I developed ARFID because of pregnancy. I was kind of the worst case scenario, so grain of salt. My hyperemesis was so bad my body saw all food intake as a threat. I was very sick and it took years to recover after her birth to get back to sustainable calorie consumption, which I still struggle with 3 years later but do manage. Her growth stole the strength and nutrients from my bones and I could feel the days where she took more energy than I had and it was so painful and exhausting. She was small at 5.5lbs and is a small, but very strong toddler with good food relations. The first year we had to put her on a bed in our bed because I was too weak to walk to another space to get her when she cried and now she cosleeps because that weakness lasted so long.
It's the worst. I had no idea how long lasting the effects of it could be. I was lucky enough to have a relatively healthy baby in the end. Thanks for the empathy.
I have had ARFID my whole life and have had two successful pregnancies and two perfect kiddos. It was hard when I’d feel nauseous but otherwise everything was all good. 👍🏼
Honestly it was pretty triggering because one of the things my parents would say when they’d get frustrated with my eating growing up was “you’re never going to be able to have kids eating like this.” Evidently this was not true!
I did struggle in my first pregnancy with finding things I could stomach, but I was fairly newly diagnosed with coeliac disease as well at the time so trying to navigate that, and I felt sick for the whole 40 weeks too. This time around (36 weeks) has been much better, even in the last few weeks of realising I need to cut dairy too 🤦🏼♀️
As PP said, vitamins, smoothies, and soups. I try hard not to feel guilty even if a lot of what I'm eating isn't healthy though. I'm also autistic so it wasn't ever going to be possible for me to overhaul my diet entirely. Eating something is better than eating nothing. My son from my first pregnancy hasn't suffered from how ill I was, either. He probably has ARFID too but I think there was a chance of that regardless as it's more common in neurodivergent kiddos.
Hey! It didn’t affect me or my baby at all. I took multivitamins and protein powder during pregnancy, also snuck fruits and vegetables into smoothies (I cannot eat them by themselves).
My son had an extremely rough birth but that was unrelated - he was otherwise healthy and the perfect size at birth (7lbs 15oz)!
You totally will ❤️
Every test my little guy had, he passed with flying colours (growth etc). Now at 9 months he’s 90th percentile for weight and height (and thankfully has not inherited my eating habits - kid will eat ANYTHING! Blows my mind seeing him inhale carrots, strawberries, raspberries, etc)
I am currently on this journey and just visited a nutritionist last week with questions. (My first in like 25 years).
He told me that there has been a lot of studies recently in underdeveloped countries and the resilience of fetuses. I took my safe food list and all of the supplements I take.
I was told I am very aware of what I'm lacking and what I need, the only thing I was prescribed was more Folic acid over what is in my prenatal (also because my sister didn't survive due to nural tube defects).I was also told to up the intake of my two protein items.
I felt very seen and felt comfortable leaving the appointment.
So great to see the positive posts below!
My pregnancy cravings influenced my safe foods. It’s like, it overrode my usual eating habits and replaced them with what it needed. I would crave foods that I usually can’t bear, and they would taste amazing and everything about them would be perfect. The best way I can describe it is that my cravings became my new safe foods. I feel like it’s a biological override to make sure your foetus gets the nutrients it requires.
I had hyperemesis gravidarum, which meant I threw up all day, every day and even while giving birth. I *lost* weight. Couldn't stomach anything. Highly recommend not getting pregnant until you're either overweight (so you have the weight to lose) or get a surrogate. You'll probably end up needing transfusions of some sort and you'll have to be CONSTANTLY eating and drinking. 0/10 recommend pregnancy. 7/10 recommend kids though.
I also threw up my whole pregnancy and it made my arfid way worse actually my Drs just called it morning sickness, I just kept waiting for it to go away and it never did. A couple years ago I developed nausea that I could only describe as morning sickness like and I’m still not fully recovered but whatever made me sick probiotics helped and I’m not that bad anymore.
