| Women with eating disorders who become pregnant are at higher risk for complications such as: Low Birth Weight Birth Defects Delayed Fetal Growth Jaundice Respiratory Problems Mother and baby are also at a greater risk for: Miscarriage Preeclampsia (Toxemia) Gestational Diabetes Complications during labor Low Amniotic Fluid Death due to complications Pregnancy Impact On Disease "Loss of control" over one's life and body can be acutely distressing for a woman with an eating disorder. The physical and emotional changes of pregnancy may trigger depression and/or a relapse of eating disorder symptoms. Most women with eating disorders do discipline themselves to "eat healthy" for the sake of their unborn baby. Some of them, through lack of knowledge of "normal eating", or "permission to let themselves go", will gain an excessive amount of weight. "Rebound weight gain" in recent dieters is especially common. Many women with eating disorders find pregnancy and parenting to be wonderfully freeing and positive experiences in their lives. Special Prenatal/Birth/Neonatal Considerations It is important that you be open with your prenatal health care provider about your concerns about food, weight and body image so that certain pitfalls can be anticipated. An early counseling session with a Nutritionist experienced in eating disorders is important to formulate a plan for healthy eating and weight gain during your pregnancy. If your OB provider doesn't suggest it, ask for it Individual counseling, or support programs such as Overeater's Anonymous, Food Addict's Anonymous, or Weight Watcher's-type balanced nutrition programs may be helpful. Allowing yourself to be weighed provides important information to your health care provider. Many women have found it acceptable if they stand backwards on the scale and/or if their weight is not discussed with them. Healthy eating is part of a healthy life. This is as important for your children as it is for their Mum. Pregnancy Guidelines For Women Or Teens With Eating Disorders Achieve and maintain a normal weight before pregnancy. Avoid any purging activities, laxative or diuretic use. Have a thorough medical check up. Eat a healthy pregnancy diet. Continue therapy and support group attendance. Inform your prenatal care provider about your eating disorder history. Imagine this: One part of you is absolutely thrilled about the little life growing inside you, the other is obssessing over all the weight you know you will have to gain and how quickly it will come off after your baby is born. The average pregnant woman should gain between 25 and 35 pounds to have a healthy child. Telling this to an anorexic is like telling a normal person to gain 100 pounds.Why would a person with an eating disorder get pregnant in the first place? Well, for one, accidents happen. Maybe she didn't plan on getting pregnant but now wants to carry on with the pregnancy. Or what if she has recieved treatment and appears to have been "cured". Becoming pregnant can bring back all those bad thoughts and habits. It is an extremely emotional time and is doubly tough on a recovering anorexic. First things first, you should recieve medical care and you should be sure your doctor knows your history. They can be sure you are taken care of properly and that you recieve counseling which may help you to cope. The after-care is also very important. you need to be sure you lose your postpartum weight properly and safely. If you are only thinking of getting pregnant, there are a few things you must consider first. You may have trouble conceiving a baby and carrying it to term. If you are underweight and do not eat the proper variety of foods, you and your baby could be in danger. Women with eating disorders have higher rates of miscarriages and your baby might be born prematurely which puts them at risk for many medical problems. If you get pregnant before you are fully recovered, you can seriously deplete your own system because teh baby will take nourishment from you. You can also find yourself struggling with depression and exhaustion associated with malnutrition.You can also have a problem weak teeth and bones, kidney, liver, and heart disease. You could also become depressed and frantic because of the weight gain that comes with pregnancy. You may feel out of control with your life and your body or worried that you are causing harm to the baby. All pregnant women should recieve proper prenatal care. Those recovering from an eating disorder need special care. you should always take your pre-natal vitamins and have regular pre-natal visits. you should not exercise unless your doctor says it is okay and it is a good idea to enroll in a prenatal exercise class to be sure you are not overexerting yourself. With proper care, you can overcome your eating disorder and have a healthy child. If you know a pregnant woman with or recovering from an eating disorder, there are some things you should avoid saying. For example, "How much weight have you gained?", "Are you worried about losing the weight?", "Is that all the baby or are you just eating a lot?", Comments about weight, eating, cravings and anything to that effect can be very damaging. It is also a good idea to throw out or hide the weight scale in the home of the woman. If you know a pregnant woman that is not gaining weight, or actually losing weight, be sure she sees a doctor immediately. It can be devastating to the unborn child. For more information, visit http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/eatingdisorders/ |
| Eating Disorders and Pregnancy |
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