Recommendations for Women With Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can affect the fertility negatively. However, the majority of women with eating disorders can have healthy babies. If you eat right and gain normal weight throughout your pregnancy, you reduce the risk of complications or birth defects. In this article you will find some suggested guidelines for women who are dealing with eating disorders and have a desire to get pregnant or have discovered that they are pregnant.
Prior to Pregnancy:
- Maintain a normal and healthy weight
- Avoid purging activities
- Receive a medical check up
- Consult nutritionist and start a healthy diet supplementing with necessary vitamins
- Inform your support team (doctor, spouse, and friends) of your eating disorder and the increased risk of postpartum depression
- Seek counseling to address your problem and any underlying concerns

During Pregnancy:

- Make a prenatal visit early in your pregnancy; inform your doctor about your eating disorder
- Achieve normal weight; the closer you are to normal weight, the better chances of having a healthy baby you have
- Eating a well-balance meal with all the appropriate nutrients is a necessity
- Avoid purging activities
- Seek counseling to address your problem and any underlying concerns; try to seek both individual and group therapy

After Pregnancy:

- Continue counseling through individual and group sessions as the physical and emotional changes of pregnancy may trigger depression and/or a relapse of eating disorder
- Inform your support team (doctor, spouse, and friends) of your eating disorder and the increased risk of PPD; ask them to look out for you
- Don't allow yourself to fall back into unhealthy patterns as eating disorder can hamper your breastfeeding efforts

Remember, that eating disorder symptoms can easily come back. Don’t use healthy techniques as just those for pregnancy period. Your new habits will help your breastfeeding efforts. Moreover