Guest guest Posted November 29, 2001 Report Share Posted November 29, 2001 Hello, I am new to the group and I have a couple of questions. I have been lacto-ovo vegetarian for over 7 years (about 1 year of that I was vegan) and I have a one year old son who is also lacto-ovo vegetarian. I really wanted to be vegan but was afraid to go through a whole pregnancy as a vegan as I was not able to find enough information about being vegan while pregnant etc. and so I was afraid. Does anyone have any resources on that or views on being vegan while pregnant/nursing and raising vegan children? I HATE what is being done to animals and I thought that I would just wait until I was done having children to go back to being vegan but I just can't wait--I read about what is happening to the animals and it makes me want to stop eating dairy/eggs NOW! Can anyone tell me how they dealt with it during pregnancy etc.?? Thanks for your help!! Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 2001 Report Share Posted November 30, 2001 Hi Holly, I was vegan during my pregnancy and gave birth to an 8 lb healthy baby girl. My doctor never had a vegan patient but she was open minded and willing to listen and learn. Mainly, I ate TONS of dark leafy greens for calcium and made sure I drank a protein shake every day. I made sure to take my folic acid and B12 supplements. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 2001 Report Share Posted November 30, 2001 Holly, investing in a good book about being vegan is well worth the piece of mind. That way you can make sure you are eating all the nutrients you need. I am breastfeeding my baby and am vegan. You can be healthy and be a vegan breastfeeding mom. Jacqueline - Holly Simard Thursday, November 29, 2001 5:59 PM Vegan prenancy/nursing Hello, I am new to the group and I have a couple of questions. I have been lacto-ovo vegetarian for over 7 years (about 1 year of that I was vegan) and I have a one year old son who is also lacto-ovo vegetarian. I really wanted to be vegan but was afraid to go through a whole pregnancy as a vegan as I was not able to find enough information about being vegan while pregnant etc. and so I was afraid. Does anyone have any resources on that or views on being vegan while pregnant/nursing and raising vegan children? I HATE what is being done to animals and I thought that I would just wait until I was done having children to go back to being vegan but I just can't wait--I read about what is happening to the animals and it makes me want to stop eating dairy/eggs NOW! Can anyone tell me how they dealt with it during pregnancy etc.?? Thanks for your help!! Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 2001 Report Share Posted November 30, 2001 > Does anyone have any resources on that or views on being > vegan while pregnant/nursing and raising vegan children? > Can anyone tell me how they dealt > with it during pregnancy etc.?? Holly, I would direct you to Michael's Klapper's book. I'm not sure of the title exactly. But, it's something like vegan pregnancy and children. You could search by author. Also, you might want to contact PCRM. Physician's committee for responsible medicine. A group of vegetarian, mostly vegan doctors that publish books, articles and a newletter about vegan diets. I'm sure they have info. about pregnancy and children as well. I've been vegan for 16 yrs. And was that way all through my pregnancy. My 6 yr. old son is vegan as well. I made sure I ate lots of beans, rotated all my foods and did take many supplements during pregnancy and nursing. I'm a wholistic health practitioner. You can email me directly if you have any questions. Good luck, Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 2001 Report Share Posted November 30, 2001 Hi Holly! I'm pregnant and have tried to remain vegan also. I've snuck some no no's in but have mostly been vegan. It certainly can be done. See the following: Dr Klaper (go to www.vegsource.com) is the author of a book on this very subject...kids and the vegan diet and pregnancy and the vegan diet. (I forgot the title) Also the book " Simply Vegan " by Debra Wasserman and Reed Mangel R.D. is a great book on veganism and pregnancy (see www.vrg.org) Eat whole grains, beans, plenty of vegetables (especially leafy greens), fruit, nuts/seeds, soy milk etc. And there is plenty of protein in that diet. I added my own diet up the other day and found it to be 80 grams of protein per day....PLENTY! Just get a good source of B-12. Eating dairy in pregnancy causes problems. It can create a dairy allergy in your child, but more important it blocks the absorption of iron which is greatly needed during pregnancy. Good Luck, Shelly > > Holly Simard [marigold8g] > Thursday, November 29, 2001 2:59 PM > > Vegan prenancy/nursing > > > Hello, > > I am new to the group and I have a couple of questions. I have been > lacto-ovo vegetarian for over 7 years (about 1 year of that I was > vegan) and I have a one year old son who is also lacto-ovo > vegetarian. I really wanted to be vegan but was afraid to go through > a whole pregnancy as a vegan as I was not able to find enough > information about being vegan while pregnant etc. and so I was > afraid. Does anyone have any resources on that or views on being > vegan while pregnant/nursing and raising vegan children? I HATE what > is being done to animals and I thought that I would just wait until I > was done having children to go back to being vegan but I just can't > wait--I read about what is happening to the animals and it makes me > want to stop eating dairy/eggs NOW! Can anyone tell me how they dealt > with it during pregnancy etc.?? > > Thanks for your help!! > > Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 1, 2001 Report Share Posted December 1, 2001 Holly, I can really sympathize with your situation. I was in a similar stage during my pregnacy with my first child and became vegan ( mostly) during my second. Unfortunately at that time I did not of much of a support system and gave in to my doctors ( who were not completely supportive of vegetarianism) and I ate vegan meals as balanced as possible by eating a large variety of foods ( when my stomach allowed..as I experienced nausea through most of my second pregnacy) but did suppliment with protein shakes. ( like ensure and the many other brands.) I did this during pregnancy and after until my son stopped nursing. I also continued my prenatal vitamins until the nursing ceased. I am no Doctor and don't pretend to be one but that seemed to work ok for me and my children. Good news is that if you do consider the protein supplimental shake thing...there are now vegan versions of the old brands. I have tried them and I find them to be tasty. You may also want to consider reading a couple of books by Sharon Yntema to help guide you. I have her book entitled Vegetarian Children, however she has two others that I have heard great reviews of and the are entiled: Vegetarian Baby, and Vegetarian Pregnancy. These books provide some in depth ( yet readable)information based on research about nutrition, a bit about RDA's, a few recipes and some real life examples of people and their families.It also approaches many other aspects of vegetarianism beyond just the food we eat. I find my copy to be encouraging as well as useful. Debbie Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Shopping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 1, 2001 Report Share Posted December 1, 2001 I have a 2.5 month old son and I have been vegan for 10 years. I didn't do anything " special " while I was pregnant except to try and make sure I ate healthy. To me that was just grains, beans, veggies, seitan/gluten products, and the usual vegan junk like french fries. I did try and watch my protein and calcium. He was 9.3 at birth and is now up to 16lbs. I never told my doctor or his that I was vegan, because I don't think it's a health concern. I think that it's much healthier than all the horrible things that go into meat and animal products. I've heard horror stories about doctors telling vegetarian woman that they have to eat meat or dairy during pregnancy- which is NOT true. As long as you are eating a variety of good whole foods I don't think there is any concern about being vegan. Tera Visit: http://didi-mao.tripod.com, http://www.peta.com, http://www.fight4choice.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 1, 2001 Report Share Posted December 1, 2001 hi holly, i'm not sure specifically what advice to give you but i can tell you that i was vegan during pregnancy. my little girl was 8 lbs. 2 oz---a fact that surprised people considering i'm a pretty thin. she was very healthy. i too was healthy. i ate basically my regular diet except that for the first couple of months i didn't eat much of anything! i read that that was okay, though. i guess it was what my body needed! anyway, feel free to write to me privately and maybe i could answer any more specific questions you might have. best wishes, heather At 09:59 PM 11/29/2001 +0000, you wrote: >Hello, > >I am new to the group and I have a couple of questions. I have been >lacto-ovo vegetarian for over 7 years (about 1 year of that I was >vegan) and I have a one year old son who is also lacto-ovo >vegetarian. I really wanted to be vegan but was afraid to go through >a whole pregnancy as a vegan as I was not able to find enough >information about being vegan while pregnant etc. and so I was >afraid. Does anyone have any resources on that or views on being >vegan while pregnant/nursing and raising vegan children? I HATE what >is being done to animals and I thought that I would just wait until I >was done having children to go back to being vegan but I just can't >wait--I read about what is happening to the animals and it makes me >want to stop eating dairy/eggs NOW! Can anyone tell me how they dealt >with it during pregnancy etc.?? > >Thanks for your help!! > >Holly > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 3, 2001 Report Share Posted December 3, 2001 What you have to remember about veganism during pregnancy, pregnancy or your overall health, is that alot of doctors don't seem to know what they are talking about!!! Most docotors don't know a whole lot about nutrition and have been taught to