How An Eating Disorder Can Affect Your Weight Gain During Pregnancy

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Have you had an eating disorder in the past, or are you struggling with an eating disorder now?

Are you pregnant, or thinking about becoming pregnant?

Taking care of yourself is paramount if you answered yes to any of the questions above.

Having the proper amount of weight gain during pregnancy is very important.

When you are pregnant and have an eating disorder, this can significantly affect your baby if you are not treated.

If you don’t get the help you need with your eating disorder, you can have a baby that has a low birth weight, or that is born premature.

But these aren’t the only problems that you could face if you have an eating disorder and you don’t have the proper weight gain during pregnancy.

You could also have problems that result in stillbirth or fetal death, delayed fetal growth, gestational diabetes, respiratory problems, and even complications during labor.

According to The Institute of Medicine “women of normal weight should gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy, and mothers-to-be who are underweight when they become pregnant should gain 28 to 40 pounds.”

There are 4 actions that you can take to make sure your weight gain during pregnancy is optimal. These 2 are the most important:

• Tell your ob-gyn about your history of having an eating disorder and if you are still having problems with an eating disorder.
• Work with a nutritionist to be sure you are eating properly both before and after you become pregnant. Ideally, you would begin working with a nutritionist before you become pregnant.

Eating disorders can also affect your fertility, so if you are suffering from an eating disorder and want to become pregnant, it’s important to get help now.

Regina

My favorite things to write about are topics that have to do with pregnancy, weddings, saving money, living green, and life with dogs. When I’m not writing, I love to spend time with my husband, read, create 3D artwork and Native American beadwork.