Actually… if you think about it. Pregnancy could be the best time ever to recover from Bulimia. You have 9 months where you are expected… SO maybe you could go easy on yourself, be super kind to yourself and shift your focus from your weight to your health. Look at any weight gain as ‘recovery weight’ and ‘healthy baby weight’.

It’s going to be awesome to have a bump of motivation and inspiration constantly with you!

Work on being kind and gentle with yourself, work on forgiving yourself if you slip up, work on putting one foot in front of the other so that you can enjoy this special time in your life 🙂

 

 

Dear Readers!

 

Please read this wonderful article by Shaye Boddington on Bulimia and Pregnancy.

 

 

Bulimia Pregnancy’ risks two lives. Yours &

Your babies.

 

By: Shaye Boddington

 

In this bulimia pregnancy article, I am going to tell you the risks of being bulimic during your pregnancy. I’m also going to share some tips that I used to recover from bulimia…

Hopefully these tips will help you recover too. You really can escape this illness – If I did, anybody can! Healing from bulimia will ensure your baby gets a healthy start to life 🙂

Dangers of a bulimia pregnancy

‘Bulimia Pregnancy’ is a commonly searched phrase on the internet. I’m not surprised really – If I had become pregnant when I was bulimic… I would have been pretty scared.

You know that your bulimia must be doing some serious damage… You can’t always physically see it… but you can feel it. Bulimia ravages your body. Physically and mentally, it destroys you one bit at a time.

Having a ‘Bulimia pregnancy’ can be a traumatic experience. What your doing is dangerous, for you and for your baby… but bulimia has carved it’s cycle deeply into your brain and you feel you can’t stop.

Risks of a bulimia pregnancy Greater chance of having a miscarriage Increased risks of your baby dying just before birth Possibility of Stunting the growth of your unborn child Much higher risk of suffering from postnatal depression

Most Terrifying Post-Pregnancy Risk What happens after your child is born? When they are growing up… If you don’t get help, you could very likely pass your eating habits onto your children. They could learn bulimia from you.. even if you think that you are hiding it. Kids are like sponges… they soak up everything. If ever there was a reason to get help – I think this is it. Bulimia is something I would never wish upon anybody.

Although recovering from bulimia during pregnancy is Challenging, it is completely possible!

In fact, I have total confidence that you can do it. It will be a difficult, but rewarding journey… I promise you that every single challenge along the way will be worth it 🙂

The obstacles You’ll face in giving up bulimia during your pregnancy: You should put on about 10-15 kg’s during your pregnancy. Putting on weight is difficult for bulimics to accept. Fat is naturally deposited in the boobs, hips and thighs because of pregnancy hormones. Binge eating is more common in the 2nd half of pregnancy. This is true even if you have never suffered from an eating disorder before. Decreased activity might result in boredom, worry, preoccupation with thoughts of food, etc. Which could trigger a binge.

BUT, all challenges have obstacles – and this is no different. Obstacles are there to be overcome. They are there to make success that much sweeter 🙂

Actually… if you think about it. Pregnancy could be the best time ever to recover from Bulimia. You have 9 months where you are expected… SO maybe you could go easy on yourself, be super kind to yourself and shift your focus from your weight to your health. Look at any weight gain as ‘recovery weight’ and ‘healthy baby weight’.

It’s going to be awesome to have a bump of motivation and inspiration constantly with you!

Work on being kind and gentle with yourself, work on forgiving yourself if you slip up, work on putting one foot in front of the other so that you can enjoy this special time in your life 🙂

Learn How Start the cycle of change and recovery

There is no better time to recover from bulimia than now!

Don’t waste another day.

Putting on a bit of weight is okay. In reality – weight should not be directly linked to our happiness and self-worth. It is so easy to lose focus on what is truly important in our lives… I know this from experience…

I suffered from bulimia for 10 years. I always thought… If I were just a few kg’s lighter, I would be so much happier. Now that I have recovered I know that’s nonsense.

As stereotypical as it sounds… It about who you are as a person…

It’s not about the numbers on the scale.

Here are some small changes that I suggest that you start making right away. None of them are massive… but collectively they will make your bulimia pregnancy recovery easier.

Throw away your scale… I mean now! When I was bulimic, my extra bad days, full of bingeing and purging would always follow a ‘bad’ scale reading. Now, I realize that it is so much easier to maintain a healthy and happy weight when you don’t focus on the numbers on the scale. Get Supported In Your Journey It took me over 9 years of being bulimic to finally talk to somebody about it… And, guess what… Within 1 year of talking to somebody I had totally recovered from bulimia. Have you ever heard the saying ‘A problem shared is a problem halved‘? Well, it is so true! Find somebody that you trust and be open about your illness to them… it is nothing to be ashamed about. Talking about it will make a bulimia pregnancy much easier to avoid. Finding support is a key part of bulimia recovery. If you don’t have anybody who would understand or if you just can’t open up to somebody yet… my Bulimia Recovery Program and Online Community could be an excellent resource to help you feel supported in this journey. Keep a Food Diary. Keep a track of all things food-related each day. Note things like: How you are feeling, your mood, what you are thinking when you’re eating, what you ate, if you managed to keep it down, etc. Read over your diary each night and see if any patterns start to emerge. Is there a time of day that you are likely to binge? Is there a mood, person, particular food that triggers it off? If you notice any patterns, try find ways that you can work through them. Visit a Bulimia Counselor This can be really scary… I remember my first visit and I was terrified! What on earth would she think of me? But visiting my counselor and talking through some of the shame I felt about my bulimia, was a key part of my recovery. From the first time I went to see her I felt more confident and capable. I felt less alone. Drink nutritious smoothies I think smoothies are a great food for bulimics. They are nutritious and don’t leave you feeling over-full and desperate to throw up. They give you essential nutrients and vitamins which will benefit you and your baby. You really must try to hold these down. Try out my favorite smoothie… It will help nourish you and your baby! 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries 1/2 a cup of strawberries 150g pot of yogurt (avoid the ones with high sugar and flavoring) 1 tbs honey (optional) Put them into a blender and blend them up until smooth. Pour it into a fancy glass (things always taste better in fancy glasses!) and then mix a handful of shaved almonds into it.

 

 

Article by Shaye Boddington
Author of your-bulimia-recovery.com
and creator of The Bulimia Recovery Program and Community