How do pregnancy and eating disorder work together? A friend of mine was twenty-four years old when she got pregnant for the first time in her life. That was great news. But I learned from her that she had a serious eating disorder. Will the baby survive? Would she even risk her own life?
Karen had been battling anorexia for nearly ten years when she found out she was pregnant. She was already in the third month before she knew it. Due to her eating disorder, her period came and went irregularly, often never. She also vomited several times a day. It was normal for her. That’s why she discovered her pregnancy very late.
Women who suffer from anorexia nervosa or any other eating disorder are not very fond of going to the doctor. They are afraid that their illness will be discovered. It was the same with Karen but now she had to do something. She was worried that the baby would die, that she would starve because she wasn’t eating much. She knew that she had a problem.
On the Internet she read different stories about anorexic women who were pregnant. Some said that her baby died, others said that even her own life was at risk because the baby took the calories she needed from the mother to survive. Karen was surprised. Could her baby kill her? Panic drove her to the doctor.
An anorexic person suffers from a deadly disease. They die of hunger. It is amazing that a body in this condition can become pregnant. But when it happens, both mother and baby fight for their lives.
Even doctors have different opinions. Some say the baby would die, others say pregnancy is not a problem because the baby would take what she needs. However, the key is for a woman with an eating disorder to seek professional help during her pregnancy. She might even be hospitalized to get enough vitamins, minerals, and calories during her pregnancy. Without help, she easily ends up in disaster. With help pregnancy is not a problem and the woman can have a healthy baby.