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As with any addiction, whether it is smoking, drinking, drugs, bulemia, or self-injury, pregnancy is a very important
time to quit.
Due to the taboo that surrounds self-injury and a general lack of understanding, self-harm should be stopped for more
reasons that the physical health of mother and baby.
However hard it is to accept, self-harm is still seem by many as having a suicidal intention behind it. Just as a pregnant
mother who attempted suicide may be seen as unfit to care for a child, some healthcare professionals may see self-harm in
the same way.
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Physical reasons:
- Simply put, baby needs blood. Blood volume increases 45-50% by the time the baby is full term. The
baby and placenta need this extra blood. An occasional cut might not seem a lot, but over time it adds up. Your heart is already
under strain with the extra blood supply needed in the body, with less blood it has to work harder which leads to a faster
heart rate and less efficient pumping. Not good.
- Self-harmers are more succeptable to anemia, and anemia during pregnancy is bad. Pregnancy can leave
you feeling washed out and weak, anemia increases this. Not a good feeling. Many women become naturally anemic during pregnancy.
If you are cutting on top of that, severe anemia can cause heart palpatations, and heart failure.
- The mothers ability to heal during pregnancy is also weaker than pre-pregnancy. This causes longer
healing times and a greater chance of infection as the wound takes longer to heal.
"Wound healing during both pregnancy
and the postpartum phase results in stiffer, but not stronger, wounds."
- Dehydration. It is hard enough keeping up with proper hydration needed during pregnancy, but when
you lose blood, the fluids need to be replaced.
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Some good news. During the first few months of pregnancy, morning sickness and fatique
can be bad enough that all thoughts of self-harm diminish. This was especially the case with me. Just the thought of the energy
I needed to cut was enough to send me right to bed.
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Post Partum
During the first few weeks of pregnancy and coming to terms with having to quit cutting, I consoled
myself thinking that as soon as I had the baby I could start again.
However, in the weeks that followed, whether it was maternal concern kicking in or genuine realisation,
I realised that for the sake of the baby I could not harm again.
A new baby is no doubt going to be stressful, and stress is indeed a strong trigger for self-harm.
Also a new baby takes up all your time and in the chance the baby is sleeping, you take your chance and sleep to. Distractions
are kindly a great helper when it comes to addictions.
Although we do have to think about the flip side. And think of a situation.
You have a breakdown, the stress gets to you and the worst happens; you cut. You need medical attention
and your boyfriend/husband is at work. Going to the hospital with a baby in tow and a self-inflicted injury is not going to
look good to the most kind-hearted of medical professional, and you know that. Try to think about it from their point-of-view.
They may think you are a danger to yourself and the baby is at risk. The doctor has a certain reponsibility, a liability in
a litigious society he knows all to well about. Harsh as it may be he would rather keep you safe than risk being sued.
You are hospitalised, social services is contacted and your child taken away.
Worst case scenario, but still a potential outcome none the less.
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Links
There are many places on the internet that give advice on how to quit self-harm, Googling brings up a great amount
of options.
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I am not a condemning, greater-than-thou recovered self-harmer, I am not recovered. I am trying to look at the facts,
and find reasons to quit and stay quit.
We exist, where are you hiding?
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