Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Click Here: Check out " LLLI | The Vegetarian Breastfeeding Mother " I was totally vegetarian with our youngest. He is now 18 yrs old and the strongest family member, college soccer player, Eat beans, be happy! Pam Who will introduce herself soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Hello, all. I wonder if I can ask what everyone thinks about this. My sister has just found out that she's pregnant (5 weeks), and I'm about four months ahead of her (18 weeks). They'll both be first babies for both of us, so we've never done this before. When she went to her doctor yesterday, they gave her a leaflet that said she needed to eat 71 (!!) grams of protein every day. I've been struggling to eat the 60 grams that I thought I needed (we both are lacto-ovo vegetarians and eat organic cheese, eggs, milk, etc.). But 71 grams is about the equivalent of a dozen eggs a day! That's a tall order if you're not serving up a roast chicken or t-bone every night. So what have you been told about protein requirements during pregnancy? My sister's doctor didn't seem very well informed about vegetarianism in general, so we're doubting the advice. I've heard that Americans tend to consume many times the amount of protein their bodies need... and 71 grams a day seems like a lot to us, so we're wondering if it's an overestimation. What do you think? Best wishes, Kerri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Geez, I didn't get anywhere near that amount of protein while I was pregnant. Both my little ones are healthy as can be. I think your doctor is exaggerating. That's just my opinion. He may be trying to get you off your veg diet by saying you need excessive amounts of protein. Just eat a good variety of healthy things and you and your little one will be just fine. I never counted the nutrients in what I ate. Except brussels sprouts. I had to have a 16 oz. bag or more daily. As long as you're eating healthy foods and not too many processed things you and baby should be fine. Do plenty of walking and drink lots of water. I think 71 grams of protein per day is a bit much. Of course I'm not a doctor!! But really if your doctor is expecting you to actually count the grams of protein you eat... geez. If you and baby are doing well on what you're eating now, why change it? KerriCary <english wrote: Hello, all. I wonder if I can ask what everyone thinks about this. My sister has just found out that she's pregnant (5 weeks), and I'm about four months ahead of her (18 weeks). They'll both be first babies for both of us, so we've never done this before. When she went to her doctor yesterday, they gave her a leaflet that said she needed to eat 71 (!!) grams of protein every day. I've been struggling to eat the 60 grams that I thought I needed (we both are lacto-ovo vegetarians and eat organic cheese, eggs, milk, etc.). But 71 grams is about the equivalent of a dozen eggs a day! That's a tall order if you're not serving up a roast chicken or t-bone every night. So what have you been told about protein requirements during pregnancy? My sister's doctor didn't seem very well informed about vegetarianism in general, so we're doubting the advice. I've heard that Americans tend to consume many times the amount of protein their bodies need... and 71 grams a day seems like a lot to us, so we're wondering if it's an overestimation. What do you think? Best wishes, Kerri Kadee Sedtal Build a man a fire and he'll stay warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll stay warm the rest of his life. " THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!!! " -Captain Picard, Next Generation, " Chain of Command part 2 " Check out my new , Classical 2 at http://launch.classical2/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 >. When she went >to her doctor yesterday, they gave her a leaflet that said she needed >to eat 71 (!!) grams of protein every day. I had to eat 109. I was on a gestational diabetes diet and more or less ovo-lacto for most of my pregnancy. When I went for my info session with the dietician, I was one of about seven women in the room. We were all asked to write down what we had had for lunch. I had eaten a peanut butter sandwich on some super duper all natural wheat bread, an apple and something else... and I remember listening to the other women... chicken nuggets from Wendy's, cheeseburgers, not a vegetable, fruit or fiber in the bunch. I managed to stump the dietician a bit, as many of my foods weren't on the list. (Is unsweetened soy milk a milk or a protein? Answer: protein with the benefits of calcium without the sugar in milk. If almonds are a fat-- can I use them as a protein and if so how many?) I have the book from the ADA right here... and this was my diet...Ironically, they gave me more calories because of the type of food I ate. Anyway, hope this helps: 2000 calories a day, 219 grams carbs, 109 grams protein and 75 grams fat I had to eat six meals a day: 7 a.m. breakfast: 2 starch, 1 protein, 1 fat, 1 milk 9:30 snack: 1 fruit. 