By Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C Pregnancy and postpartum can be a beautiful time AND it can also be a hard time for some folks when it comes to their relationship to food and body. As eating disorder and body image therapists in Rockville, Maryland, my team at The Eating Disorder Center loves working with folks on healing their relationship to food and body during pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. While everyone is different, some experience nausea and food aversions in pregnancy which can be difficult. While some may be excited about body changes, others may find watching their body grow to be challenging due to internalized anti-fat bias and diet culture. And let’s not forget about postpartum. Where moms are inundated with harmful “bounce back” messaging and targeted by weight loss advertising. Moms are already sleep deprived and vulnerable and things in their life may feel a bit chaotic postpartum-which can cause some folks to struggle with negative body image, in addition to the influx of diet culture in the postpartum period. The following are a few reminders and tips for those navigating pregnancy and postpartum in eating disorder recovery-or more generally for those who are struggling with body image and disordered eating. 1. Remember that when it comes to both yourself and your kiddos-fed is best. What does this mean exactly? Well when you’re nauseous in early pregnancy and struggling with food aversions-you nourish yourself as best you can with whatever foods feel palatable to you (while of course making sure they are pregnancy safe). What’s most important is that your body gets fuel and the energy it needs-no foods are “good” or “bad.” It’s ok to be compassionate with yourself and to eat what you can. 2. Use some tools for coping with body changes in pregnancy. I find looking at the scale to be largely unhelpful for myself and many people with eating disorder histories or who are in recovery-when pregnant typically they will weigh you at every visit. I’ve heard of some folks who refuse to be weighed during pregnancy. How, I handled it was I stepped on the scale backwards and never looked at the number week after week. Of course you cannot control if a doctor makes a comment about your weight-other than asking that they not do this in the future. However, you can let them know upfront that you are in recovery from an eating disorder, or have an eating disorder history and prefer not to know the number on the scale. Many therapists, including the ones on my team, are happy to also coordinate with the doctor and let them know not to discuss weight with you. Work on not letting yourself ruminate on negative body image thoughts. Start to develop a mindful awareness of any unhelpful body image thoughts and simply notice them without engaging. It can also be helpful to think about the amazing things that your body is doing in creating life-how cool is that?! And try to practice some compassion and appreciation for all that your body is doing. It may also feel helpful to celebrate in different ways-i’ve seen some folks for instance cooking meals with the food item that matches the size of their baby each week. Or you could schedule a maternity photoshoot-if that feels empowering. Shoutout to my favorite maternity photographer Wild Honey Photography if you’re local to Maryland! 3. Set some boundaries postpartum and turn towards your values. I know it’s tough, but postpartum work to set boundaries by muting any social media pages or setting boundaries with folks in real life who talk about dieting postpartum. It is not your fault if you are struggling with negative body image postpartum AND it’s so important to think about the messaging you want to pass along to your child (or children) and what you would tell them if they were struggling with similar thoughts. It’s also helpful again to practice some compassion and appreciation for all the amazing things that your body just did for you-in bringing you your child. And lastly, to reflect on what your true values are outside of your body-and how you can work to pursue those values. Looking for help? The Eating Disorder Center has therapists in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland who specialize in helping individuals struggling with eating disorders or a difficult relationship to food and their body, in pregnancy and the postpartum period. And of course will connect you to other allied providers who can be a helpful member of your treatment team. Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD, VA, DC, NY, FL, or recovery coaching worldwide. Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California. We provide eating disorder and EMDR trauma therapy in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
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The Eating Disorder CenterWe are a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center in Rockville, Maryland.
We also provide eating disorder recovery coaching to people worldwide via Zoom. Click here to book your free 15 minute phone consultation! Phone: 301-246-6856 Email: [email protected] Archives
October 2024
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