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Eating Disorders for Two

Helping the Anorexic or Bulimic Mom-to-be

By Laura Paul

Cohen says anyone close to someone with an eating disorder should become educated and learn to recognize how much of an internal struggle it is. Refrain from blaming the woman, being critical and making judgmental statements, she says. Offer unconditional love and support. "They need a supportive partner who understands how much of a struggle it is, in particular during pregnancy, when women are more vulnerable, more emotional so every symptom of an eating disorder would be exacerbated," she says.

Cohen says an eating disorder is not something most women just get over on their own. Open communication is key, she says, advising men to observe and comment on the woman's behavior while offering gentle encouragement. "Pregnancy is a tremendous trigger for people with an eating disorder because it has to do with not only reevaluating their own identity, but the whole body image gets reevaluated," she says. "Primarily it's because eating disorders are about loss of control, loss of control over their eating, using food as a way to control their body, and when pregnancy is put into the mix it's even more exacerbated. No matter what the woman does she is going to have the expanding belly, and the body tends to blow up more than it would if she was not pregnant."

In addition, Cohen has found eating disorders are linked to unresolved issues of childhood or the woman's own relationship with her mother. During a pregnancy, a woman with an eating disorder is more likely to have anxiety about her ability to nurture. Since eating disorders are also associated with negative self-talk, some women seek hypnotherapy to help reprogram their internal dialogue about body image and food. "Hypnosis helps with transcending and going to the unconscious forces and really helping the person understand why they have the eating disorder to begin with," says Cohen, who uses hypnosis in her Manhattan practice.

Want to see more?

• Recovery and Risk: Coping with an Eating Disorder During Pregnancy
• Fit and Pregnant: How to Have a Healthy Pregnancy
• Fitness Fanatic? Why You May Need to Tone Down Your Workout
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