'I felt trapped': The hidden struggle of eating disorders facing pregnant women
Pregnancy can trigger or worsen eating disorders, though it may also offer a path to recovery. Medical professionals often overlook these conditions. Recent reports highlight broader postpartum struggles including depression and trauma.
What changed
New reports highlight individual experiences with postpartum depression and complex PTSD.
Live updates
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Eating Disorders and Pregnancy Support
confidence 90%Pregnancy can trigger or worsen eating disorders, though it may also offer a path to recovery. Medical professionals often overlook these conditions. Recent reports highlight broader postpartum struggles including depression and trauma.
What's confirmed:
- A Bay Shore mother opened a center to provide resources and community support for mothers after postpartum depression.
- Kirsty recovered from an eating disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder after receiving treatment.
Still unconfirmed:
- A woman experienced fear during a second pregnancy following previous miscarriage and NICU stays.
- A mother's newborn refused to eat after a difficult birth.
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Pregnancy as a Hidden Trigger for Eating Disorders
confidence 90%Pregnancy can create a perfect storm for eating disorders that medical professionals often overlook. These conditions can be triggered or intensified during this period. However, researchers believe this time may provide an opportunity for lasting recovery.
What's confirmed:
- Pregnancy can trigger or worsen eating disorders.
- Medical staff frequently overlook eating disorders during pregnancy.
- Elizabeth Claydon shared her experience of managing an eating disorder while pregnant with the BBC.
Still unconfirmed:
- Eating disorders often hide in plain sight.
- The failure to identify eating disorders is dangerous.
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Pregnancy and the Hidden Struggle of Eating Disorders
confidence 90%Pregnancy can trigger or worsen eating disorders, often leaving women feeling out of control. While these conditions are frequently overlooked by medical staff, researchers suggest this period can also offer a chance for permanent healing. Elizabeth Claydon has shared her personal experience of managing an eating disorder during pregnancy with the BBC.
What's confirmed:
- Elizabeth Claydon shared her experience of dealing with an eating disorder while pregnant with the BBC.
- Pregnancy can trigger or exacerbate eating disorders in expectant parents.
Still unconfirmed:
- Pregnant women with a history of eating disorders may describe the process as chaotic, unpredictable, and shameful.
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Pregnancy and the Hidden Struggle of Eating Disorders
confidence 90%Pregnancy can trigger or exacerbate eating disorders in expectant parents. These conditions often remain undetected by medical staff. Such struggles increase the risk of severe complications for both the mother and child.
What's confirmed:
- Pregnancy can trigger eating disorders that often go undetected by medical professionals.
- These conditions increase the risk of severe complications for both mother and child.
Still unconfirmed:
- Pregnancy can worsen existing eating disorders.
- Recovery requires facing food-related anxiety with support and building trust.
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Eating Disorders During Pregnancy Linked to Severe Clinical Risks
confidence 90%Pregnancy can trigger eating disorders that often go undetected by medical professionals. These conditions increase the risk of severe complications for both mother and child. Experts describe the period as a perfect storm for these hidden struggles.
What's confirmed:
- Pregnancy can trigger eating disorders that are often overlooked or go undetected.
- Eating disorders during pregnancy are associated with clinical risks such as preterm birth and gestational diabetes.
Still unconfirmed:
- Pregnant women with eating disorders are nearly three times more likely to experience severe complications, including neonatal intensive care unit admissions, according to a June 15 JAMA Psychiatry study.
- Eating disorders during pregnancy increase the rate of postpartum complications.