IVF-induced pregnancy and early motherhood among women with a history of severe eating disorders
BackgroundThere is a higher prevalence of eating disorders among women seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF). Women with a history of eating disorders may be particularly vulnerable to eating disorder relapse during IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood. The experience of these women during this proce...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1126941/full |
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| author | Bente Sommerfeldt Bente Sommerfeldt Finn Skårderud Finn Skårderud Finn Skårderud Ingela Lundin Kvalem Kjersti S. Gulliksen Kjersti S. Gulliksen Arne Holte Arne Holte |
| author_facet | Bente Sommerfeldt Bente Sommerfeldt Finn Skårderud Finn Skårderud Finn Skårderud Ingela Lundin Kvalem Kjersti S. Gulliksen Kjersti S. Gulliksen Arne Holte Arne Holte |
| author_sort | Bente Sommerfeldt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundThere is a higher prevalence of eating disorders among women seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF). Women with a history of eating disorders may be particularly vulnerable to eating disorder relapse during IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood. The experience of these women during this process has hardly been studied scientifically, despite its high clinical relevance. The overall aim of this study is to describe how women with a history of eating disorders experience the process of becoming a mother through IVF, pregnancy, and the postpartum period.MethodsWe recruited women with a history of severe anorexia nervosa who had undergone IVF (n = 7) at public family health centers in Norway. Semi-openly, the participants were interviewed extensively first during pregnancy, and then 6 months after birth. The 14 narratives were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analyses (IPA). All participants were required to complete the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and were diagnosed (DSM-5) by using the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), during both pregnancy and postpartum.ResultsAll participants experienced a relapse of an eating disorder during IVF. They perceived IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood to be overwhelming, confusing, a source of severe loss of control, and a source of body alienation. There were four core phenomena that were reported that were strikingly similar across all participants: “anxiousness and fear,” “shame and guilt,” “sexual maladjustment,” and “non-disclosure of eating problems.” These phenomena persisted continuously throughout IVF, pregnancy, and motherhood.ConclusionWomen with a history of severe eating disorders are highly susceptible to relapse when undergoing IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood. The process of IVF is experienced as extremely demanding and provoking. There is evidence that eating problems, purging, over-exercising, anxiousness and fear, shame and guilt, sexual maladjustment, and non-disclosure of eating problems continue throughout IVF, pregnancy, and the early years of motherhood. Therefore, it is necessary for healthcare workers providing services to women undergoing IVF to be attentive and intervene when they suspect a history of eating disorders. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:41:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8144b6afcbb74685b0fb0afcf8d00184 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:41:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-8144b6afcbb74685b0fb0afcf8d001842023-04-17T04:28:24ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-04-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.11269411126941IVF-induced pregnancy and early motherhood among women with a history of severe eating disordersBente Sommerfeldt0Bente Sommerfeldt1Finn Skårderud2Finn Skårderud3Finn Skårderud4Ingela Lundin Kvalem5Kjersti S. Gulliksen6Kjersti S. Gulliksen7Arne Holte8Arne Holte9Institute of Eating Disorders, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayInstitute of Eating Disorders, Oslo, NorwayFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, DenmarkFaculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, NorwayDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayInstitute of Eating Disorders, Oslo, NorwayThe Norwegian Psychological Association, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayNorwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Oslo, NorwayBackgroundThere is a higher prevalence of eating disorders among women seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF). Women with a history of eating disorders may be particularly vulnerable to eating disorder relapse during IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood. The experience of these women during this process has hardly been studied scientifically, despite its high clinical relevance. The overall aim of this study is to describe how women with a history of eating disorders experience the process of becoming a mother through IVF, pregnancy, and the postpartum period.MethodsWe recruited women with a history of severe anorexia nervosa who had undergone IVF (n = 7) at public family health centers in Norway. Semi-openly, the participants were interviewed extensively first during pregnancy, and then 6 months after birth. The 14 narratives were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analyses (IPA). All participants were required to complete the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and were diagnosed (DSM-5) by using the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), during both pregnancy and postpartum.ResultsAll participants experienced a relapse of an eating disorder during IVF. They perceived IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood to be overwhelming, confusing, a source of severe loss of control, and a source of body alienation. There were four core phenomena that were reported that were strikingly similar across all participants: “anxiousness and fear,” “shame and guilt,” “sexual maladjustment,” and “non-disclosure of eating problems.” These phenomena persisted continuously throughout IVF, pregnancy, and motherhood.ConclusionWomen with a history of severe eating disorders are highly susceptible to relapse when undergoing IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood. The process of IVF is experienced as extremely demanding and provoking. There is evidence that eating problems, purging, over-exercising, anxiousness and fear, shame and guilt, sexual maladjustment, and non-disclosure of eating problems continue throughout IVF, pregnancy, and the early years of motherhood. Therefore, it is necessary for healthcare workers providing services to women undergoing IVF to be attentive and intervene when they suspect a history of eating disorders.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1126941/fullanorexia nervosainfertilityanxietysexualityshamepregnancy |
| spellingShingle | Bente Sommerfeldt Bente Sommerfeldt Finn Skårderud Finn Skårderud Finn Skårderud Ingela Lundin Kvalem Kjersti S. Gulliksen Kjersti S. Gulliksen Arne Holte Arne Holte IVF-induced pregnancy and early motherhood among women with a history of severe eating disorders Frontiers in Psychology anorexia nervosa infertility anxiety sexuality shame pregnancy |
| title | IVF-induced pregnancy and early motherhood among women with a history of severe eating disorders |
| title_full | IVF-induced pregnancy and early motherhood among women with a history of severe eating disorders |
| title_fullStr | IVF-induced pregnancy and early motherhood among women with a history of severe eating disorders |
| title_full_unstemmed | IVF-induced pregnancy and early motherhood among women with a history of severe eating disorders |
| title_short | IVF-induced pregnancy and early motherhood among women with a history of severe eating disorders |
| title_sort | ivf induced pregnancy and early motherhood among women with a history of severe eating disorders |
| topic | anorexia nervosa infertility anxiety sexuality shame pregnancy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1126941/full |
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