Eating Disorders in Pregnancy
What eating disorders might look like in pregnancy ⬇️
When I was working with adults in a nationally-known eating disorder treatment facility, I began to see people who were parents, cycling in and out of treatment.
Over time, I began to see how pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood can contribute to the development, maintenance, or relapse of an eating disorder.
🌪️ The onset of eating disorders is kind of the perfect storm - factors include biology, environment, family history, and personal history (such as trauma).
An eating disorder can happen at any time in a person’s life, however…
🤯 According to the American Pregnancy Association, eating disorders affect about 7 MILLION American Women each year, and tend to peak during childbearing years.
🤯 And the National Alliance for Eating Disorders states 12% of pregnant people report eating disorder symptoms during their pregnancy or postpartum.
🛑 Triggers for an eating disorder in pregnancy can look different for every individual, but may include:
➡️ Morning sickness and vomiting
➡️ Perception of changes in weight and body shape
➡️ Additional attention to nutritional intake
➡️ Emphasis on exercise and activity
➡️ Loss of control, including bodily control
➡️ Changes in ability and mobility
What might an eating disorder in pregnancy look like?
Signs and symptoms include:
➡️ Excessive or compulsive exercise
➡️ Unwillingness to change their exercise routine
➡️ Restricting food intake
➡️ Obsessive calorie counting
➡️ Self-induced vomiting
➡️ Laxative use
➡️ Feeling shame or guilt about weight gain
➡️ Weighing themselves several times a day or doing other things to measure the size of their body
➡️ Fear or intense distress about gaining weight
➡️ Avoid going to doctor’s appointments
➡️ Feel disconnected from the baby growing inside them
🛑 If anything in this post resonates with you…
This National Eating Disorders Screening Week, don’t wait. If you or someone you care about is struggling, take NEDA’s screening tool today at nationaleatingdisorders.org
NEDA’s screening tool is free, confidential and determines risk for an eating disorder.
