How to Deal with Anorexia and Bulimia During Pregnancy

I was anorexic and bulimic when I was a teenager. I was always a chubby kid and as I got older, I started gaining some control over the turmoil in my life by resisting food. I wouldn't eat and in "times of weakness" when I did, I'd make myself sick to get rid of it. This is not an article about the signs and symptoms of the disease though, or even a cure for it for that matter. It is about how to deal with anorexia/bulimia during pregnancy. Right before I turned eighteen, I got pregnant with my first son. I did not want to hurt my baby. This is how I dealt with my triggers during the months that I was pregnant.

Choose Healthy Feeling Foods
Salads, fruits and vegetables were all my best friends when I first learned I was pregnant. Eating them did not feel as fattening or wrong. I added nuts and trail mixes as much as possible for protein. Even though some nuts can be higher in calories, I told myself that they were better than fatty meats.

Visualize Feeding Your Baby
When I did eat bigger meals, I literally visualized the nutrition flowing down the umbilical cord to my baby. It helped me deal with anorexia/bulimia during pregnancy because it reinforced that I was eating for my child, not myself. It helped to bring some of the control back that I felt I was losing.

Eat When You Take Your Prenatal Vitamins
This alone helped me feel a little better about the times that I slipped and would not eat as much as I should, or even the times that I did throw up afterwards. I would take them with milk and a light meal to get some more calories into me everyday. Knowing that I just took these really important vitamins, I could maintain control over not throwing up that meal because of those being in my stomach.

Talk to Your Doctor or Midwife
For the health of your baby, you must talk to your caregiver about your struggle with the disease. Even the wear and tear on your teeth enamel can cause problems when you are pregnant. She may refer you to a counselor, nutritionist and other specialists to help you learn other ways to stay healthy for your child.

Sadly, these tips for how to deal with anorexia/bulimia during pregnancy may not help everyone and even if you get a handle on the disease, it may come back full force when trying to get back into shape after being pregnant. Then, your small bundle of joy that is in your arms may be the deciding force on finally beating the demons that are stripping you of your self-esteem, health and could end up costing you your life.