Birth Announcement / ED’s and Parenting
I mentioned in my first blog that I was expecting my third baby very soon, and I want to announce her arrival. She was born on Oct. 22nd, weighing 6 lbs and 5 oz. She is doing well, and we are trying to settle into life as a family of five. My older two kids absolutely love her and have had very few issues adjusting to a new baby in the house, which makes my job a bit easier. My days have been as busy as they are long, and my nights have been sleepless. As incredibly difficult as the newborn stage is, it’s so special, and I know it will go by all too fast.
I sometimes think of how impossible this job of mothering would be if I were still fighting my eating disorder. Being a mother is a 24-hour a day, life-consuming job, and I am saddened to think some women try to manage all the tasks of motherhood while struggling with bulimia/binge eating. I have spoken to a few women who are consumed with guilt that their eating disorder often prevents them from being there for their kids, and prevents them from being a proper role-model in terms of eating and weight. This is not to say that women with eating disorders are not good mothers; I’m only saying that motherhood is hard enough without an eating disorder, and no mother (or father) should have to fight bulimia/binge eating while trying to raise children.
I’ve been asked if becoming a mother had anything to do with my recovery. The answer is no. It wasn’t until I was fully confident in my recovery that my husband and I decided to try to have children. Personally, I never would have considered getting pregnant while bulimic. I felt like I couldn’t manage my own life, much less be responsible for the life of a child. Luckily, as I explain in my book, my approach to recovery allowed me to quickly feel confident my eating disorder was over for good; and I got pregnant only 8 months after I stopped binge eating. I plan to talk a lot more in future blogs about topics relating to eating disorders and pregnancy /parenting.