Vegetarianism & Pregnancy

[JennFM]

I have been a vegetarian for almost 3 years and now that my husband and I are considering having children soon, I am wondering if I should re-introduce fish and possibly meat into my diet.  While I have no health-related health issues to complain of, accept for some unexplained pimple-like blotches and such on my face, which some doctors said could be a vitamin B & C deficiency, I am afraid once I become pregnant there might be vitamins that I am not ingesting that the baby will need.  Any suggestions from Mommies or Mommies-to-be facing a similar situation?  Thank you so much for all your help.

[Sayward]

There is absolutely no pregnancy nutrition risks with a well-planned, whole foods vegetarian diet (which shouldn't be any more work than the equivalent well-planned, whole foods carnist diet).

Billions of Indians can't be wrong.  

[JennFM]

Thank you for the support. 

[catnip]

B and C are not nutrients you should be having trouble getting on a vegetarian diet. The one "nutrient of concern" to keep an eye on is iron, but it's totally possible to get plenty of iron from plant foods. It's natural to worry, but I promise, you'll be fine. My daughter is almost 6 now, I've been a vegetarian for 16 years.

A prenatal vitamin is a good insurance policy, especially if you have food aversions or morning sickness.

[mirlee]

I have been a vegetarian nearly all of my life.  I don't see a reason why you need to add meat and fish into your diet unless it is something you want to do.  I supplemented my diet with a vegetarian-friendly vitamin.  Everything worked fine for me.

[no5no5]

I agree with everyone.  You just need a good vegetarian prenatal vitamin, and you'll be fine.  I have been vegetarian for, oh, thirteen years now, and my healthy, happy 5-year-old DD doesn't seem to have minded one bit. 

Of course if you're not happy with your current diet, that's another issue altogether. 

[maisiedotes]

I was veg through all my pregnancies. I recommend "Your Vegetarian Pregnancy- it was my bible through my pregnancies.  Good luck!

[JennFM]

A big and grateful thank you to you all.  I really appreciate all the support, advice, and suggestions.  Very glad to have found this web site.  My best, Jenny

[lucy_v]

I really like the "Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook" by Cathe Olsen. She gives menu suggestions for each trimester, plus nursing, and the recipes include nutrient info.

[activealli]

Ive been a vegan for 3 years and just found out last weekend (Christmas Surprise!) that we are expecting our fist child. We had been trying for 4 months . We knew we were going to start trying for a baby and wanted to make 100% sure that my whole food vegan diet is on track.I started seeing Dr. Schwartzman at the Whole Family Wellness Center in SW Portland (http://www.wfwcenter.com/) for the last month or so. He suggested I do a blood test with my kaiser PCP to check to make sure I was on track nutritionally, and found myself only to be a little low on lipids (need to eat more fats) and vit D (common, especially for the NW). TO preface, I am a die hard whole food vegan. I make everything from scratch, using lots of high nutrient dense vegetables and gluten free grains (I also follow the anti-inflammatory diet- no wheat, no dairy, low sugar, no caffeine, no nightshade veggies).

FYI- Typical diet for me is a green smoothie with organic frozen fruit, kale or spinach, scoop of tru food vegan or vega whole food protein powder, coconut beverage keifeir, 2-3 vit D drops, add vegan probiotics, and water. Lunch is thick veggie soup/stew, or salad with sunshine burger patty and extra veggies, dinner is meatless quinioa bean veggie loaf and mashed cauliflower and steamed veggies. Snacks of baby carrots and hummus, or rice crackers and olive tampenade. I make sure to eat lots of avocado, olives, coconut, beans, rice, shelled hemp seeds and also take a B complex and vegan omega supplement. To give you an idea of what Im eating . Im convinced that a whole food vegan diet is the heathliest way to go through a pregnancy. If you focus on organic whole food produce, you willb e greatly reducing the amount of chemicals you and your baby will be exposed to.  Yes it takes more work to make sure that you are eating the most nutritious out of every meal, but I think that is important, whether you are a meat eater or not.

I think if you are having any doubts about your nutrtion, get a blood test from your Dr and maybe check out a naturopath or nutritionist. Again, I think its important, whether you are a veggie or meat eater.

