i just need some support :/

[Anonymous]

I was obsessed with saltines and peanut butter. Also salty, salty food helped me. CARBS are your friend.

Don't be afraid to askf ro hlp. Your OB won't judge you - he or she will be happy you are being responsible and asking for assistance. An Rx might help, too - with one pregnancy I was sick enough for Zofran, which helped tremendously. Sea bands and ginger did nothing for me at all.

[Anonymous]

Not an expecting mom but just wanted to say I loved reading all the support notes. It's so nice to see DCUM being kind to someone in need. Hugs, OP. I say find both a high risk OB and ask for suggestions on a therapist and dietician. You're not alone!

[Anonymous]

If you don't know who to call, you might try Sheppard Pratt up in Maryland. They're the best eating disorders treatment in the area, so they are bound to have someone who has helped women get through a pregnancy. Like others said, carbs are your friend right now. for some reason orange juice worked for me too. hang in there and hopefully this phase will pass.

[Anonymous]

Kraft Mac & Cheese, baby. Great, soothing, delicious, yellow, fabulous. Oh, and Zofran for the nausea. It was the only thing that helped. Please keep drinking, OP, ginger ale and caffeine-free coke will probably help. Good for you for thinking about your baby. If you can manage wheat cereal, you can do anything! Oh, what about bowls of oatmeal? I load mine with peanut butter and it's creamy and delicious and soothing...

[Anonymous]

i had an eating disorder in college and it re-emerged during pregnancy. what i found to be helpful was not weighing myself. i asked my midwives not to tell me my weight at appointments when they did weigh me. my midwives were supportive and helpful. i also just eventually accepted that i needed to eat, and i exercised regularly and just told myself that eating healthfully and exercising regularly were all i could do, and if i gained, i gained. gaining that weight was one of the hardest things i've done in my life but i did it, and i was proud of myself! i knew my baby needed it and that i'd feel incredibly guilty if my baby had health problems because of my restricting food. i also met with a counselor weekly and talked to her about my food issues. i think pregnancy brings up a lot of lack of control feelings and for me those were the feelings that resulted in me restricting food. i had to just learn to surrender to the fact that my body was changing and that it was temporary and for a good cause. i agree seeking professional support is a good idea. good luck - i know how hard this can be but it's a character building experience to realize you can gain weight and still be okay and love yourself

[Anonymous]

Ginger ale and saltines really helped me. And the best advice I got was to eat at least one bite of a saltine before even getting out of bed in the morning. I don't know why it made a difference, but if I even had to walk from my bed to the kitchen first thing in the AM, the nausea would hit and then it would plague me all day. If I ate a saltine before rising, I'd have occasional waves of nausea, but not every breath, all day.

The second best advice I got was to just keep sipping and nibbling all day. Even if you don't feel hungry, if you take tiny nibbles of saltines, it can keep the nausea at bay.

Love yourself the way you will love your baby: feed yourself as well as you can. Thank you so much for reaching out for support; keep doing it.

[Anonymous]

OP, try eating some protein with your carbs (think cheese & crackers, or pb & apple slices, turkey sandwich, fruit & yogurt, etc) and drink plenty of fluids- water, juice, milk, soda- whatever you can handle. The carb-protein mix really does help the nausea, and you're making a great effort already by asking for help. The others are so right to recommend talking to your OB and I think your idea of the nutritionist is spot-on. You're feeding your baby here, and you want to make the best choices possible. Chin up- that little person is counting on you!

[Anonymous]

I agree with the others -- bland carbs and mild protein when you can handle it. I also ate a lot of french fries during the 8 to 12 week period. Try to remember that the nausea usually goes away by week 12 or 13, so you only have to make it until then. Then you can switch and focus on eating balanced healthy meals for you and your baby.

Also, as others have said, eating a little bit frequently and never letting yourself get hungry helps a lot. Sometimes people with eating disorders say they "don't get hungry." I don't know if that's true for you, but if it is, eat small amounts every hour (just like 3 crackers or something) to keep something in your system even if you don'tfeel hungry. Eat more if you can and you want to.

[Anonymous]

Eating period helped my nausea, in that I would get more nauseous if I let my stomach get too empty (though too full was also bad).