1 protein 12 noon lunch: 3 starch, 1 fruit, 2 protein, 1fat 2:30 snack: 1 starch, 1 protein 5 p.m. supper: 3 starch, 1 fruit, 3 proteins, 1 fat 8:30 snack: 1 milk, 1 starch, 1 protein Sample protein servings: 1/4 cup cottage cheese, a one-inch cube of cheese, 1 egg, 8 Oz unsweetened soy milk, 1 veggie dog, 1/2 cup of beans, peas or lentils, one veg breakfast sausage patty, 1/4 cup tempeh (Yes, tempeh was listed in the book), 4 oz or 1/2 cup tofu (get soft and mix with canned pumpkin for pudding), 1 TBSP peanut butter, 12 almonds (I got unsalted ones) I ate 9 of these servings a day. And a salad every day at lunch. One of my drinks was to mix about 3 ozs of decaf into a tall glass of soymilk and ice it. Gave me calcium and protein. 90 percent of my morning snacks were fruit with a side of cottage cheese (Light and Lively large curd, it's the only one I could stomach) I didn't eat cottage cheese again for six months and even then I only ate it once. And I ate peanut butter once a week. My family doesn't have food allergies so I opted for the nut butters. I bought almonds in huge containers. Ate at least six a day. My husband would give me cheese and crackers for some of my afternoon snacks, and for a special treat we would get veggie pepperoni and I'd get that with crackers. He also kept perfectly cut cubes of cheese in baggies for me. Ate an egg for breakfast 2 to 3 times a week. Hope this helps. Angel A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Kerri, Congrats on the double pregnancies! I agree that it would be a good idea to look into finding a more compatible doctor. There are so many choices to be made while pregnant, and even more after the baby is born. Might as well take that journey with a medical professional who respects and is knowledgeable about your vegetarianism. In terms of nutrition questions, why not start by checking out the VRG website itself? Here's the link to Pregnancy in a Vegan Family: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/veganpregnancy.htm There's a lot of useful info there, even though you're not fully vegan. Also, keep in mind that there will probably be times in your pregnancy where you find it difficult to eat certain foods, or even ANYTHING! The baby's taking what it can from what is stored in your body, so a short-term lag in nutrition isn't the end of the world. Do keep taking the folic acid, though! Good luck, Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 i am a student midwife and nutrition is the cornerstone of everything i am studying. i second everything kadee said. i didn't count my nutrients for either pregnancy. i also didn't measure my weight. but i did watch what i ate very carefully. i made sure to get a huge variety of unprocessed organic foods and tons of fluids. i kept food charts here and there to monitor my variety and get a general idea of nutrients, just because i have a hard time with appetite in pregnancy and i wanted to make sure i was in fact eating occasionally, LOL. your body and your baby will let you know if you are deficient. trust your instincts. it should not be difficult to grow a healthy baby. it's sad that so many doctors try to convince women that it is, and that they put a scare on moms about nutrition when most of them eat so crappily themselves. most people in this country get 400 times the protein they need. i wouldn't be concerned. chandelle' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Hi Kerri, Congrats! Cousins the same age is cool! My kids both have cousins their same age and they love getting together! Everything others have said makes sense. Also take into consideration the number of calories you will consume based on the different stages of pregnancy. As your baby grows and you get bigger, your appetite should increase and you should have no problem consuming plenty of protein. Remember that plenty of plant foods contain protein. Pasta (and all grain products) has protein, rice has protein (eat a LOT of brown rice -- it is so healthy!) veggies have protein (eat a LOT your baby will love them!) Beans have protein (eat a LOT! They are dellish and they will help to keep you regular!). Snack on almonds, have some tofu, add plenty of beans to your salads, have fun with food! Don't concentrate on animal-base foods for protein. Veggie protein is best for you and best for your baby. Make sure you are getting enough fiber and drinking enough water. Good luck! Tracy On Jan 4, 2007, at 12:57 PM, KerriCary wrote: > Hello, all. I wonder if I can ask what everyone thinks about this. > > My sister has just found out that she's pregnant (5 weeks), and I'm > about four months ahead of her (18 weeks). They'll both be first > babies for both of us, so we've never done this before. When she went > to her doctor yesterday, they gave her a leaflet that said