Pregnant and vegetarian

[Housewitch]

Hi everyone I am new here, just found out I am pregnant and haven't been able to speak to my doctor yet. I am vegetarian and I am not sure how this is going to affect my pregnancy.

I am looking to see what other peoples' doctors have told them about being vegetarian while pregnant as I can't find much advice anywhere else online. Is it OK to be pregnant and vegetarian? I want what is best for my baby so any advice that you have had from a doctor would be great, thanks xx

[SpearmintLino]

Of course it's fine! Just continue to eat healthily and your baby will have a great start. Congratulations!

[Whatsername17]

I'm vegetarian and carried my daughter to term perfectly. I have never been as well as I was when pregnant. I ate normally but healthily but included in nuts for protein. I gained 2st total and dd was 7lb15. I did take the fish oil pregnacare vitamins which obviously aren't vegetarian but I felt that it was a sacrifice I was prepared to make for my baby.

[MagpieCursedTea]

I'm a vegetarian and have a DS and currently expecting number two. It's perfectly fine to stick to a vegetarian diet whilst pregnant. Just make sure you're getting plenty of iron from veggie sources.
I personally found I had overwhelming meat cravings in my last pregnancy (I normally can't stand the taste or texture of the stuff) but that doesn't happen to everyone.

[Dutch212]

Three vegetarian pregnancies, three healthy babies here :-)
Take your pregnancy vitamins and eat healthily. Watch your iron intake, lots of green veg will help keep levels up. I also have flax seeds to make sure I get omega 3. My midwife and I felt being vegetarian was a huge positive because it caused me to think about vitamins, food groups etc.
Congratulations on your pregnancy:-)

[BowiesJumper]

The doctor and midwife didn't even mention it as an issue to me (I'm veggie). A varied diet and the pregnancy multivitamin were all I needed.

[pinkyredrose]

If you're pregnant and vegetarian your tits will fall off.

[notinagreatplace]

It's absolutely fine. I would recommend pre-emptively taking iron tablets, though, as many vegetarians are low in iron - just standard strength to begin with.

[pinkyredrose]

Seriously though OP you'll be fine. Vast swathes of the world are vegetarian for generations and have healthy babies, there's nothing to worry about. Congrats on your pregnancy!

[cosytoaster]

Another veggie here - I've got 2 DC. I made slightly more effort to ensure I included enough iron in my diet when pregnant and my iron levels through both pregnancies were good, other than that I just tried to eat reasonably healthily.

[RaeSkywalker]

My midwife was utterly unfazed, just said to take normal pregnancy vitamins which is what they tell everyone.

[BadDoGooder]

Congratulations!

I am veggie, have a lovely healthy DS (also veggie)
Being veggie had no impact on my pregnancy whatsoever!

[Pinkheart5915]

Absolutely fine.
Although I'm not vegetarian I only eat meat once a weeks as I don't like the texture of most meats. I had a healthy ds last year. I am 28 weeks pregnant at the Moment and have had no problems.

Congratulations by the way!!

[Housewitch]

Thank you everyone that has really put my mind at ease. I am not the healthiest veggie on the planet but I have to step-up my game now!

[Sophia1984]

Congratulations! Absolutely no problem at all - no doctor or midwife has ever told me I should be eating meat. I did already have low ferritin levels before pregnancy so need to make sure to take iron tablets - maybe this is something you could get checked for? When you look at foods that have a lot of folic acid, most of them are vegetarian staples - lentils, chickpeas, spinach :-)

[originalmavis]

You will both be absolutely fine. Good varied diet, exercise, relaxation - that's all you need.

Remember that some poor women puke up every morsel of food snd drink for part or all of their pregnancies and have healthy babies.

[KindDogsTail]

Ask your doctor about Vitamin B 12.
Ask how much protein you should be getting and make sure you check to get the right amount every day.