Guest guest Posted January 22, 2003 Report Share Posted January 22, 2003 I am new to this group. I am not sure if this question is directly related to this group, but figure you all have had to encounter these problems along the way. My husband and I are vegetarians and trying to be vegan. We do great at home, but have a hard time avoiding dairy while eating out. With that said we are trying to get pregnant. I saw my OB/Gyn this week. I have been taking a vegetarian multi-vitamin and a folate supplement. She mentioned I should switch to a prenatal multi-vitamin because they are specifically for woman trying to get pregnant. The other might have ingrediants that hinder it? I went to the pharmacy and found two kinds. One has gelatin and the other has partially hydrogenated vegtetable oil in it, both ingrediants I would prefer to avoid. My Ob/Gyn said she hadn't even considered that being a problem. I have two questions. 1. Any advice on a vegetarian/vegan prenatal vitamin? 2. Should I look for a different doctor or does my doctor's lack of info on vegetarian pregnancy and child rearing not really not that important? I think being part of a group like this and doing research on my own might be good enough. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2003 Report Share Posted January 23, 2003 On Wed, 22 Jan 2003, Scott Landholm wrote: > 1. Any advice on a vegetarian/vegan prenatal vitamin? I'm a vegan and am 14 weeks pregnant with my second child. I use the Prenatal 1-A-Day vitamins available from Vegan Essentials (www.veganessentials.com). > 2. Should I look for a different doctor or does my doctor's lack of info on > vegetarian pregnancy and child rearing not really not that important? I > think being part of a group like this and doing research on my own might be > good enough. If you're doctor is not hostile and is willing to learn, I'd say that's good enough as long as you're happy with her otherwise. Most OB/Gyn medicine concerns things other than diet. Plus, there aren't a lot of doctors out there who are well-versed in vegan nutrition (or, frankly, any kind of nutrition at all), so looking for someone who is already an expert is a tall order, probably undoable in most cases. The catch is, though, that you need to educate yourself about nutrition since you can't count on your doctor to do it for you. I highly recommend reading the nutrition information available from VRG <http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/index.htm>, especially the information on pregnancy (<http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/veganpregnancy.htm> and <http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/pregnancy.htm>) and the American Dietetic Association's position paper on vegetarian diets <http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/adapaper.htm>. Good luck! ---- Patricia Bullington-McGuire <patricia The brilliant Cerebron, attacking the problem analytically, discovered three distinct kinds of dragon: the mythical, the chimerical, and the purely hypothetical. They were all, one might say, nonexistent, but each nonexisted in an entirely different way ... -- Stanislaw Lem, " Cyberiad " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2003 Report Share Posted January 23, 2003 I did a lot of investigating into prenatal vitamins before selecting one and Nature's Plus Prenatal was the only one that I was satisfied with. The company said that the calcium was purely from non-animal sources. - " Scott Landholm " <slamm12 Wednesday, January 22, 2003 5:49 PM Prenatal/pregnancy > I am new to this group. I am not sure if this question is directly related > to this group, but figure you all have had to encounter these problems along > the way. My husband and I are vegetarians and trying to be vegan. We do > great at home, but have a hard time avoiding dairy while eating out. > > With that said we are trying to get pregnant. I saw my OB/Gyn this week. I > have been taking a vegetarian multi-vitamin and a folate supplement. She > mentioned I should switch to a prenatal multi-vitamin because they are > specifically for woman trying to get pregnant. The other might have > ingrediants that hinder it? I went to the pharmacy and found two kinds. One > has gelatin and the other has partially hydrogenated vegtetable oil in it, > both ingrediants I would prefer to avoid. My Ob/Gyn said she hadn't even > considered that being a problem. I have two questions. > > 1. Any advice on a vegetarian/vegan prenatal vitamin? > 2. Should I look for a different doctor or does my doctor's lack of info on > vegetarian pregnancy and child rearing not really not that important? I > think being part of a group like this and doing research on my own might be > good enough. > > Thank you! > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2003 Report Share Posted January 23, 2003 > Nature's Plus Prenatal was the only one that I was satisfied with. The > company said that the calcium was purely from non-animal sources. There are 2 others that I recommend to my clients. One is Megafoods Prenatal. It's food based. And also Rainbow Light. Peace, Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2003 Report Share Posted January 23, 2003 A great book for those trying to get pregnant is Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. As for the OB/GYN thing, well I had two homebirths and am staunchly against medicalized birth for a healthy pregnancy. I took prenatal vitamins prior to conception but cannot for the life of me remember the brand (they were vegetarian). However, I cold not tolerate the vitamins during pregnancy they made me terribly sick and prevented me from eating which is of course the best source of vitamins. IMO it is in your best interest to find a caregiver that is familiar with vegetarian pregnancy. Most homebirth midwives are well versed in that because they themselves are veggie and/or the majority of their clients are. Good luck. Stephanie - Scott Landholm Wednesday, January 22, 2003 5:49 PM Prenatal/pregnancy I am new to this group. I am not sure if this question is directly related to this group, but figure you all have had to encounter these problems along the way. My husband and I are vegetarians and trying to be vegan. We do great at home, but have a hard time avoiding dairy while eating out. With that said we are trying to get pregnant. I saw my OB/Gyn this week. I have been taking a vegetarian multi-vitamin and a folate supplement. She mentioned I should switch to a prenatal multi-vitamin because they are specifically for woman trying to get pregnant. The other might have ingrediants that hinder it? I went to the pharmacy and found two kinds. One has gelatin and the other has partially hydrogenated vegtetable oil in it, both ingrediants I would prefer to avoid. My Ob/Gyn said she hadn't even considered that being a problem. I have two questions. 1. Any advice on a vegetarian/vegan prenatal vitamin? 2. Should I look for a different doctor or does my doctor's lack of info on vegetarian pregnancy and child rearing not really not that important? I think being part of a group like this and doing research on my own might be good enough. