Eating Disorder?
Struggling with an eating disorder may decrease the chances of pregnancy, however, should you become pregnant, steps should be taken to protect your health and that of your baby. Professionals can only help if you are willing to be completely honest with them about your struggles.
If you are pregnant and struggling with disordered eating…
- Be HONEST with your prenatal health provider regarding past or present struggles with an eating disorder or disordered eating.
- Make extra appointments if necessary to closely track the growth and development of your baby.
- Consult a nutritionist with expertise in eating disorders before or immediately after becoming pregnant and create a plan for healthy eating and weight gain.
- Continue to see her post-partum so that your return to a normal weight can be done in a healthy way.
- Consider getting counseling during and after pregnancy to help you cope with your concerns and fears regarding food, weight gain, body image and the new role of mothering.
- Attend a support group for people with eating disorders.
- If your doctor approves, attend a prenatal exercise class. It can help you practice healthy limits to exercising.
- Other classes on pregnancy, childbirth, child development and parenting skills can also be helpful in preparing to become a mother.
- Allow your prenatal health provider to weigh you. This information is essential to track the health of your baby. If you would prefer not to monitor your weight gain, ask your doctor about standing on the scale backwards.
- Under certain circumstances, for example if you suffer from severe depression or obsessive- compulsive problems, you may require medications for these conditions even during pregnancy.
- Get support from other mothers who may have struggled with the same issue. Cafemom.com has many forums for mothers to get support from other mothers.