ignore what a person's body is telling them. I ditched the doctor altogether and had a CNM deliver my son, she was very supportive of my veganism and said that she had many patients who were vegan and went on to have very healthy babies (oh gasp!). What the bottom line basically is is that I feel that you are doing the responsible and smart thing by learning all that you can. I don't think that anyone should just blindly listen to a doctor, they should take responsibility for their own health. Man, can you tell that I just found out last week that I am pregnant with #2 and feeling quite hormonal??? With this baby, we are ditching the CNM and going for a homebirth with a direct entry midwife, boy am I excited!! Sara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 3, 2001 Report Share Posted December 3, 2001 I think that what everyone has to also remember is that if you have a doctor that doesn't agree with your lifestyle or vegan diet, that they work for YOU! You hire them, you pay them (either directly or through insurance) and if they disagree with your decisions YOU also have the power to fire them and find someone who's belief system matches yours. Sara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 3, 2001 Report Share Posted December 3, 2001 I just went to their site at www.pcrm.org and did a search on vegetarian baby and came up with some good info. They also have a Vegetarian Starter Package for $2 that says it also have info on veggie pregnancy, babies and children. I'm in Canada so it is a pain to get it shipped here but it might be worth looking into. I should have thought of looking there before. My dh was using that site for info for his Environmental Ethics class. Jacqueline - VAP79 Friday, November 30, 2001 4:27 PM Re: Vegan prenancy/nursing > Does anyone have any resources on that or views on being > vegan while pregnant/nursing and raising vegan children? > Can anyone tell me how they dealt > with it during pregnancy etc.?? Holly, I would direct you to Michael's Klapper's book. I'm not sure of the title exactly. But, it's something like vegan pregnancy and children. You could search by author. Also, you might want to contact PCRM. Physician's committee for responsible medicine. A group of vegetarian, mostly vegan doctors that publish books, articles and a newletter about vegan diets. I'm sure they have info. about pregnancy and children as well. I've been vegan for 16 yrs. And was that way all through my pregnancy. My 6 yr. old son is vegan as well. I made sure I ate lots of beans, rotated all my foods and did take many supplements during pregnancy and nursing. I'm a wholistic health practitioner. You can email me directly if you have any questions. Good luck, Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 3, 2001 Report Share Posted December 3, 2001 > Holly, > I would direct you to Michael's Klapper's book. I'm not sure > of the title > exactly. Klaper is the right spelling I believe. You'll probably have to order it online (go to www.vegsource.com and find the link to Dr Klaper's site) or from a book store. I couldn't find it at my local library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 4, 2001 Report Share Posted December 4, 2001 Hi All! First, let me introduce myself, since I'm new to the list (been lurking for a few weeks). My name is Jen, I live in Pittsburgh, PA. I've been vegan for almost 4 years and my husband Brad has been lacto-ovo for about the same. We're expecting our first child next June (just entered the second trimester). So, I wanted to jump in on the vegan pregnancy discussion and share my experiences/thoughts. Last year when we first started thinking about starting a family, I got several books: " Vegetarian Pregnancy " (I forget the author but several people have mentioned it here), " Pregnancy, children, and the vegan diet " by Michael Klaper, and the ubiquitous " What to Expect When You're Expecting. " I also got " Taking charge of your Fertility " by Toni... oh crud, I forget her last name but I'll post it tomorrow. " Vegetarian Pregnancy " had some interesting stories from vegetarian moms, but the annoying thing was that some of the same anecdotes (or parts of them) were repeated in different chapters. Most of the information applied to lacto-ovo's. Michael Klaper's book contained all the scientific information you need to make sure your diet provides you with everything you need during pregnancy, and for feeding your kids after they're born. You wouldn't go around with a calculator and food scale all the time, but it's nice to take a typical day's food and see how you're doing. Also, there's lots of sample menus and recipes with the nutritional facts. " What to expect... " was so mainstream it made me want to gag. It is useful for the month-by-month description of the baby's development and symptoms you may be having, but mostly it sounds like everything an old-school strap-em-in-the-stirrups-and give-em-an-epidural obstetrician would tell you. It makes home birth sound like you might as well kill yourself and your kid now and save the trouble later. However, it does not dis veg*n diets and discusses