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2003 Report Share Posted January 23, 2003 > " Scott Landholm " <slamm12 > Prenatal/pregnancy > 1. Any advice on a vegetarian/vegan prenatal vitamin? > 2. Should I look for a different doctor or does my doctor's lack of info on > vegetarian pregnancy and child rearing not really not that important? I > think being part of a group like this and doing research on my own might be > good enough. Hi and Welcome! 1. veganessential.com has a vegan prenatal. There are others. 2. depends - does she *support* your veg*nism, or does she just tolerate it? If she's going to give you a hard time about it, I would recommend that you switch if you can find someone more your style. If she's just clueless and maybe makes dumb comments about nutrition, but you like her otherwise, then it's not as crucial (for the reason you said, you're doing your homework). Besides, once you have the baby, you won't need her (much) anymore. But you will probably need a pediatrician who is *very* supportive of your diet! Keep us informed. ~Doh ------- " Whatever you do, it is most important that you do it. " ~Ghandi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2003 Report Share Posted January 24, 2003 A great prenatal vitamin: Nature's Plus Ultra Prenatal. Recommended by my friend who is an osteopathic physician. You only have to take two tablets a day (v. up to 6 large tablets with some other vits.) If you have problem swallowing large pills, keeping vitamins down, or you can't bear taking up to six tablets a day, this is a good choice. Regarding the docs -- it is true that most doctors have very little education in nutrition. Yes, some hold their own opinions about vegetarianism. The best offense for you is to educate yourself about vegetarian nutrition during pregnancy and don't be afraid to question their arguments. If they do not support you, say " thanks for your time " and then find another practitioner. I am also very against any medicalized birth (big time!), however, we do not know what we will encounter where we will need the system. I visited my midwife for prenatal care and had a midwife and doula during labor, however, I developed a severe uterine infection and blood clots in my lungs about 35 hours into my labor. At that point, it was the first time during my pregnancy that I had medical intervention for a safe delivery. After 69 hours of labor we birthed our baby without c-section. If the situation turns, you have to do whatever it takes for the best for you and your baby's health. From this experience, I learned to keep myself fluid and flexible. Good luck! Michelle Joynsen [joynsen] Thursday, January 23, 2003 9:25 AM Re: Prenatal/pregnancy A great book for those trying to get pregnant is Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. As for the OB/GYN thing, well I had two homebirths and am staunchly against medicalized birth for a healthy pregnancy. I took prenatal vitamins prior to conception but cannot for the life of me remember the brand (they were vegetarian). However, I cold not tolerate the vitamins during pregnancy they made me terribly sick and prevented me from eating which is of course the best source of vitamins. IMO it is in your best interest to find a caregiver that is familiar with vegetarian pregnancy. Most homebirth midwives are well versed in that because they themselves are veggie and/or the majority of their clients are. Good luck. Stephanie - Scott Landholm Wednesday, January 22, 2003 5:49 PM Prenatal/pregnancy I am new to this group. I am not sure if this question is directly related to this group, but figure you all have had to encounter these problems along the way. My husband and I are vegetarians and trying to be vegan. We do great at home, but have a hard time avoiding dairy while eating out. With that said we are trying to get pregnant. I saw my OB/Gyn this week. I have been taking a vegetarian multi-vitamin and a folate supplement. She mentioned I should switch to a prenatal multi-vitamin because they are specifically for woman trying to get pregnant. The other might have ingrediants that hinder it? I went to the pharmacy and found two kinds. One has gelatin and the other has partially hydrogenated vegtetable oil in it, both ingrediants I would prefer to avoid. My Ob/Gyn said she hadn't even considered that being a problem. I have two questions. 1. Any advice on a vegetarian/vegan prenatal vitamin? 2. Should I look for a different doctor or does my doctor's lack of info on vegetarian pregnancy and child rearing not really not that important? I think being part of a group like this and doing research on my own might be good enough. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2003 Report Share Posted January 24, 2003 I want to second two recommendations on the list 1) Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler Is an awesome book, not only for getting pregnant but for learning to know your body for purposes of being healthy and also not getting pregnant. 2) Rainbow Light prenatal vitamins are food based and the company gives to a good cause too, the Angel Alliance that fights malnutrition in children. For information go to http://www.rainbowlight.com/prenatal.html http://www.rainbowlight.com/prenatalone.html http://www.rainbowlight.com/social.html The third link gives a decsription to their social and environmental commitment. I've heard so many women complain about the vitamins making them nauseous. I experienced a lot of nausea while pregnant, but these vitamins never made me nauseous. I believe it was because they contain ginger and red raspberry. Good luck Joann Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 18, 2003 Report Share Posted June 18, 2003 Unfortunately, the vitamin D3 in this product is from lanolin (sheeps wool). D2 is the only vegan/vegetarian version of vitamin D. , Joann Toth <postfem> wrote: > I want to second two recommendations on the list > > 1) Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler > > Is an awesome book, not only for getting pregnant but > for learning to know your body for purposes of being > healthy and also not getting pregnant. > > 2) Rainbow Light prenatal vitamins are food based and > the company gives to a good cause too, the Angel > Alliance that fights malnutrition in children. > > For information go to > > > http://www.rainbowlight.com/prenatal.html > http://www.rainbowlight.com/prenatalone.html > http://www.rainbowlight.com/social.html > > > The third link gives a decsription to their social and > environmental commitment. > > > I've heard so many women complain about the vitamins > making them nauseous. I experienced a lot of nausea > while pregnant, but these vitamins never made me > nauseous. I believe it was because they contain ginger > and red raspberry. > > > > Good luck > > Joann > > > > Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. > http://mailplus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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