Eating Disorders & Pregnancy
There are three primary types of eating disorders. These include anorexia, binge eating disorder, and bulimia. All three of these disorder can be very dangerous, both to one’s physical and mental health. How do these disorders affect a person’s body? Can they cause problems during pregnancy?
Approximately 15% to 20% of women experience some sort of eating disorder during pregnancy. If you suffer from an eating disorder and are pregnant, this eating disorder may cause various problems for both you and your baby. Before you or your baby must face these complications, eating disorder treatment at an eating disorder residential program should be sought out.
Binge eating disorder and bulimia are the two most common types of eating disorders women have during pregnancy. A third eating disorder, anorexia, is a less common as most anorexics experience menstrual dysfunction, reducing the chances of pregnancy. Having a healthy pregnancy can be difficult when an eating disorder is present. Eating disorder treatment at an eating disorder treatment center is often recommended to provide a safe and healthy pregnancy.
Can Eating Disorders Affect Fertility?
For those who have experienced disordered eating in the past or currently have an eating disorder, talking with a doctor is important if you are considering becoming pregnant. A doctor will be able to assess whether or not your body and current mental state can handle a pregnancy.
In many cases, especially in those with anorexia, conception of a baby is difficult. This is due to an unhealthy diet, low body weight or obesity, stress, and possible menstrual dysfunction. These factors may also make a nine-month pregnancy difficult and a miscarriage can occur or the baby may be born early. Also, the mother of the child typically suffers from serious health complications as a result of becoming pregnant. If you or a loved one has an eating disorder, eating disorder treatment at an eating disorder treatment clinic will greatly improve your chances of recovery.
Effects of your Eating Disorder on your Baby
What types of medical problems can occur in your baby as a result of your having an eating disorder during pregnancy? A few common problems are:
- Respiratory complications
- Liver problems
- Poor development
- Needy personality
- Cerebral palsy
- Premature birth
- Poor social skills
- Risk of diabetes
- Deformities
- Lower weight in birth
- Heart damage
- Delayed body growth
- Mental disorders
- Jaundice
- Poor learning ability
After the pregnancy is finished, a high rate of postpartum depression is common in mothers, especially in those with an eating disorder. Also, if a mother decides to breast feed her baby, proper nourishment becomes very important. If there is a lack of nutrition, a vitamin deficiency or an absence of milk is common. Women who abuse diuretics and laxatives during pregnancy put their baby at risk for deformities and a wide range of other health problems. The use of these products (often taken by bulimics) is highly discouraged in pregnancy.
One reason why it is important to seek out eating disorder treatment at an eating disorder residential center before having a child is because many mothers will force unhealthy eating patterns onto their children. These patterns may include a reduction in the amount of food necessary for growth, constant dissatisfaction in the body size of their children, abstaining from eating in front of family members, or making their children eat more than necessary. These reasons may be why many children of parents with eating disorders, also develop eating disorders.
Treatment for Eating Disorders
If you or a loved one suffers from an eating disorder and is pregnant or thinking of having a baby, the following ten steps may help in treating your eating disorder and planning a safe pregnancy for your baby.
- Talk with your doctor and regularly schedule health exams.
- Avoid excessive exercise.
- Do not purge food.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Eat an appropriate diet.
- See a therapist.
- Talk with your doctors concerning any appropriate medications.
- Find a support group.
- Do not take laxatives or diuretics.
- Schedule an appropriate meal plan with a nutritionist.
It is very important for mothers with eating disorders to seek eating disorder treatment, especially if pregnancy occurs. A baby will rely on its mother for its every need. The vitamins and minerals which you put into your body are what are being provided for your baby. If nutrition is missing from the diet, your baby’s health, as well as your own, will suffer.
Many mothers who attempt to maintain their eating disorder during pregnancy end up feeling very weak and stressed out as a result. Chances of osteoporosis development will greatly increase for mothers with eating disorders during pregnancy as a baby will use the little amounts of calcium the body takes in. Also, pre-existing medical conditions often increase during pregnancy.
Women who get better as a result of pregnancy will often relapse once the baby is born. Others will worsen once weight from the pregnancy starts becoming noticeable and poor body image overwhelms them. Eating disorder treatment at an eating disorder treatment center is a necessary tool for recovery and an important step in providing for your baby. Eating disorder treatment clinics provide specialized care for anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder patients. Bulimia help, anorexia therapy, and binge eating programs each assist in encouraging a healthy lifestyle.