Infant Feeding Experiences of Women Who Recovered From Anorexia Nervosa

To describe the infant feeding experiences of women who recovered from anorexia nervosa (AN).

Descriptive phenomenology.

Personal interviews.

Sixteen women with histories of AN.

I used Colaizzi's descriptive phenomenological method. In individual audio-recorded interviews, I asked participants to describe their experiences of being mothers who recovered from AN and how this affected feeding their infants.

The direct and indirect effects of histories of AN permeated the participants' infant feeding experiences. Participants did not anticipate the overarching challenges of infant feeding in relation to AN, and nurses and clinicians lack guidelines for screening and management. I coded and analyzed 16 transcripts that revealed five overarching themes: Unbound: My Past Does Not Have to Predict the Future, Navigating the Rollercoaster of Pregnancy and the Postpartum Body, Ripples of Trauma in Infant Feeding, The Maddening Maze: Remnants of Anorexia, and Perfectly Imperfect: Recovery and Mothering.

Results elucidate the complexity of the infant feeding experiences of women who recovered from AN and the importance of screening for a history of AN. Nurses and women's health care providers should discuss the implications of such a history on prenatal planning, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and the overall experience of infant feeding. This may help nurses and clinicians provide care for women with known histories of AN by improving the detection of possible symptoms and identifying referral sources for appropriate intervention.