she needed > to eat 71 (!!) grams of protein every day. > > I've been struggling to eat the 60 grams that I thought I needed (we > both are lacto-ovo vegetarians and eat organic cheese, eggs, milk, > etc.). But 71 grams is about the equivalent of a dozen eggs a day! > That's a tall order if you're not serving up a roast chicken or t-bone > every night. > > So what have you been told about protein requirements during > pregnancy? My sister's doctor didn't seem very well informed about > vegetarianism in general, so we're doubting the advice. I've heard > that Americans tend to consume many times the amount of protein their > bodies need... and 71 grams a day seems like a lot to us, so we're > wondering if it's an overestimation. What do you think? > > Best wishes, > Kerri > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Neither my doctor or my midwife talked me about what to eat while I was pregnant. Once I was past the morning sickness (when I ate potato chips and yoghurt for two months), I ate a variety of (mostly organic) whole grains, tofu, beans, fruits and veggies. Oh, and about every two weeks I snuck away to a junk food joint for onion rings and a grape nehi. earthmother <earthmother213 wrote: i am a student midwife and nutrition is the cornerstone of everything i am studying. i second everything kadee said. i didn't count my nutrients for either pregnancy. i also didn't measure my weight. but i did watch what i ate very carefully. i made sure to get a huge variety of unprocessed organic foods and tons of fluids. i kept food charts here and there to monitor my variety and get a general idea of nutrients, just because i have a hard time with appetite in pregnancy and i wanted to make sure i was in fact eating occasionally, LOL. your body and your baby will let you know if you are deficient. trust your instincts. it should not be difficult to grow a healthy baby. it's sad that so many doctors try to convince women that it is, and that they put a scare on moms about nutrition when most of them eat so crappily themselves. most people in this country get 400 times the protein they need. i wouldn't be concerned. chandelle' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 My doctor also never mentioned my diet. During my first pregnancy I told him that I could not take the multivitamins because they made me sick and at that time I also told him that I am vegan. He didn't seem to care at all. He asked me once later if I take a B12 supplement and I told him that my soy milk is well fortified with it. He said that was great and never another word. Boy, I cannot imagine having had to deal with a different type of doctor. Generally I never mention to doctors that I am vegan because I truly believe that most don't know much about nutrition. Jill , robin koloms <rkoloms wrote: > > Neither my doctor or my midwife talked me about what to eat while I was pregnant. Once I was past the morning sickness (when I ate potato chips and yoghurt for two months), I ate a variety of (mostly organic) whole grains, tofu, beans, fruits and veggies. Oh, and about every two weeks I snuck away to a junk food joint for onion rings and a grape nehi. > > earthmother <earthmother213 wrote: i am a student midwife and nutrition is the cornerstone of everything i am > studying. i second everything kadee said. i didn't count my nutrients for > either pregnancy. i also didn't measure my weight. but i did watch what i > ate very carefully. i made sure to get a huge variety of unprocessed > organic foods and tons of fluids. i kept food charts here and there to > monitor my variety and get a general idea of nutrients, just because i have > a hard time with appetite in pregnancy and i wanted to make sure i was in > fact eating occasionally, LOL. your body and your baby will let you know if > you are deficient. trust your instincts. it should not be difficult to > grow a healthy baby. it's sad that so many doctors try to convince women > that it is, and that they put a scare on moms about nutrition when most of > them eat so crappily themselves. most people in this country get 400 times > the protein they need. i wouldn't be concerned. > > chandelle' > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 At the Air Force base we're at right now, I'm not ever going to say a single word about our diet. They've called family services on us for having pet rodents (exceptionally clean and well cared for, friendly rodents), so I don't know what they'd do if they knew we fed them healthy food. They'd probably put us in jail or something. Neither of my doctors ever said anything about my diet. I wish all doctors would make sure their patients were eating healthy foods though. I saw so very many badly overweight women there in the doctor's office, and they're not doing anybody any favors by eating junk food. Jill Wenzel <jillben2005 wrote: My doctor also never mentioned my diet. During my first pregnancy I told