1st Edition

The Clinical Guide to Fertility, Motherhood, and Eating Disorders From Shame to Self-Acceptance

By Kate B. Daigle Copyright 2020
    164 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    164 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    This book is a comprehensive guide to addressing, working with, and healing from emotional struggles related to fertility and eating disorders.   

    Covering the emotional, psychological and physical impact of anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating disorder, this book explores the lived experience of numerous women and men who have lived with eating disorders, fertility, and parenthood. It delves into research on medical complications that can affect fertility, attachment, the experience of shame, adjustment to the postpartum period, and offers clinical tools for therapists to use to support clients from a weight and body neutral perspective. Those who read this book will come away with a renewed sense of hope for recovery and healing from serious mental illnesses, and the notion that the value of having a family may be stronger than the eating disorder itself. 

    The only book of its kind, The Clinical Guide to Fertility, Motherhood and Eating Disorders will be useful to practitioners, therapists, and scholars alike.

    Introduction 

    1. Overview of the Research 

    2. Conception 

    3. Pregnancy 

    4. Postpartum Attachment and Motherhood 

    5. Shame and Perfectionism 

    6. What the Medical Community Needs to Know to Support Clients 

    7. Conclusion  

    Biography

    Kate B. Daigle, MA, LPC is a licensed professional counselor in Denver, Colorado, and has been a specialist in eating disorders, body image and fertility since 2010.

     

    "The Clinical Guide to Fertility, Motherhood, and Eating Disorders combines the all-too-sparse literature on themes of fertility and eating disorders with individual narratives about people's deeply personal experiences. This is a valuable resource for patients and clinicians alike!"

    Jennifer L. Gaudiani, MD, CEDS, FAED, founder & medical director of the Gaudiani Clinic; author, Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications or Eating Disorders

    "With a gentle and reassuring voice, this book explores the complex relationships between eating disorders and fertility, miscarriage, pregnancy, and motherhood. By helping to dissolve feelings of isolation and shame, as well as providing support and practical information, it is truly a gift for those who struggle with them and a contribution to the field."

    Anita Johnston, PhD, co-founder, Light of the Moon Café; author, Eating in the Light of the Moon

    "Mothers are experiencing and reporting greater pressure for ‘perfection’ in their new role. It makes sense that this will require that we have greater understanding how these pressures impact women who have struggled with eating disorders, either currently or in the past. The need for resources related to the intersection of perinatal mental health and eating disorders is growing, and Kate Daigle’s book fills important gap in the field. Kate’s relatable and approachable writing style will make the reader feel like she is having a conversation with a wise friend or colleague who is speaking from experience. The use of case studies brings to light the very real challenges women and their partners face, and the exercises suggested throughout the book are excellent tools and provide guidance for those moments when you might not be sure what to say or do next. Kate brings not only her vast knowledge, but her whole self to this work."

    Jennifer Harned Adams, PhD, clinical health psychologist and director, Colorado Chapter of Postpartum Support International