On a side note- many varieties of fish are loaded with toxin metals and polutants as they filter the ocean. I wouldnt suggest adding fish into your diet. If you are concerned about protein, add in a vegan protein shake (i would highly suggest not soy based or whey based, my favorite is tru food vegan or vega at New Seasons or Whole foods). If you are concerned about getting omegas found in fish, try V-Pure from http://www.v-pure.com/omega3/. (Sorry, not trying to sell you on products, Ive just a lot of research). If you are concerned about Bs and D, add in a vitamin D and B vitamins into your diet.

Good Luck!

[citymagnolia]

Is there a name for the blood test you got? I brought this up to a doctor a while back when I was having some issues and she sort of shrugged it off. I'll talk to my midwife about it next month, but if there's a name for it, that would make it easier to talk to a doctor about it. Thanks! (sorry to hijack!)

Originally Posted by activealli 

Ive been a vegan for 3 years and just found out last weekend (Christmas Surprise!) that we are expecting our fist child. We had been trying for 4 months . We knew we were going to start trying for a baby and wanted to make 100% sure that my whole food vegan diet is on track.I started seeing Dr. Schwartzman at the Whole Family Wellness Center in SW Portland (http://www.wfwcenter.com/) for the last month or so. He suggested I do a blood test with my kaiser PCP to check to make sure I was on track nutritionally, and found myself only to be a little low on lipids (need to eat more fats) and vit D (common, especially for the NW).

[starrlamia]

just make sure you are getting adequate amout of protein in your diet, as studies have linked inadequate protein consumption to higher chances of pre-eclampsia.

[BeanyMama]

Welcome to MDC! I agree with all the above . I'm on my second healthy meat-free pregnancy, I recommend it!

[sky_and_lavender]

I had a healthy vegan pregnancy and gave birth to a very healthy, good-sized, alert and happy baby. As long as you are eating a balanced diet, vitamins B and C are the last things you should worry about (with the exception of B12, which you should supplement). Nutrients that could be a concern include iron, calcium, zinc,... (these are also important for nonvegetarians), and omega 3 quantity and balance. (Most diets have too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3, even non-vegetarians, but this imbalance tends to be more extreme in uneducated vegans and vegetarians.)

Aside from the usual veggies and fruits, I emphasized good protein foods like quinoa and beans as well as smoothies with nut butters and some protein powders. I didn't eat any processed carbs or anything with added sugar. (I have looked into the literature about whether VERY high protein diets stave off pre-e and found that, for non-athletes, just getting sufficient protein, around 65-70g daily, is probably the best way too go. Too much protein can stress the body.) Even if I were just vegetarian (and not vegan), I would be sure to have a fortified B12 food intake, or take a chewable supplement regularly, since mild B12 deficiency isn't always obvious even with blood tests.

Websites I used or wish I had known about:

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/dailyrecs
 

http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-pregnancy/index.htm

Books:
I still use Melina and Davis' book Becoming Vegan, as a reference, and it was very helpful during pregnancy. You might want to check out their vegetarian guide, Becoming Vegetarian, which includes a section about pregnancy and lactation.

I like Cathe Olsen's Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook as well for healthy comfort food. Has a lot of good healthy snack recipes which come in handy for the pregnancy munchies.

[activealli]

Yes, I do make sure I get adequate amounts of protein, which is important whether you are vegan, vegetarian or a meat eater. I eat a protein shake in the morning (30-40 grams of protein), then at least 2-3 serving of beans through the day, snack on nuts and hummus, plus the protein available in whole grains (quinoa, amaranth, chia cereal https://www.ruthshempfoods.com/chia.html, shelled hemp seed on salad, etc). I average about 60+ grams of protein a day and will continue to up it as the pregnancy continues. The recommended intake for a pregnant woman is 50 first trimester and 70  2-3rd trimester, but i could be wrong, it seems to fluctuate depending on where you look. I monitor my diet carefully and fully believe that my diet is extremely nutritious and more than adequate to sustain a very healthy pregnancy. Sorry if I sound defensive. Ive already had two comments from friends about how I need to eat meat while I'm pregnant and I haven't even met my doctor yet.... I'm bracing for impact, but fully prepared with the blood test results and the fact that I receive  weekly or bi-weekly nutritional counseling from my naturopath and acupuncturist who specialize in women's health and pregnancy!

