Eating Disorders and being pregnant

[Yummymummyyobe1]

Hi,

I was just wondering how ladies with eating disorders cope with the never ending hunger and weight gain. I have been anorexic for years and we are 21 wks 2 days gone and getting very stressed with the weight gain. I have gone from 9st to 11st (wow, small whale) and then how I will shift it afterwards.

How do you all cope with it? I have been refered to the mental health midwife and the consultant for my pregnancy. xx

Sounds like you've been pointed in the direction of some good sources of help. I think some specialist support is in order as I can't imagine how scary it mst be seeing your body change and wanting to eat more.

It could be a positive time. Maybe a chance to focus on food as a way to nutre your body and your body changing to care or your baby. Don't worry about the baby weight, deal with tat when the time comes.

Thanks LadyMedea. I remind myself that our DS is what matters the most and when I forget to eat imagine him telling me off. Often a swift baby kung foo kick does it

My DP likes how I look and everybody has commented on well I look. My support network is great.

xx

A referral is a good start.

I had an ED for a long time and my doctor hasn't referred me but has asked me to come back to see then if old habits kick back in.

I do find some of the old thoughts have crept in - I'm 34 weeks now and have gained more non-baby weight than I feel comfortable with but I make a nig effort to do all the things that helped me last time in my recovery - beneficial activities, challenging negative thoughts etc.

ITryToBeZenBut Wed it sounds like you have a good stragy in place. It can be frightfully hard being pregnant and having an ED. I am very susprised at the different way in which medical care is given. I think everything should be standard. xx

I've been through this. 20 weeks was around the hardest point, I just felt fat. The feelings and body image actually became easier as I became very pregnantly shaped. I felt pregnant rather than fat!

The full cycle so far has been (I'm 5'9, if you're like me you obsess over numbers.....):
1-12 weeks, barely a change ok (9.5st ish)
12-20 something weeks, mega mega rapid weight gain, huge stress/ upset
20-30 hiding away!
30+ proudly super female pregnant stage
40-42 weeks (sob) whale (now 14st 8lb) could hardly move
after birth 14st ish
First year post partum, pretty sensible, slowly down to 10st
Second year, now under 9st. Made myself ill last week living off jelly babies and coffee and lost loads(don't! It gums you right up). Now it's all returning to normal eating habits have returned. Weirdly I seem to have learnt not to feel hunger, I'm not sure if it's after my body has gained and lost and been sleep deprived so much.

I don't know why I'm posting this really, I guess in the hope some insight into my cycle may help you normalise yours? I'm not anorexic, never seen a GP, but I have a pretty unacceptable history with food and a lot of my adult life I've been around or under 8st, dropping further at uni with linked health problems. Maybe I'm also posting to warn you that rapid weight gain is likely, but it does and will come off. Mine fell off in the first year just walking miles with the pram. Until the toddler stage I was very sensible, probably more so than ever and enjoyed a normal relationship with food.