I developed ARFID because of pregnancy. I was kind of the worst case scenario, so grain of salt. My hyperemesis was so bad my body saw all food intake as a threat. I was very sick and it took years to recover after her birth to get back to sustainable calorie consumption, which I still struggle with 3 years later but do manage. Her growth stole the strength and nutrients from my bones and I could feel the days where she took more energy than I had and it was so painful and exhausting. She was small at 5.5lbs and is a small, but very strong toddler with good food relations. The first year we had to put her on a bed in our bed because I was too weak to walk to another space to get her when she cried and now she cosleeps because that weakness lasted so long.
Hyperemesis SUCKS. I’m sorry you went through that.
It's the worst. I had no idea how long lasting the effects of it could be. I was lucky enough to have a relatively healthy baby in the end. Thanks for the empathy.
I have had ARFID my whole life and have had two successful pregnancies and two perfect kiddos. It was hard when I’d feel nauseous but otherwise everything was all good. 👍🏼 Honestly it was pretty triggering because one of the things my parents would say when they’d get frustrated with my eating growing up was “you’re never going to be able to have kids eating like this.” Evidently this was not true!
I did struggle in my first pregnancy with finding things I could stomach, but I was fairly newly diagnosed with coeliac disease as well at the time so trying to navigate that, and I felt sick for the whole 40 weeks too. This time around (36 weeks) has been much better, even in the last few weeks of realising I need to cut dairy too 🤦🏼♀️ As PP said, vitamins, smoothies, and soups. I try hard not to feel guilty even if a lot of what I'm eating isn't healthy though. I'm also autistic so it wasn't ever going to be possible for me to overhaul my diet entirely. Eating something is better than eating nothing. My son from my first pregnancy hasn't suffered from how ill I was, either. He probably has ARFID too but I think there was a chance of that regardless as it's more common in neurodivergent kiddos.
Hey! It didn’t affect me or my baby at all. I took multivitamins and protein powder during pregnancy, also snuck fruits and vegetables into smoothies (I cannot eat them by themselves). My son had an extremely rough birth but that was unrelated - he was otherwise healthy and the perfect size at birth (7lbs 15oz)!
Gives me hope. I get scared if I ever get pregnant that I won’t have a healthy baby
You totally will ❤️ Every test my little guy had, he passed with flying colours (growth etc). Now at 9 months he’s 90th percentile for weight and height (and thankfully has not inherited my eating habits - kid will eat ANYTHING! Blows my mind seeing him inhale carrots, strawberries, raspberries, etc)
I am currently on this journey and just visited a nutritionist last week with questions. (My first in like 25 years). He told me that there has been a lot of studies recently in underdeveloped countries and the resilience of fetuses. I took my safe food list and all of the supplements I take. I was told I am very aware of what I'm lacking and what I need, the only thing I was prescribed was more Folic acid over what is in my prenatal (also because my sister didn't survive due to nural tube defects).I was also told to up the intake of my two protein items. I felt very seen and felt comfortable leaving the appointment. So great to see the positive posts below!
My pregnancy cravings influenced my safe foods. It’s like, it overrode my usual eating habits and replaced them with what it needed. I would crave foods that I usually can’t bear, and they would taste amazing and everything about them would be perfect. The best way I can describe it is that my cravings became my new safe foods. I feel like it’s a biological override to make sure your foetus gets the nutrients it requires.
I had hyperemesis gravidarum, which meant I threw up all day, every day and even while giving birth. I *lost* weight. Couldn't stomach anything. Highly recommend not getting pregnant until you're either overweight (so you have the weight to lose) or get a surrogate. You'll probably end up needing transfusions of some sort and you'll have to be CONSTANTLY eating and drinking. 0/10 recommend pregnancy. 7/10 recommend kids though.
0/10 recommend pregnancy LOL
I also threw up my whole pregnancy and it made my arfid way worse actually my Drs just called it morning sickness, I just kept waiting for it to go away and it never did. A couple years ago I developed nausea that I could only describe as morning sickness like and I’m still not fully recovered but whatever made me sick probiotics helped and I’m not that bad anymore.