second trimester vitamins for vegetarians

[lexib]

A midwife the other day told me to not take anything other than vitamin d now, she dismissed pregnacare and other multi vits, saying everything will now come safely from a good well balanced diet. She didn't bat an eyelid when dh pointed out we're vegetarian. My worry is that she's not really taken this in... Omega 3 for example, I was taking fish oil (not cod liver) and flaxseed oil to simply get what is hard /you can't with a non fish vegetarian diet.
Am I justified in thinking she didn't really know what she was saying? Surely multi vits (without folic acid - if there is one) would still be a good idea?

[RuckAndRoll]

Well I'm vegetarian, 26 weeks pregnany and still take pregnacare. I was told yes you can get it all from a good diet, but it wouldn't do any harm to keep taking them.

Prepared to be corrected though.

[LoganMummy]

Veggie as well and still taking pregnacare. I'll continue to do so - only stopped taking with DS when I stopped bfing.

[bogwoppitinatree]

I'm veggie (well 99% - a very occassional bit of fish or pork from a friend's pig) but don't think I've had any during preg.
I am 35 weeks now and have just taken individual Iron with vit c to aid absorption and vitamin D. Didn't bother with one of the multi vits. Oh and obviously to Folic Acid in 1st tri.
Good luck :)

[LikeCandy]

I took pregnacare all the way through, the veggie (no omega 3) version
You don't have to supplement with fish oil as flax, walnuts, edamame, wild rice etc etc are all veggie friendly sources of omega 3.
Now I am BF I occasionally take a leftover pregnacare tablet but nothing other than that.

(I also intend to bring baby up as veggie until she decides otherwise!)

[Dh2812]

I get so annoyed by advice like this. Is she a dietician or nutritionist who's studied your diet in detail?! There's no harm in taking vitamins throughout your pregnancy (except for vit a!) and I would very strongly argue that it's good for mum and baby to take vitamins throughout. I've been amazed at how much pregnancy has taken out of me. I stopped taking my multivitamin and omega 3 fish oil for 2 weeks because I ran out and was exhausted and completely baby brained. Now back on them and I'm feeling so much better.
Some people are very anti supplements and I'm guessing she's one of them. Stick to what you think best for you.

[GingerJulep]

And conversely I get so annoyed with people asking if I (vegan, 29 weeks pregnant) need to worry about vitamins/diet. ;-)

If you have a healthy diet you should be fine. If you don't (and don't intend to change that) then maybe supplements aren't the worst thing in the world.

There are people all over the planet with little/no meant in their diet who have healthy babies. As is happens I'm from a vegetarian family (my gran got a VERY hard time in the UK in the 50s) so used to balancing my diet without meat.

Upped the greens (kale, rocket etc not lettuce) early on as body wanted it, presumably for the iron/folic acid but now pretty much back to my normal diet. Also took a (daily-sized) weekly dose of folic acid early on to make OH happy. My diet is pretty rich in folic acid anyway and I hated taking them but thought the placebo worth it for the OH :-)

None of my health care professionals (MWs, GPs) have been in the slightest bit bothered. In fact they've enjoyed not having to tell me to avoid blue cheese/liver/etc.

Check this out if you're worried: www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/parenting/vegan-babies-and-children/pregnancy.aspx

(it is the more scientific version of 'no, you don't need pills - just a sensible diet').

[Bunnylion]

I've not been taking any since 12 weeks. My iron levels are very high, apparently the best the midwife had seen for months.

I've always been proactive with making sure I'm getting a balanced diet. I've probably up'ed my greens(and purples) and proteins since being pregnant - lots of kale, broccoli, tofu, nuts etc.

I had one of those warnings from a woman the other day about how her daughter nearly DIED giving birth because she lost so much blood - because she was anaemic - because she was vegetarian - and she was telling me this because she didn't want me to die.

I explained that I probably have a better and more thought-out diet than most meat eaters but she wasn't having any of it and just asked me to eat some meat - for the baby.... I'm so selfish.

[Bunnylion]

PS - for omega 3 you can eat hummus, omega3 enriched eggs, chia seeds, cauliflower. I don't think you need supplements for it.

[ananikifo]

Fwiw I'm a dietitian and not a vegetarian, and I will be taking a pregnancy multivitamin and an omega 3 supplement throughout my pregnancy. It won't do any harm and there is evidence that the omega 3 is beneficial, mostly in the third trimester and in addition to having the recommended omega 3 intake through diet.

[ananikifo]

Just wanted to add that I wouldn't do anything different if I was a vegetarian.

[IJustWoreMyTrenchcoat]

I have been taking this supplement alongside my sanatogen mum to be vits. I'm sure if your diet is healthy you don't need the extra help, but my diet isn't always that great so I like the reassurance.

I have been eating hummus, eggs etc. for protein, but I am vegetarian so missing out on the benefits of oily fish so feel better taking these.