Anyone eat strictly organic food when pregnant?

[Epicurvegan]

Hello everyone:

I have been struggling for several months with how to eat exclusively organic foods during pregnancy. I've read over and over who harmful chemicals used on non-organic food are to a developing fetus - they can cause birth defects, reproductive problems later in life, lower IQ, learning disabilities, etc., etc.

I really want to eat only organic foods while I am pregnant, but it would be so expensive, especially in the neighbourhood I live in. My closest option for organic food is Whole Foods (WF), and they're so expensive they charge $2.50 for a large yellow onion! It's the only reliable place for miles around to get a decent selection of leafy greens, like kale, Swiss chard, collards, and even a single bunch of any of those greens will easily cost me $2.99.

Have any of you ladies eaten strictly organic food during pregnancy? Why?

And how do I deal with the guilt of eating non-organic foods that could be harming my baby? I am really stressed about this!

[Cavy]

If you're feeling guilty then welcome to Motherhood. You only have another 60 years or so of it.

Seriously, nobody gets to be the perfect parent. Pls. try not to set the bar too high for yourself. You will have many disappointments along this journey.

Personally I had such bad morning sickness that I was glad to keep anything down at all, never mind the quality. Hefty doses of chocolate & Coca Cola, DEET (tetragenic), mefenamic acid (causes kidney defects in the embryo/fetus), ionising radiation (I worked with radiactive equipment for first trimester), dental Xray, several glasses of wine a week around the time of implantation and later in second and third trimester... my eldest child got exposed to all that in utero.

I am not saying that you follow my example -- but guess what? The child has turned out fine (10 years later), ok ok, a bit sulky, but I blame that on the double Scorpio in his Zodiac chart .

ps: oh, and my 8yo daughter? People (teachers, Brownie leaders, etc.) rave what a gem she is.... so delightful and bright. There was a 6 week spell in pregnancy when I ate a can of tuna a day with her (you know, the stuff laced with mercury), it was one of the few foods I could reliably keep down.

[somegirl99]

I agree, don't beat yourself up if you can't eat all organic (I certainly can't).

First of all, by eating vegan, you will be doing wonderful things for your baby. Your intake of pesticides is far lower than any omnivore, as they get concentrated in animal tissue. I believe one study showed that the amount of pesticides and other toxic compounds in breast milk from vegan mothers was about 1-2% of that in the general population. Also, the risk of pre-eclampsia is greatly reduced in vegan women compared to the general population.

Next, keep in mind that having something labeled "organic" can cost a farm a lot of money. I find that there are many smaller farms around here that have pesticide-free produce that don't want to pay to have them certified as organic, so see if you have some options like that.

Finally, I would concentrate your efforts on those foods known to be worse in terms of pesticides than others (aka "the dirty dozen"). There are other foods where it doesn't really make any difference to buy organic. There's a quick list with some additional tips here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13737389/page/2/

[LeighB]

I agree with pp. I make sure we eat organic for things on the "Dirty Dozen", and then things that we eat a ton of. Dd and I eat a ton of bananas every day, so I make sure those are organic. Same thing with carrots.
Good luck!

[kimkim]

Do you have a farmer's market near you? There are plenty of locally grown products that may not be labeled organic but are practically grown that way. A lot of farmers can't afford the certification. I would think Vancouver would have CSAs or food boxes if you want to try to get more local fresh stuff. I tend to eat organic if there is a choice but I'm not militant about it. I think by not eating a lot of processed food you are already doing your body a favor. There will always be a grey area but just do what's best for you every day and don't stress about it.

[Jelinifer]

We did 100% organic (right down to the packaged snack items that DH loves in his lunch) while TTC since we were having fertility issues.... all bought from either our local farmer's market of Whole Foods. We honestly couldn't afford it even when we whittled the grocery list down to produce and staples... now that I'm pg we just do fruits and veggies organic as much as possible- not sure if you have a Trader Joes near you, but they have some decent prices on organic produce!

Like everyone else said.... don't beat yourself up for trying either! You're already doing wonders for your LO by eating veg*n.

[ShadowMoon]

I ate mostly organic foods while pregnant. I try to eat mostly organic all of the time anyway. I wouldn't stress too much about purity. (Stressing out about quality isn't going to help ease your pregnancy). You are doing so much already to help your growing baby, please don't worry about having to eat a few conventional items because of finances. What I would do is focus on the "dirty dozen" and the items you eat the most and make sure those are organic. Good luck with your pregnancy!