How to Gain Weight After a Miscarriage

Grief leads to appetite loss.

You will experience grief after a miscarriage and it may affect your appetite, making food or even the thought of eating, seem repulsive. Depression is a symptom of grief and it’s normal for you to mourn the loss of your dreams for the child you once carried. While a loss of appetite is not uncommon in women who suffer a miscarriage, it’s imperative that women take steps to maintain their health and get back on the road to recovery.

Instructions

1. Concentrate on relieving your depression and gradually your appetite will return. Take a walk outdoors at least once a day, even if the weather is cold. Gentle physical activity stimulates the appetite center in your brain. In addition, your mind must concentrate on your surroundings, crossing roads or watching where you step and in doing so, you will be thinking about something other than your grief.

2. Forgive yourself. A study published in the 1995 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, drew the conclusion that many women blamed themselves for their miscarriage. According to the study, nothing could be further from the truth and in the majority of miscarriages, the baby would not have been born healthy. If your miscarriage was due to a physical condition, your doctor will work with you on correcting it before your next pregnancy.

3. Eat small bits of high-calorie foods. When you don’t have an appetite, it’s nearly impossible to sit down and eat an entire dinner but you can nibble on high-calorie foods, like cheese, while you’re on the go. Consider purchasing enriched nutrition shakes or powder to supplement your caloric intake until your appetite returns.

4. Return to the lifestyle you lived before you were pregnant. Get out and enjoy the activities you used to enjoy and spend time with friends. As you begin to associate with others once again, your mood will lift and your appetite will return.

5. See your doctor if you still can’t gain weight after three weeks. If your weight loss is severe or your physician feels it is threatening your health, he may prescribe an anti-depression medication to temporarily boost your mood. In addition, you doctor may prescribe a sleeping aid to allow you to relax at night.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to move forward. As tough as that sounds, it’s the best thing you can do for your health. You don’t ever have to forget the child to whom you almost gave birth but you can keep that special memory in your heart while you concentrate on making your body stronger and increasing your appetite.