Is anybody else vegan? Or veg?

[Bald_Bull's_Mama]

This is my first vegan pregnancy. I was lacto ovo for 11 years including my pregnancy with DS. I quit dairy after DS was born when he showed a sensitivity to it. I felt so good that I never went back to it, even though he can have it now. I've actually totally quit eggs only recently. I've never been a fan of eating them and I've long baked vegan, but I just started watching for them on the ingredients panel.

DS is veg, but DH eats meat. I just don't cook it for him.

Anybody else?

[sagewinna]

Vegan here, this is my second vegan pregnancy actually!

[Kelilah]

I do eat meat, but only about once or twice a week. I was a strict vegetarian (not vegan) for 12 years and I loves me some veggie foods! I no longer do unfermented soy though.

[homestyle]

Vegetarian here! for about 14 years, for me. I was vegan for some years until moving to Germany last year and making some compromises on eggs and milk, especially out or at other peoples' houses. My husband will eat some meat out, but we have always had a no-meat home.

[mountainsun]

This is my 3rd veg pregnancy - have been vegetarian (ovo-lacto) for 13 years. Actually, my 2 sons and dh are all veggie, too

I have really been digging on making smoothies lately - does anyone use any greens powder here? I want to get some to beef up our fruit smoothies. I live in the sub-tropics, so it is still HOT here and smoothies are tasting really good right now, lol

[english-mummy]

I am vegetarian too (lacto-ovo - although only very limited dairy as milk and cheese upset my tummy!). This is my second vegetarian pregnancy. The first was fine, except I got pretty severely anaemic. Floradix did the trick though. I was worried I would crave meat or fish, but actually the opposite happened - I hated the thought of it even more!
This time around I have been wanting fish which is really tough. It is not going to happen though - I have been vegetarian for over 20 years!
DH and DD are also vegetarian so there is a lot of support.
Here's to a happy nine months to you all

[BarefootinBrooklyn]

This will be my second vegetarian pregnancy.
I've been lacto-ovo for 15 years and flirt with the vegan diet from time to time.

[Bald_Bull's_Mama]

I did the Brewer diet last time and felt great! Their vegan plan seems too, I don't know, too something. This time, I'm keeping a food log and just trying to balance green veggies, orange veggies, protein. Well, I was before I started feeling so nauseous. Now, I'm just trying to find the elusive "what sounds good".

I take Deva Vegan Prenatals and veggie DHA as well as acidophilus. What do you guys take for supplements?

[homestyle]

I'm taking the Trader Joe's once-daily Prenatal (my mother-in-law sent me enough for the whole pregnancy! ). It is vegan ... and huge. But it is getting easier to take the thing, and I'm happy to be avoiding the gelatin.

I haven't really looked very much into the various diets this time. Nausea and vomiting are kicking my butt, which has inspired me to start a food journal, too.

[mama_daba]

i was vegan for 8 years then in my last pregnancy i gave in to cravings and ate meat. now i take a fish oil supplement (and vegan algae oil). so not vegan but close to vegan. not sure if i will give in to cravings this time or not in general i eat way healthier now than i used to so maybe will have fewer cravings. i definitely do not and will not eat dairy if i do give in and eat meat it will probably be oysters i can get ones with no heavy metals that at least live lives as free as they would if they where wild so less guilt about it.

[OrangeMoon]

We are like 98% there. No dairy and no meat other than free caught fish from whole foods once in a blue moon (every 3 months or so I'd guess).

[amaayeh]

This is my second vegetarian pregnancy. I don't eat a lot of dairy, but a little. I'm craving meat big time, though. This is the very first time I have since I turned vegetarian 5 years ago.

[Buddhamom]

We are a vegan family here. We are for ethical reasons and better health is just an added benefit

[english-mummy]

I am taking trader joes prenatal vitamins (took them last time too) but on our first trip to the midwife yesterday she gave me a long list of other things to take instead once I told her about being vegetarian;
DHA
Vitamin B complex
Probiotics
Iron supplements
Not sure how I feel about dropping the prenatals, or about taking so many other things. It looks really $$$, plus I would prefer to adjust my diet if necessary to try and get everything I need that way.
I woudl also liove to know what other vitamins you vege/vegan moms are taking?

[sagewinna]

Wow, Buddhamom, we really have a lot in common!

[Bald_Bull's_Mama]

Originally Posted by english-mummy

I am taking trader joes prenatal vitamins (took them last time too) but on our first trip to the midwife yesterday she gave me a long list of other things to take instead once I told her about being vegetarian;
DHA
Vitamin B complex
Probiotics
Iron supplements
Not sure how I feel about dropping the prenatals, or about taking so many other things. It looks really $$$, plus I would prefer to adjust my diet if necessary to try and get everything I need that way.
I woudl also liove to know what other vitamins you vege/vegan moms are taking?

Hmmm, I wonder why she would want you to stop taking the prenatal? Did you ask? I mean, you still want folic acid and all that, right? Do you have low iron? My prenatal has iron in it, but I don't take stand alone iron. It can be constipating. I just had my iron levels and DS's tested at WIC and they wer both great. I'm a big fan of the leafy green vegetable, though. Or I was before constant nausea.

I think it's so weird when I hear about people getting cravings for meat. Just reading about it, in the food thread, was making me feel ill. I can't imagine a circumstance where it would sound good.

[mama_daba]

according to this we should not be taking folic acid

http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives...olic-acid.html

i need to get some prenatals i do take a daily multi vitamin and calcium magnesium and vitamin d

[calynde]

Hi everyone,

I'm vegetarian, too...very low dairy, but i live in cheeseland, so it's really difficult to avoid it entirely.

I also eat a lot of raw/living foods and have been into that for years. I ate high raw through my last pregnancy and that baby has been totally drawn to eating that way! So interesting...he craves all the same foods i ate while pregnant with him.

I'm not supplementing at the moment, i might take a prenatal once the nausea wears off. We don't have good ones here, though...no whole food based supplements.

[mountainsun]

I would also love to know what other vitamins you vege/vegan moms are taking?

Hey mama, at the moment, I am taking a rainbow light women's multi (I bought a huge bottle about a month before I got pg, so I am going to use those up before switching to a prenatal).

I also take a probiotic and Calcium/Magnesium at night. Helps to sleep I do not eat a ton of dairy, so I think the calcium is pretty beneficial.

I had lower iron counts for my last pg, but never supplemented for it, just tried to boost my high-iron foods. I am thinking about adding in some Floradix to my diet though at some point........


hth!

[amaayeh]

Originally Posted by Bald_Bull's_Mama

I think it's so weird when I hear about people getting cravings for meat. Just reading about it, in the food thread, was making me feel ill. I can't imagine a circumstance where it would sound good.

Well, considering I wasn't vegetarian for the first 28 years of my life, it was 'normal' back then. It makes me ill to think about *actually* eating it now, but I think a lot of it is that I'm hungry for something very filling. Trust me, I'm now a strict vegetarian, but having a craving doesn't make me a bad person as you imply.