Pregnancy and Eating Disorders
Pregnancy can bring excitement, hope and … a lot of change. For many women, it can also bring up complicated feelings about food, weight, and body image. If this is you, you are not failing. You are not selfish. And you are not alone.
Why Pregnancy Can Trigger Disordered Eating
Pregnancy involves rapid body changes, weight gain, appetite shifts, and more focus on numbers and measurements.
For someone with a history of disordered eating or ongoing body image struggles, these changes can feel overwhelming.
Common experiences include:
Fear of gaining “too much” weight
Urges to restrict or compensate for eating
Increased binge eating
Anxiety around food or loss of control
Body image concerns
Anxiety about post-pregnancy body
Even without a previous history of these issues, pregnancy can bring up disordered eating patterns.
The Shame That Keeps People Quiet
Pregnancy is often described as a joyful and exciting time. Because of this, many women feel like they’re supposed to feel happy, connected, and confident in their changing body. This can show up like:
“I should be happy.”
“This is bad for my baby.”
“Why can’t I just eat normally?”
Pregnancy is a major physical and emotional transition. If food or body control has helped you cope in the past, it makes sense that those patterns might resurface during a time of uncertainty and change.
Struggling doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful. It means you’re human and you deserve support.
How Therapy Can Help
If you’re struggling with food, body image, or eating disorder thoughts during pregnancy, reaching out early can make a meaningful difference.
Therapy can help you:
Creating a structured, steady eating pattern to reduce restriction or binge cycles
Gently challenging food rules that have resurfaced during pregnancy
Reducing anxiety after eating
Managing urges to compensate, over-exercise, or restrict
Working through fear of weight gain in a safe, supported way
Processing body image distress as your body changes week to week
Prepare for postpartum triggers around weight, shape, and control.
You deserve emotional support during pregnancy, not just medical care.
Please note that if you are pregnant and are struggling with disordered eating we would often reccomend also having a dietitian on board. This can be discussed with you in our first session together.
Click here if you’d like to connect with one of our psychologists.
Check out this resource for some more information on pregnancy and eating disorders
Note: The information provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and is NOT intended as medical /psychological advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for personalised guidance.
This blog post was created with the support of AI tools to help with clarity and structure. All content reflects the professional knowledge and clinical judgement of the authors.