him that I could not take the multivitamins because they made me sick and at that time I also told him that I am vegan. He didn't seem to care at all. He asked me once later if I take a B12 supplement and I told him that my soy milk is well fortified with it. He said that was great and never another word. Boy, I cannot imagine having had to deal with a different type of doctor. Generally I never mention to doctors that I am vegan because I truly believe that most don't know much about nutrition. Jill , robin koloms <rkoloms wrote: > > Neither my doctor or my midwife talked me about what to eat while I was pregnant. Once I was past the morning sickness (when I ate potato chips and yoghurt for two months), I ate a variety of (mostly organic) whole grains, tofu, beans, fruits and veggies. Oh, and about every two weeks I snuck away to a junk food joint for onion rings and a grape nehi. > > earthmother <earthmother213 wrote: i am a student midwife and nutrition is the cornerstone of everything i am > studying. i second everything kadee said. i didn't count my nutrients for > either pregnancy. i also didn't measure my weight. but i did watch what i > ate very carefully. i made sure to get a huge variety of unprocessed > organic foods and tons of fluids. i kept food charts here and there to > monitor my variety and get a general idea of nutrients, just because i have > a hard time with appetite in pregnancy and i wanted to make sure i was in > fact eating occasionally, LOL. your body and your baby will let you know if > you are deficient. trust your instincts. it should not be difficult to > grow a healthy baby. it's sad that so many doctors try to convince women > that it is, and that they put a scare on moms about nutrition when most of > them eat so crappily themselves. most people in this country get 400 times > the protein they need. i wouldn't be concerned. > > chandelle' > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 " they gave her a leaflet that said she needed > to eat 71 (!!) grams of protein every day. " The same amount, 71 grams, is actually recommended on a page at VRG (http:// www.vrg.org/nutrition/veganpregnancy.htm). But I bet you are getting more protein than you realize (as someone else already said)... don't just count protein foods, count the protein in other foods that are not considered protein food as well - it really can add up! Anyway, here is what it said about protein: Protein You will probably get lots of questions about whether or not you are getting enough protein. Current recommendations for protein in pregnancy call for 25 grams more of protein per day in the second and third trimesters for a total of 71 grams of protein 4. One study showed that the average non-pregnant vegan woman was eating 65 grams of protein daily 5, almost enough to meet the needs during pregnancy. If your diet is varied and contains good protein sources such as soy products, beans, and grains, and you are gaining weight, you can relax and not worry about getting enough protein. Many women simply get the extra protein they need by eating more of the foods they usually eat. As an example, you can add 25 grams of protein to your usual diet by adding 1-1/2 cups of lentils or tofu, 2-1/2 cups of soy milk, or 2 large bagels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 Kadee, It is amazing what folks think, isn't it? I just had to reply because my sister lived on base in FL and her neighbor had several rats and no one minded at all. And, a friend of mine was a vegan pediatrician on base in Fl as well. Her patients were so healthy that they rarely made an appointement and she couldn't fill her prescription quota. It seems the contract with the pharmacy companies to give lower prices to the military comes with a minimum sales quota per doctor. She had to track her patients with extra phone calls and forms. This was optimum client communication but she had so many new clients from referrals she was slammed. How great is that? She was given a tough time but kept going until retirement. (It may look like FL is more progressive but it isn't.) Oh, and I know this wasn't your point and you didn't mean to sound negative, but there are many overweight vegans on healthy diets. There are even for them. I weigh more now that I have ever weighed. I have genetic neuro problems that prevent me from getting exercise. The only way I can maintain a good weight is a zero to low fat diet as recommended by the McDougall camp and more exercise than most people I know would be willing to follow ( 2 -3 hours DAILY of cardio and weight training - absolutely no time off or I gain weight). However, now that I am sick, I can't do either one and I look like my family eating an excessive SAD. My doctors' do think I would be much worse off symptom and weight wise if I wasn't following a vegan diet. I know you weren't using this in your example but I thought I would point it as some new vegans aren't