Drinking flavored seltzer helped, as did sucking on lollipops (I picked up the YummyEarth organic ones). I preferred sour things like orange juice, sharp cheeses, and yogurt, too.

I've never struggled with anorexia, but I can imagine how hard it is. If you're worried about getting in enough nutrients maybe try drinking things like Ensure/Boost/Carnation Instant? Or the Naked or Odwalla smoothies, or homemade smoothies.

If you're having trouble swallowing prenatal vitamins you can also look for gummy ones.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry you are going through this. I was bulimic for 10 years before I got pregnant, and my battle with bulimia and the nausea was a real mindfuck.

Hang in there. I found that smoothies and shakes helped settle my stomach. And Mexican coke for some reason.

[Anonymous]

I second getting help. Also when you can eat, try to eat protein and vitamin intensive food to make sure your baby gets some good stuff.
My Ob also recommended some vitamin B6 25mg 3 times a day to help with the nausea.

[Anonymous]

Aw, I'm sorry, OP. My best friend has an eating disorder and there were aspects of her pregnancy that were really rough for her, and some that her OB told her might happen but didn't. Tell your OB, she'll have some great suggestions. If she flips out or becomes judgmental (which this friend's first OB did), then you know to find a new OB.

Hang in there. Fresh air does not cure nausea, but it sure helps. If you're able, get out and take a walk. That helped me immensely, especially in the morning.

[Anonymous]

OP, sending you huge hugs. I have never had anorexia but I have had body issues all of my life; I've always been thin but felt fatter than I am, and recently I've actually gained some weight after my first that I'd never ever had, and had JUST worked my ass off to drop it and look good again when I got pregnant with my second. So, I just want to say that i get the angst, but obviously, it's such a tiny slice of what you must be going through. I too feel nauseated, and while with my first I just gave myself permission to eat every donut that had the misfortune of crossing my path, this time I'm determined to be healthier. Key word is healthier.

Anyway, if it helps, what helped me get through my first was reminding myself: If I put it on, I CAN take it off. and I CAN do it in a healthy way. Focus on empowering, "I can do this" thoughts.

Also, I am also really struggling with nausea but another mom on these boards suggested (and my midwife okay'd) unisom and vitamin b6. I take a half tab of unisom every night and 25 mg of vitamin b6 morning and night. The difference the next day is nothing short of miraculous. It's not like I'm 100 percent, but I have a taste for at least twice as many types of foods, so I don't have to confine myself to carbs, salt, and crap which is what I can usually tolerate while in the throes of first trimester nausea. It also helps with the fatigue, so I feel like I can take a brisk walk, which in turn DOES help with the nausea and fatigue further.

I want to echo what everyone else has said. Come clean with your OB. His / her reaction should be mild. If it is not, find a new OB. Ask on a listserv, or here, for a supportive care-giver. Find someone who will help you stay on top of the issue. Counseling sounds like a must, so you have someone with experience you can discuss. And get a nutritionist. If you're having feelings that you need to "control" what you eat, maybe just knowing that what you do eat is the absolute healthiest and best you can eat will help you achieve some control in a healthy way. (Be careful not to take it too far).

Good luck. Please do talk to someone. Nobody, I mean NOBODY, in their right mind is going to judge you.

[Anonymous]

How far along are you? I went through this last year and it was hard as hell. Once I decided I needed to just eat for the baby, that made it a lot easier. I saw a nutritionist who recommended focusing on protein and calcium to start with because those were the things the baby would need the most at that point. Past a certain point in the pregnancy, it became clear that no matter how little I ate I was going to gain however much weight my body wanted me to, and then I really was able to let go and eat well. My biggest regret is that I restricted during the first trimester when I should have been doing everything I could to make sure the baby had everything she needed. When I look at my daughter, it pains me to think I ever did anything to put her at risk. If you can post an email address, I would be happy to give ongoing support. If not, keep posting here. I wish you the best and I hope you know you can do this if you want to.

[Anonymous]

Sour candy was good for me--sweet tarts. Also slurpees for some reason. Try to eat something first thing in the morning--keep food next to your bed.