- Prior to Pregnancy:
- Achieve and maintain a normal and healthy weight
- Avoid purging activities
- Consult your physician and receive a medical check up
- Meet with a nutritionist and start a healthy pregnancy diet supplementing with prenatal vitamins
- Seek counseling to address your eating disorder and any underlying concerns; seek both individual and group therapy
- During Pregnancy:
- Seek a prenatal visit early in your pregnancy and inform your doctor that you have been struggling with an eating disorder
- Achieving normal weight gain is essential; the closer you are to normal weight, the better the chance of having a healthy baby
- Eating a well-balance meal with all the appropriate nutrients is a necessity
- Avoid purging activities
- Seek counseling to address your eating disorder and any underlying concerns; seek both individual and group therapy
- After Pregnancy:
- The physical and emotional changes of pregnancy may trigger depression and/or a relapse of eating disorder symptoms
- You are more susceptible to postpartum depression
- Continue counseling through individual and group sessions
- Inform your safe network (doctor, spouse, and friends) of your eating disorder and the increased risk of postpartum depression; ask them to look out for you. (Ideally, they will know of your disorder before the baby is delivered.)
- Eating disorder behaviors can hamper your breastfeeding efforts, so don't allow yourself to fall back into unhealthy patterns.
It may be easy to fall back into an eating disorder after the baby is here, but remember the new habits you formed during pregnancy are healthy for you all of the time and not just during pregnancy. Not only will your new habits help your breastfeeding efforts, but you will be a healthier mom for your baby.
Reprinted with permission from American Pregnancy Association
