Vegetarians and pregnancy?!
Vegetarians and pregnancy?
Im a vegetarian for 10 years and plan on becoming pregnant within the next 2 years or so.
Ive heard that there are certain supplements that vegetarian women need to take and certain precautions we need before and during the pregnancy?
Any experienced vegetarian moms out here?
No comments on my diet please, some nerd on Answers isnt going to make me eat meat again, so dont worry about trying.
Answers:
All expecting mothers need to take prenatal supplements, so it is not so much a veg thing if that is what you were talking about. If we all ate a perfectly balanced diet (vegetarians and omnivores alike) we wouldn't, but most people simply don't have it in them to eat in such a way.
:)
Here are some good sites about vegetarian (and vegan) pregnancies.
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/t...
http://www.vegfamily.com/babies-and-todd...
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/people/...
http://www.vrg.org/family/kidsindex.htm...
http://www.vegsoc.org/news/2000/21cv/chi...
You can also get vegan and vegetarian prenatal pills.
EDIT- Here is the nutrition site I was looking for.
http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/vn/...
:)
I've had 3 kids, two of which are twins. I didn't have to do anything special, except make sure my iron consumption was alright. That isn't only for veggies either, because I knew someone who is not a veggie, who was pregnant at the same time as I was, and she had a hard time with her iron. I really made sure I took my prenatals and iron when I nursed my twins though. Nursing takes more out of you than pregnancy. hth
Make sure you eat lots of leafy greens!
As long as you have educated yourself quite well in basic nutrition, and balancing proteins to get all nesseccary forms, your pregnancy should be fine. A normal vegetarian diet is already rich in almost all of the vital nutritants for a successful pregnancy. Aside from making sure you get enough protein, and taking a prenatal vitamin (which you should start taking BEFORE you try to get pregnant, throughout your gestation, and while nursing), you should be just fine.
attached is a helpful link on Vegetarians and pregnancy, it is not necessary to eat meat to have a healthy pregnancy.
http://www.babycenter.com/expert/pregnan...
There's not really much of a difference. You pretty much take the same prenatal vitamins and such. Talk to your doctor about what you should be doing. My aunt is vegetarian and she has five healthy vegetarian kids.
Make sure you get folic acid, without it there could be birth defects. I wish I had been vegetarian when I was pregnant.
I've been a vegetarian for 17 years and have 3 children.
Vegetarians don't neccessarily need to take a special supplement, vegans have a stricter diet than us.
Although they do make vitamin supplements specifically designed for vegetarians, although I have always just taken an excellent multi vitamin wheile not pregnant and just a prenatal vitamin during pregnancy.
Vitamin B is good
There is no need to take supliments on a vegetarian diet - pregnant or not.
A balance of fruit, veggies, nuts, cereal, and dairy give you all the goodness you need - for life.
Okay, I am guy so what do I know? Here is my experience for what it's worth...
My ex-wife, who never took any supplements, was told that see needed to do this and that because she was a vegetarian when she was pregnant. On our first doctor visit they drew blood telling her that she'd be iron deficient. No surprise to either of us, but she actually had better than average iron and was perfectly healthy.
Our daughter, Amber, was born very healthy and like her mother has been a vegetarian all her life. She is now 13 and has never had any serious health issues; to the contrary, she is 5’ 6” weighs around 90# and is becoming a young woman gradually (still to fast for me). As you already know dairy product and animals flesh raised for human consumption have all kinds of hormones in them, which I believe explains why many little girls "mature" too fast.
As far as I am concerned you are already doing the best thing you can for yourself and any future children. You and your babies will be just fine.
If I may be so bold as to encourage you to breastfeed...it is the best thing you can do for babies a far as diet is concerned in their first year or so. Besides, it creates a bond for you and your baby that, from what I have seen, is so very special.
Good luck!
I know you need to take folic acid..that's found it things like OJ. If you eat properly, you don't need supplements. I have 2 kids and never took pre-natal vitamins. Those are just prescribed because Dr's presume most people eat like crap LOL