Effects Of Bulimia On Fetus

8 Replies
hannah - November 3

I've been bulimic off and on for several years. I'm 7 months pregnant, and I battle it every day. I've read how bulimia effects my body, but I want to learn how it effects my baby as well.

 

Lisa - November 4

If you are not getting the proper nutrients it will effect your child. It will effect the growth and possible develop of the brain, and all vital organs. You should try to make sure you take your prenatals everyday and get as much nutrients as you can; not only for yourself, but esp. for your child. I have never had an eating disorder so I don't know what you're going through, but I wish you all the best and take care of yourself.

 

Anoymous - November 6

Hi Hannah, I understand what you are going through I have battled anorexia and bulimia for years! When I found out that I was pregnant all I could think about was I am going to get fat,ect... Well I ended up losing that pregnancy and was completly devastated. Two months after that I conceived my 3 year old and he truley is my lifesaver. If I hadn't conceived him I believe that I would have eventually died of starvation. When I was pregnant with him I gained quit a bit of weight I went from 103 to 156 so I felt like a whale,but within 2 months of giving birth to my son I was the same weight as when I became pregnant so you can eat while pregnant you just have to eat healthy and you will lose the weight. Here is what I told myself when I decided I wasn't gonna eat or I felt like I needed to purge my food back up...."Would I starve my child if it were here now?" The truth is if you are purging your food back up your baby is not getting the nutrition that it needs which can lead to a number of problems with his or her development. It take appx 4 hours after eating for your body to absorb nutrients from the food and if you throw that up your baby isn't recieving the nutrients that he needs so basicly it is like you are starving your baby. The best thing that you could do for yourself and your baby is to seek counsiling this is what helped me to overcome this. I wish you all the best and I pray for your recovery of this.

 

Lesley - November 6

Hi Hannah, I am 24 years old, and I also had a miscarriage, 5 months ago. Since i've been 17 i have tried and failed to convince myself that I could control my bulimia. Like you, the problem of binging and purging came and went. However, after a number of years I realised that I could not overcome my problems without help. While I'm sure you need to be aware of the dangers to your unborn child if you are continuing purging, you also need to be aware of the long term consequences on your mental health. Nobody knows about my problems except my husband, so i know how easy it is to hide. Councelling has opened up a whole new world to me. It has allowed me to understand where the problem has come from. Please, please start counselling. Its the only way that you can take control of the problem. Councelling isn't a quick fix, its a journey into yourself, and while its hard, you won't believe the sense of relief you will feel in learning where your problem stems. I know this is long winded, but to finish, lets fast forward to the future. Your forty years old, your children are in their teens, and your bullimia has become such a problem that your health is compromised, your on antidepressants, you have to be hospitalised. But worst of all, your children don't understand why mammy doesn't love them enough to want to be around for them, and so the cycle of worthlessness contunues. This is my husbands Aunt. This is what can happen. Please, please get counselling asap. I haven't purged since i started councelling, and while you may have your problem under control, unless you deal with the problems that started the cycle in the first place, you never know when it's going to hit you again. I am now trying to get pregnant again after my miscarriage. I hope this has been some help to you, I am not trying to criticise u in any way. I'm sure you will have a beautiful baby in two months, but remember that as well as loving you baby, you have to love yourself. Good luck.

 

robin - November 11

You need to digust it with your doctor. I am bulimic, and have been for many years. Almost half my life. I had a miscarriage, and I don't know if it was the bulimia or not, but when I got pregnant the 2nd time I was bulimic for the first 4-5 months, than stopped. I was scared I would harm the baby. I did take my prenatals everyday. I never missed a day. Try to keep the prenatals down. I always took them at night, prior to bed. It was hard to stop, but with a baby in me I had too. It's a habit that is hard to break. It is a illness. Please talk to your doctor. Be strong for your baby, and seek help. They do have some good groups out there that can help you. I know how you feel. I battle it veryday still, and I do have relapses. I am working everyday on getting better, especially for my child. Take-care.

 

still b - December 3

I'm 40. I've been bulimic since I was 16. I couldn't be bulimic during my last pregnancy (35) b/c it caused gestational diabetes. My baby was born healthy and she's now 6, but she is very chubby.

 

Jay - December 4

Just stop it!!! you are pregnant for god's sake. I was A serious bulimic or years and was hospitilized more than once for it. But whether you decide to become a parent or it just happens, I don;t know the choice for me was simple, stop doing it. I have now been abstinate for years now and I've got to tell ya nothing bulemia ever gave me would make me ever want to return to it again. It just takes time. the more days you resist it , I promise eventually you won't miss it. I look back and wonder how I could have ever done that to myself.

 

Bridget - December 11

I was the child of a bulimic mother and was small (5lbs) and had a heart defect. My mother maintained her bulimia throughout all of her pregnancies (four) and we all survived but might have been bigger if not for the bulimia. She kept it up into her 50's. My sister actually was bulimic too and was hospitalized more than once in her teens for it and then kicked it herself at about 21 years old. I look at it as that she had more will power than our Mom, who had a very good reason to get control over it. My sister did it on her own and I'm very proud of her, because I do understand that it's an illness. I would be just as proud if she had needed help and beaten it. The fact is that there IS help and you women owe it to your kids and yourself to get the help you need. The vitamin deficiencies you could be inflicting on your babies will also effect you when you get older. My mother is alsmost bedridden at 62 with osteoperosis, stenosis of the spine (vertabrae growing together), has had numerous surgeries on her hands for severe carpal tunnel, arthritis and looks much older than her age.I'm not judging, I'm telling you what you probably already know, to get the help you need.

 

hadders89 - January 9

i know its nt easy, iv battled ed since i was 17 i have struggled with bulimia but without the binging then out of the blue 5 months ago i find out im pregnant i have really tried the first 3 months i went from 7st to 8st 6lbs which everyone was so proud of ect but then my looks hit me i couldnt face what i had done, i began reading news articles on how some girls are pregorexic as they called it and i was actually ashamed i wasnt so i began to starve myself or throw up if i did eat, now i hated myself i hated who i was  being but the more i did it the stronger grip it got an eating disorder is more than an illness is a friend its a coping mechanism , a security blanket. however i decided i will hide away and gain , its not easy i demanded extra help which is also available to you, you will get extra scants to check the health but it also keeps you connected to why your eating,  you will get more midwife apt and counciling if wanted personally im all counciled out so i have extra normal midwife apt to talk, i will also get 7 weeks pre natal classes to meet ppl like me and also distract me, being less active in pregnancy and isolated if your like me it leaves your only friend being the ed witch is not healthy, it can be hard to socialise and i am dredding it but atleast the option is their, i will also be watched after birth which lets me know someone will be their if i struggle because if i struggle my baby girl will. please go ask for help, im not cured but im on my way, and instead of skipping a meal being my reward thinking of what im doing for my girl is my reward, also today i made my dinner and i may not have eaten it all but i didnr throw up and later il heat it up and try a little more this is a really good way to get away from the need to throw up as i know that is not just a mental feeling but a physical, i hope your okay and for those who shared their story and let us know off the loss they had you have helped me as i half didnt believe it would do harm 

 

 

ADD A COMMENT:


You must log in to reply.

Are you New to the forum? Sign Up Here! Already a member? Please login below.

Forgot your password?
Need Help?
New to the forum?

Sign Up Here!


Already a member?
Please login below.





Forgot your password?
Need Help?