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Eating Disorders for Two
Helping the Anorexic or Bulimic Mom-to-be
By Laura Paul
While many women appear radiant when they are pregnant, women who have distorted body images before they become pregnant may simply feel fat and obese during the nine months. It is rare for women with anorexia to become pregnant because many of them do not menstruate; however, experts say they may attempt to become pregnant to satisfy their husband's or their own maternal instincts.
Dr. Joel Jahraus, director of primary care medicine at the Remuda Ranch Programs for Anorexia and Bulimia in Phoenix, Ariz., says many women who visit fertility clinics have anorexia. However, since the women are struggling with guilt, they are often secretive about the disorder.
Dr. Jahraus has worked with women who wanted to receive treatment for their eating disorder just long enough so they could become pregnant. "Relationships depend on a woman being pregnant in too many cases," he says. "I see patients coming in here all the time saying, 'All I want to do is get enough treatment to be able to get my period and be able to have a baby.' If the relationship is only dependent on that, you are going the wrong direction."
If the woman wants to get pregnant to fulfill a life dream, she has a better chance of being motivated to work through her issues during the pregnancy. However, women who want to have a baby to please their husband will have a greater challenge.
Dr. Jahraus advises couples to wait one to two years after getting an eating disorder under control with the help of a professional team before attempting a pregnancy because of the high risk of relapse. Of those with eating disorders in general, 50 percent of people recover from it; 25 percent are functional but have lingering problems and 25 percent are totally dysfunctional and in and out of hospitals, he says. He suggests women with eating disorders see their obstetrician along with an eating disorder treatment team to co-manage the problem and avoid pitfalls.
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