Anorexia and pregnancy

1. How come an anorexic got herself pregnant? 2. Will she start eating for two now that she's preggers? 3. Poor kid. She (is the baby turns out to be a girl) might be anorexic like her mom. You know what they say about one of the causes of anorexia? That if they're exposed to a 'role model', and s/he sees how people give attention to the model. s/he is more likely to be anorexic.

I was anorexic when I got pregnant. The first three months were the hardest. But I only ate one food for two or three days, then added another, and another and another. I told myself the food was going to the baby, not me. It was for the baby's bones, the baby's eyes, the baby's brain. Never mine.

Sometimes, we cannot avoid to become pregnant if it has really to come. Many women took pills and everything to be successful in family planning but to no avail - they become pregnant. As in this case, if she is pregnant, then she should take all the necessary precautions and care for her health as well as the baby. Let not media destroy the life of both but let the media and people help in such an extraordinary situation.

I'm actually surprised she even got pregnant. Usually if you are underweight you don't get pregnant easily! I don't know if being pregnant is enough. For the sake of the baby, I hope it is.

It seems she has now confirmed that she is pregnant. I would have to lean towards she was either in recovery for her ED already or she isn't as unhealthy as she appears. Perhaps she really does have a super fast metabolism or other health condition causing her to be so thin, but not an ED. Women with active eating disorders rarely become pregnant as the body can not ovulate when the reserves & the caloric intake becomes so low. It's not the same as women who have always lived with malnutrition, as those women's bodies are in a sense use to being deprived & compensate accordingly. I had about a year in recovery for bulemia when I conceived my son. My cycle had stopped about 6 months into my ED and returned about 3 months after I began to eat correctly again. It probably would have been wise to wait a bit longer to conceive, but a year of healthy eating (my active phase was about 3 years) seemed to be enough both physically & mentally to support a healthy pregnancy. If Nicole Richie is newly in recovery for an ED her pregnancy may be very difficult, again emotionally & physically.

In order to have a healthy child, the average pregnant woman should gain between 25 and 35 pounds. Telling this to a person with anorexia is like telling a normal person to gain 100 pounds. If you are anorexic, you may have trouble conceiving a baby and carrying it to term. Irregular menstrual cycles and weak bones make it more difficult to conceive. If you are underweight and do not eat the proper variety of foods, you and your baby could be in danger. Women with eating disorders have higher rates of miscarriages and your baby might be born prematurely which puts them at risk for many medical problems. All pregnant women should receive proper prenatal care. Those recovering from anorexia or bulimia need special care. You should always take your prenatal vitamins and have regular prenatal visits. You should not exercise unless your doctor says it is okay and it is a good idea to enroll in a prenatal exercise class to be sure you are not overexerting yourself.

I have a friend that has been battling with anorexia for over 16 years now. I honestly believe that if something were to happen and my friend got pregnant she would make herself overcome the disease long enough for the sake of the baby. It all depends on the person and how strong of a will they have for their baby. I would hope that the media would leave this alone for the sake of the baby but unfortunately the media is pretty cold and heartless. If it came right down to it she might have to go into hiding during her pregnancy (if she is in fact pregnant) in order to get proper care.