|
My ob-gyn recommended i gain five pounds .......
Question:
My ob-gyn recommended I gain five pounds to see if that helps normalize my cycles … and begin ovulation. With a history of an eating disorder, I am having a hard time gaining weight. I am also an avid runner and have been told to limit my mileage to 15-20 miles per week. Would it be OK to just start on Clomid without having to gain weight? Or would the low body weight/low body fat put me at greater risk for miscarriage or unhealthy baby?
Answers:
Women with eating disorders, especially women well below ideal body weight, may have menstrual irregularities. As a result, they may find it difficult to conceive without assistance. If they can achieve ideal body weight and fat, they will conceive without any problems. This whole thing about limiting mileage to 15-20 miles is reasonable, but that is five miles three times per week.
Problems depend on the extent of the eating disorder and the extent of recovery. Certainly someone with an active eating disorder, I would not recommend she get pregnant. But if it's just a history of eating disorder -- where she was able to work with a psychiatrist, a nutritionist, and a whole team to get her to a place where she is stable -- is a very different situation. And Clomid? Clomid might not work if she is not ovulating, but some other ovulation strategies may. The ideal would be to try to regain normal hypothalamic-pituitary function by achieving ideal body weight and reducing exercise, rather than going with medications and avoiding the underlying issue.
|