vegan sources of calcium, iron, protein, etc. " Take Charge of your Fertility " is so excellent!!! It has everything they (gynecologists, health teachers, biology teachers...) never told me about my body, and made me really pissed that they hadn't. Using the monitoring cervical mucus method, getting pregnant was a snap, no thermometers or " ovulation predictors " neccessary. So anyway, my take on vegan nutrition during pregnancy is that a vegan is no more and no less likely than an omnivore to have trouble meeting nutritional needs. Every woman, regardless of her diet, needs to take some time to make sure she's getting all she needs during pregnancy. But, it really isn't as complicated or worrisome as some would think. The main thing is, as many here have said already, eat a variety of good, whole foods, avoid junk food, and pay a little more attention than usual to iron- and calcium- rich foods. Protein needs to be bumped up a little from your non-pregnant intake, but not to huge amounts. I had big plans of eating these meticulously balanced meals of beans, greens, and grains, with lots of veggies. But, I found I lost my appetite for a lot of my usual stand-by's (the thought of beans or kale made me gag), so I found myself trying to figure the best nutritional bargain from the smaller list of foods I could stomach. Oatmeal is good for iron, fiber, and protein. Pour on soymilk for more protein (and calcium if fortified), molasses for iron and calcium, and raisins for yet more iron (we have to make a lot of extra blood when pregnant!). I found myself eating a lot of tofu, just sauteed on a lightly oiled pan, because I couldn't stomach beans. Broccoli and the leafy greens were similarly gag-inducing, but hey, almonds and cashews have a lot of calcium and some protein too (lots of fat, too, but hey, I'm pregnant, right?) I'm eating tons of citrus and other fruit, but I seem to only want starchy veggies like carrots, potatoes,sweet potatoes, peas, and corn. But, those have good amounts of vitamins, and potatoes are another great source of iron. Plain steamed grains go down well, too, things like brown rice, quinoa, and millet. And good-old whole-wheat bread. So there's lots more protein and some minerals. All in all, I'm really not worried about getting all I need. I only supplement with a multi-B, mainly for the B12 and the folate (probably getting enough folate from the fruits and veggies I can eat, but you don't want to take any chances with folate!) It's really quite usual to have appetite changes or even vomiting and loss of appetite in the first trimester, so I figure I'm doing good with what I've been eating. Now that I'm entering the second trimester, my appetite is starting to come back, so maybe I'll be able to reintroduce some beans and greens. I just have to watch out for my sweet tooth, even when nothing else appeals, I can always eat a cookie, or soy ice cream! Wow, can I run on when I get started! Sorry for the short novel! Thanks everyone for all your helpful posts. Yours, Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 5, 2001 Report Share Posted December 5, 2001 That is exactly it--my last Doctor didn't know anything about being vegetarian, never mind vegan....and the dietician I went to see when I was vegan wasn't much better! )+= My Dr. retired during my last pregnancy so I have a new, younger doctor who will hopefully be more open... I'm taking my son to go see him tomorrow for his one year check-up so I'll ask him to see a dietician and mention it to him then. I was REALLY sick with my last pregnancy (severe pre eclampsia, borderline hellp syndrome--where both my and the babies lives were at risk) and I heard that that the chances of that happening are much lower with vegans. (Only one study was done that I know of though--but hey--can't hurt!) Congrats on the pregnancy!! I won't be doing a home birth or anything close to that due to the MAJOR problems with my last pregnancy that ended in an emergency c-section at 35 weeks! Oh well--at least I can be healthy before hand!! Holly , colinsapmama@a... wrote: > What you have to remember about veganism during pregnancy, pregnancy or your > overall health, is that alot of doctors don't seem to know what they are > talking about!!! Most docotors don't know a whole lot about nutrition and > have been taught to ignore what a person's body is telling them. I ditched > the doctor altogether and had a CNM deliver my son, she was very supportive > of my veganism and said that she had many patients who were vegan and went on > to have very healthy babies (oh gasp!). > > What the bottom line basically is is that I feel that you are doing the > responsible and smart thing by learning all that you can. I don't think that > anyone should just blindly listen to a doctor, they should take > responsibility for their own health. > > Man, can you tell that I just found out last week that I am pregnant with #2 > and feeling quite hormonal??? With this baby, we are ditching the CNM and > going for a homebirth with a direct entry midwife, boy am I excited!! > > Sara > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.