Comments on: Dying To Be A Good Mom – Eating Disorders In Pregnancy

By: Alberta

Alberta — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:21:32 +0000

Thanks for the great information, especially about how postpartum depression is related to eating disorders. Hopefully this will help others understand these issues and even encourage women suffering alone and isolated reach out for support. These issues are really serious and the women experiencing them need support not criticism. Although eating disorders and postpartum depression are treatable, women need to have hope. I have a close friend who didn’t tell anyone she was suffering from postpartum depression. She felt too ashamed and there still such a stigma around getting help. But she finally found professional help online. She’s doing much better and I’m sure would want other women to know about this website, http://www.MyTherapyNet.com . This seems to be preferred place for therapists to have their virtual office and many of them specialize in postpartum depression and eating disorders. What really helped my friend was that she’s able to log onto to their computer for support at times when she really needed it, like in the middle of the night. This may be the answer for many women who need a convenient and secure way to find support during this difficult time when even leaving their homes may be a struggle.

By: Marians

Marians — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:31:03 +0000

Yay! Interesting…

By: Dr. Dolly

Dr. Dolly — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:58:27 +0000

Great article. Thanks for highlighting a pregnancy health-risk that is definitely under the radar for many health care providers and friends and family of pregnant women. I’d recently read an article where some hospitals offer plastic surgery for mom’s after having a baby (tummy tuck, lipo, butt lift). That’s such an affront to a woman’s acceptance of the physical changes her body HAS undergone. I’m glad that a study found some women mature and become better eaters post-partum. There’s definitely a huge sense of responsibility about eating during pregnancy and while breastfeeding–it’s no longer about “me”, it’s about this little person and giving him the best nutritional start as possible.

There’s no study that indicates this, it’s purely anecdotal, but I believe a lot of the depressive swings that occur during pregnancy and post-partum are definitely due to the hormonal shifts as well as the significant life changing events that occur–lack of sleep being a HUGE contributor toward post-partum depression. I know there must be studies on sleep deprivation and associated depression. Anyway, eating during pregnancy isn’t easy. Based on the hormonal roller coaster and significant physiological changes occurring, sometimes a mom just cannot keep food down nor does she have an appetite. I found eating to be such a struggle, not because I was dealing with self-image issues, but because I had heartburn from many MANY foods for 32 of the 42 weeks I was pregnant.

Is there a study that can truly isolate the how and why women eat the way they do when they’re pregnant and post-partum solely due to self-image and prior eating disorders? Doubtful. So many other things involved. The physical, mental, and emotional aspects of a woman’s constantly changing body…appetite, how she feels about eating…wow, just one spoke in the cogwheel of the huge machine of variables in a woman’s life during pregnancy.

I’d love to read a follow-up article on how to help women that are particularly susceptible for intentional eating problems during pregnancy. To my knowledge, omega-3s in the form of cod liver oil or fish oil are some of the best things to help reduce post-partum depression and increase beneficial neural development for the baby. Have you heard of others?