Pre-eclampsia is not just linked to lack of protein, but rather has been linked to poor nutrition, obesity/high body fat percentage and high fat intake, and having a pre-existing illness (http://www.medicinenet.com/pregnancy_preeclampsia_and_eclampsia/article.htm#causes)

CityMagnolia- Here is the list of all the blood test I had pre-pregnancy :

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel

Vitamin D, 25 hydroxy

thyroid stimulating hormone

Free T3 (thyroid)

Free T4 (thyroid)

Vitamin B12

Complete Blood Count with Differential Auto (general blood test)

Hemoglobin A1C

Ferratin (iron)

Iron and Iron Binding Capacity

Lipid Panel

The only thing that I was Low on was vitamin D, which is typical for 95% of the population. I was a little low on lipids, which just means I need to add more fats into my diet. Overall, I came up darn near perfect. Iron was perfect, mid to upper range (more is better without going over), so was B12. I  drink kombucha which is a good source of B12 but a pregnant woman should not start drinking it after she becomes pregnant due to detox effect and ive been drinknig it for over a year and also take a daily B complex which contains all the B vitamins, including B12 and also 800mg of folic acid.

[sky_and_lavender]

Oops, I'm not sure if you thought I was pushing "high protein" in my last post, or if I was making you feel attacked or anything. I completely agree with what you wrote in your post!

Originally Posted by activealli 

Pre-eclampsia is not just linked to lack of protein, but rather has been linked to poor nutrition, obesity/high body fat percentage and high fat intake, and having a pre-existing illness (http://www.medicinenet.com/pregnancy_preeclampsia_and_eclampsia/article.htm#causes)

[activealli]

No need to apologize. Like I said, I have a hairline trigger, or whatever the expression is! Had yet another friend  tell me that I was going to deprive my baby of iron yesterday. even when I told them I have blood test proving I have more than adequate iron levels. And she is a vegan too! Vegetarian sources of iron are easier to assimilate if you have been vegan or vegetarian for a while, if you are careful to get enough. I just have to laugh it off and move on and know that I am doing everything possible to have a healthy vegan pregnancy. I guess vegan or not, someone is always going to give you unsolicited advice.

[kismetbaby]

Another vote of support mama!  I had a super healthy pregnancy, a problem-free homebirth, and a healthy 9lb baby on a veg diet (and I had been veg for about 8 years before getting pg). I too had moments of wondering if I would "need" to add some animal protein back to my diet, but I found that I never craved it and never needed it and I'm really glad I stuck to my beliefs and choices.  Now I am raising a veg baby, which is a whole new adventure!

I would certainly pay attention to your diet (I mean anyone can be an unhealthy vegetarian), and I would recommend a good whole food prenatal (New Chapter and Vitamin Code are ones I like).   

Good luck to you!

[Spring Lily]

Vitamins B & C are so common, it seems weird if you were deficient in those and nothing else. Did you doctor do a bloodtest to see if you have any actual vitamin deficiencies? That would be the place to start, if you suspect it. Some vegetarians do have low iron, but calcium is actually a bigger issue. A lot of foods with calcium also have iron, and iron blocks the absorption of calcium. I'd start on a good prenatal with plenty of iron right away, and if you're concerned about calcium, you can take a supplement for that at a different time of the day.

A lot of pregnant women take fish oil capsules, because among other things, it provides DHA, which is an important fat for brain development. You can easily find vegetarian DHA capsules, made from seaweed. Check at your local health food store or online.

I have had 2 vegetarian pregnancies, one of which was twins! I never once wanted, needed, or was told by doctors to eat any meat. It's definitely not a big deal, as long as you're already eating a sufficient diet.

[P.J.]

I have been vegetarian most of my life and had a normal, healthy pregnancy. I took folic acid in the first trimester, but other than that no vitamins, and we were fine. I had a book, I think it was called Your Vegetarian Pregnancy, with a lot of info on how to get all the right nutrients and what you need. However, I found I just ate well and didn't actually need the book. It might help you, though, if you are feeling uncertain.
BTW my baby has always been big and healthy and very active, and has reached all milestones early, so clearly meat is not necessary for all of that. GL!