aware it can happen. I have been given very disapproving looks by vegans who thought I was lying or didn't do anything but eat chips all day long. Because of my situation, I am less judgemental in my thinking but I have to be honest and say that I am still bad at first impressions. I still initially think all overweight people are eating a SAD. Statistically most are. Carrol , Kadee M <abbey_road3012 wrote: > > At the Air Force base we're at right now, I'm not ever going to say a single word about our diet. They've called family services on us for having pet rodents (exceptionally clean and well cared for, friendly rodents), so I don't know what they'd do if they knew we fed them healthy food. They'd probably put us in jail or something. > > Neither of my doctors ever said anything about my diet. I wish all doctors would make sure their patients were eating healthy foods though. I saw so very many badly overweight women there in the doctor's office, and they're not doing anybody any favors by eating junk food. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 I was always under the understanding that plant forms of protein are more readily used by your body. Even if you are not eating as much protein as someone consuming meat your body will make better use of what you have consumed. Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 I'm glad you're not eating junk, though. I'm sure your doctor is right that you'd be much worse off if you ate what everyone else does. A good diet is always beneficial! We're certainly not all supposed to look like supermodels. I know I sure don't. But lately even with healthy food I'm not " thin " . I've got a few extra pounds on me... not quite overweight but a far cry from that 100 lbs. I was in high school. I'd hate to see what I looked like if I ate what most people ate!! rtillmansmail <rtillmansmail wrote: Kadee, It is amazing what folks think, isn't it? I just had to reply because my sister lived on base in FL and her neighbor had several rats and no one minded at all. And, a friend of mine was a vegan pediatrician on base in Fl as well. Her patients were so healthy that they rarely made an appointement and she couldn't fill her prescription quota. It seems the contract with the pharmacy companies to give lower prices to the military comes with a minimum sales quota per doctor. She had to track her patients with extra phone calls and forms. This was optimum client communication but she had so many new clients from referrals she was slammed. How great is that? She was given a tough time but kept going until retirement. (It may look like FL is more progressive but it isn't.) Oh, and I know this wasn't your point and you didn't mean to sound negative, but there are many overweight vegans on healthy diets. There are even for them. I weigh more now that I have ever weighed. I have genetic neuro problems that prevent me from getting exercise. The only way I can maintain a good weight is a zero to low fat diet as recommended by the McDougall camp and more exercise than most people I know would be willing to follow ( 2 -3 hours DAILY of cardio and weight training - absolutely no time off or I gain weight). However, now that I am sick, I can't do either one and I look like my family eating an excessive SAD. My doctors' do think I would be much worse off symptom and weight wise if I wasn't following a vegan diet. I know you weren't using this in your example but I thought I would point it as some new vegans aren't aware it can happen. I have been given very disapproving looks by vegans who thought I was lying or didn't do anything but eat chips all day long. Because of my situation, I am less judgemental in my thinking but I have to be honest and say that I am still bad at first impressions. I still initially think all overweight people are eating a SAD. Statistically most are. Carrol , Kadee M <abbey_road3012 wrote: > > At the Air Force base we're at right now, I'm not ever going to say a single word about our diet. They've called family services on us for having pet rodents (exceptionally clean and well cared for, friendly rodents), so I don't know what they'd do if they knew we fed them healthy food. They'd probably put us in jail or something. > > Neither of my doctors ever said anything about my diet. I wish all doctors would make sure their patients were eating healthy foods though. I saw so very many badly overweight women there in the doctor's office, and they're not doing anybody any favors by eating junk food. > > Kadee Sedtal Build a man a fire and he'll stay warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll stay warm the rest of his life. " THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!!! " -Captain Picard, Next Generation, " Chain of Command part 2 " Check out my new , Classical 2 at http://launch.classical2/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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