Eating during pregnancy at nearly 26w

[firsttimepregnanthelp]

Hi ladies,

I have a long history of anorexia but pre pregnancy was doing really well - bmi of 20, minimal thoughts, flexibility around food but making sure I ate 2400 calories a day to ensure I ovulated as I had hypothalamic amenorrhea for a long time.

The first trimester was really rough for me - sickness, nausea and food aversions. Despite my best efforts I was only able to manage 16-1800 calories per day and I lost weight which has triggered my old anorexic ways of thinking.

from about week 14 I was able to increase my calories to 2100 and this is what I am currently eating. Baby is growing well and there are no concerns there but I am 3kg below my pre pregnancy weight, which is probably more like 6kg if you take into account the weight of baby and amniotic fluid etc.

my parents and bf have commented on my weight loss and I noticed it yesterday when I put on some leggings that are now loose around the tops of my legs. I

feel I have done well to get my intake to 2100 calories after such a dreadful first trimester and I have worked hard to maintain this but it doesn’t seem to be enough.

i asked for a referral to the perinatal mental health service 20 weeks ago to avoid a situation like this but nothing has materialised despite me chasing and I have also asked for a referral to the eating disorder service. Medical professionals seem unconcerned so I am being left to deal with this alone.

from my experience, my thoughts subside when my weight is higher and my intake is good but I seem to have a mental block around increasing my calories because all the nhs guidance is around not eating for 2 and only increasing by 300 during the third trimester.

i will be 26 weeks on Thursday and I’m thinking of increasing to 2400 calories then - this is the 300 the nhs ‘allows’ from 28 weeks, I will just be doing it 2 weeks before, and it is also my pre pregnancy intake.

im sorry if this all sounds ridiculous, I hadn’t realised quite how disordered my thoughts had become. I did ask my midwife for advice but she just told me that there’s not much research into eating disorders and pregnancy. I’m going on holiday on friday and it is taking all the mental strength I have not to restrict beforehand.

does my plan sound ok?

"All the nhs guidance is around not eating for 2 and only increasing by 300 during the third trimester"

Kindly, the guidance is not for people with eating disorders. You have done really well to increase your calories so far and should be proud of yourself. Why are you thinking of restricting before a holiday?

And yes definitely increase them further, even tomorrow if you can bring yourself to. You would just be going back to what you were eating for optimum functioning before you were pregnant.

@LapinR0sethank you, you are so right about that guidance not being for me! i wanted to restrict before the holiday to ‘allow’ eating more when I’m away as we’ll be eating out for all meals. totally disordered I know but it was the only way I felt I could cope with it. I am actually thinking of increasing today now because the thoughts are so unbearable and hopefully they will die down when i am better nourished. It’s just that biting the bullet and actually doing it is so hard, especially when medical professionals aren’t concerned or forthcoming with advice.

I think increasing from today is a really good idea. You are doing so well. Your baby would thank you if it could!

You're just going back to what you were doing before for optimum health, it's not actually something new. Could you try and look at it that way?
And your brain will definitely be more flexible when you are better nourished, this is proven. Wish you all the very best. You can do this!

Thank you both @LapinR0seand @mismomary, I really appreciate your support ❤️ would you go for the full 300 straight away or build up to it! Part of me just wants to bite the bullet and get it over with but it does seem like quite a big jump

Just go for it, it’s not new really it’s just going back to what you were having before

I’m very sorry that you haven’t had any luck with the perinatal mental health team. I would ask to be re-referred to your local Eating disorder team, you will be a priority case because you are pregnant. Are you happy to say what region you are in?

Well done on your amazing recovery journey and congratulations on your Pregnancy. Starting to increase your energy intake from today is a really good idea, I wish you all the best with it

@LapinR0sethank you, I went for it yesterday and am doing the same today. Had a cry today because I’m so full but I’m pushing through. The last time I had to increase my weight it was easier because I had extreme hunger whereas it’s much harder to fit the food in this time.

@YuleBeBackthank you, I’ve asked to be re referred to ED services but it takes forever and they need obs/bloods/an ECG with the referral and all mine are fine so I suspect I won’t get much, if any help, from
then. I’m in Hertfordshire, provision around here seems woeful. I’ve increased my intake and I’m hating every moment tbh but I kind of thing the sooner I do it and get through this stage the sooner it can be my norm