Anorexia nervosa and bulimia Anorexia nervosa and bulimia affect the menstrual cycleaffect the menstrual cycle

What’s anorexia?What’s anorexia?Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric

illness characterized by maintaining illness characterized by maintaining a low body weight, caloric restriction, a low body weight, caloric restriction, and body dissatisfaction. People , see and body dissatisfaction. People , see themselves as overweight even when themselves as overweight even when they are significantly underweight. they are significantly underweight. Anorexia nervosa can also be Anorexia nervosa can also be accompanied by binge eating and accompanied by binge eating and purging. purging.

What’s bulimia?What’s bulimia? Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder

characterized by frequent episodes of binge characterized by frequent episodes of binge eating, followed by frantic efforts to avoid eating, followed by frantic efforts to avoid gaining weight. It affects women and men of gaining weight. It affects women and men of all ages all ages Bulimia nervosaBulimia nervosa is a disiase and is a disiase and a type of eating . It is when a person wants a type of eating . It is when a person wants to eat. People who have it feel that they are to eat. People who have it feel that they are fat and want to be skinny. When they are fat and want to be skinny. When they are hungry, they eat a lot of food. Then, they try hungry, they eat a lot of food. Then, they try to take it back by vomiting.to take it back by vomiting.

What problems can it cause with What problems can it cause with the menstrual cycle?the menstrual cycle?

If a woman with active bulimia gets pregnant, If a woman with active bulimia gets pregnant, these problems may result:these problems may result:

MiscarriageMiscarriage High blood pressure in the motherHigh blood pressure in the mother Baby isn't born aliveBaby isn't born alive Baby tries to come out with feet or bottom firstBaby tries to come out with feet or bottom first Birth by Birth by C-C-sectionsection Baby is born earlyBaby is born early Low birth weightLow birth weight Birth defects, such as blindness or mental Birth defects, such as blindness or mental

retardationretardation Problems breastfeedingProblems breastfeeding Depression in the mother after the baby is bornDepression in the mother after the baby is born

Yes. Women who have anorexia while Yes. Women who have anorexia while they are pregnant are more likely to they are pregnant are more likely to lose the baby. If a woman with lose the baby. If a woman with anorexia doesn't lose the baby, she is anorexia doesn't lose the baby, she is more likely to have the baby early, more likely to have the baby early, deliver by C-section, deliver a baby deliver by C-section, deliver a baby with a lower birth weight, and have with a lower birth weight, and have depression after the baby is born.depression after the baby is born.

It depends. When a woman has It depends. When a woman has "active anorexia," meaning she "active anorexia," meaning she currently has anorexia, she does not currently has anorexia, she does not get her period and usually does not get her period and usually does not ovulate. This makes it hard to get ovulate. This makes it hard to get pregnant. Women who have pregnant. Women who have recovered from anorexia and are at a recovered from anorexia and are at a healthy weight have a better chance healthy weight have a better chance of getting pregnant.of getting pregnant.

Can women who had anorexia in Can women who had anorexia in the past still get pregnant?the past still get pregnant?