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[Dr. Maria Rago]

Hi everyone,

As part of babytalk Magazine's "Love Your New Mom Body" feature, I wanted to introduce myself.

My name is Dr. Maria Rago and I am a clinical psychologist. My areas of
interest include body image, depression, self-esteem
and family issues. I've also spent a lot of time working with people who suffer from eating disorders, and am currently the clinical director of the Eating Disorders Program at Linden Oaks Hospital at Edwards in Naperville, IL.

Basically, I'm here to help answer any questions you might be having about you and how your body may have changed since childbirth. I'll be checking in on a weekly basis.

I look forward to your questions!

[TrubearJ]

I've dealt with anorexia and bulemia in the past. Now that my son is four months old, I'm having anxiety attacks over my body. I had to start forcing me to eat. At times, I burst into tears. It's a terrible disease. I've been struggling to keep sane.

[Dr. Maria Rago]

Dear Trubear, Congratulations on your new baby boy, and thank you for having the courage to talk about how it has been for your body image now that you are
recovering from the pregnancy. While you are pregnant it is easy to justify gaining weight and eating well, but after the baby is born, many women with previous eating disorders really struggle to accept the natural changes in their bodies. Do you have a dietician and therapist that you have worked with in the past? If you could check in with them and have a little time to work on this, I am sure it would help. You don't have to go through this alone. If you don't already have a team to help you, you can go to ANAD.org and they can recommend professionals in your area. Now is an important time to focus on you, and your own happiness. A therapist and dietician can help you set realistic goals for getting your body and emotions back to normal. You also may be going through some emotional turmoil from all of the hormone changes going on inside of you, and a therapist could help you figure out if you may need an anti-depressant medication as well. I hope you will follow up on this in order to fully enjoy your new baby boy, and to get your life feeling in control again.

[TrubearJ]

I went to the ANAD website. I emailed them to see if there was a group I can attend here. I've never really dealt with it and I think it's time. I can't admit this to my husband, but it's getting the best of me. He's too scared that I'll go back to having an eating disorder. Well, truth is that it's always there and now it's back with a vengance. Thank you for this information; I'm going to use all the help I can.