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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think I can have a vegan pregnancy

44 replies

ColleenEatsVeg · 09/10/2010 13:07

Okay, I have been vegetarian my entire adult life and made the transition to vegan. My Husband is a loose veggie (tempted by a kabab now and then) and we recently talked about TTC and lots of people have been talking to me about what I should and should not eat while being pregnant.... I am not even pregnant yet so I am assuming as this board has mentioned that everyone tells you their expert advice about pregnancy when your pregnant. Anyway. I am wandering if I am being unreasonable to even consider staying vegan when pregnant. I wouldn't be eating bacon or anything but so far all the resources I have found have been a bit dippy hippy about vegan pregnancy. Or I find horror stories while googling bad cases of things that can go wrong. Its quite confusing because I am very particular on what I eat, make sure I have everything I need and think I am doing enough to make sure anyone else onboard would be getting the same.

OP posts:

rpickett · 09/10/2010 13:10

I think as long as you can get the right nutrients thoughout pregnancy then YANBU but realistically it wont be easy, especially if you get cravings.

Butterbur · 09/10/2010 13:14

I was a vegetarian (not vegan) when I fell pregnant, and I found with each of my pregnancies I got irresistible cravings for fish, which I gave in to. You may find that you crave something non-vegan too when you actually become pregnant. Your body sort of takes over and makes its own decisions.

onimolap · 09/10/2010 13:40

The baby will ruthlessly raid all the nutrients it needs from your body, which could lead you with deficiencies.

The biggie to watch out for is calcium, as you'll be growing a whole new skeleton (IYSWIM). You'll also need to pay attention to iron levels, and that your diet includes the full range of amino acids.

sapphireblue · 09/10/2010 13:41

I don't doubt it can be done, but I would seek out some proper advice from your GP or a nutritionist first I think.

Butterbur is right though......your body will let you know if it needs anything!

Meglet · 09/10/2010 13:44

I'm sure you can do it but you'll have to be very organised to make sure you get all your vits and minerals. Are any of the pregnancy vits suitable for vegans?

FWIW I had 2 healthy veggie pregnancies (never had low iron) but cracked in month 8 of pg no.2 and scoffed an organic roast chicken. I was like a deranged cavewoman and scared to ignore my craving in case the baby really needed the nutrients from the chicken.

Chil1234 · 09/10/2010 13:48

My doctor once memorably compared my growing foetus with a 'parasite'. :) What he meant was that unborn children will leech every bit of nourishment out of their mother, even if that leaves her short. If your vegan diet isn't quite up to scratch it will be you that suffers rather than the baby. You can enjoy a vegan pregancy but you will have to be scrupulous about your nutritional intake and take supplements where necessary.

zazen · 09/10/2010 13:49

Well, I suppose you can sprinkle some insects on your food..

Most vegetarians that I know who are pregnant get very strong cravings for fish and meat, and all give into them.
It's best to give in as your body and your babe's body are telling your head to eat the things they need to be healthy.

Do be careful about vitamin B group, iron levels and magnesium and calcium - no need to stand on principle, to have osteoporosis / cancer later.

scouserabroad · 09/10/2010 13:50

I was vegetarian through my two pregancies, and craved Big Macs and sausage rolls the whole way through and I'd been vegetarian for about 12 years at the point ! Was very anaemic after having DD1, less so after DD2. The DDs were born only 15 months apart & two pregnancies that close would have been a strain anyway, veggie or not!

I would ask GP / midwife for advice especially re. calcium, they might not be supportive tho - mine weren't, and I was "only" vegetarian!

EricNorthmansMistress · 09/10/2010 14:40

You can try by all means! I was lacto free for several years, was starting to introduce the odd bit of cheese etc when I got pg, and spent the whole pregnancy guzzling yoghurt mainly, but did not deny myself any dairy that I fancied. I did not crave meat (boak) despite being assured that i would

FannyLogan · 09/10/2010 14:51

Of course you can; I did. It's no biggie.

Read 'Feeding Your vegan infant with confidence' by Sandra Hood (I think) starts with TTC

Original poster

ColleenEatsVeg · 09/10/2010 14:54

thanks everyone for the comments and to Fanny (heheh) for the book recommendation :)

OP posts:

PutTheKettleOn · 09/10/2010 19:07

I had 2 vegetarian pregnancies, never once craved meat (bleeaarrgh) and the midwife told me I had one of the highest iron counts she'd ever seen! I did however crave milk like it was going out of fashion and drank gallons of the stuff.

As long as you keep an eye on your diet and make sure you are getting the right nutrients you will be fine. Rather you than me though, I tried going vegan once and lasted a week!

ivykaty44 · 09/10/2010 19:16

There are a lot of people in this country who are undernourished but not underfed getting pg.

I would doubt a vegan watching her diet would be lacking in food for herself and baby

wastingaway · 09/10/2010 19:21

As long as you're not a picky eater vegan, ie. living on ready salted crisps, then you'll be fine.

Do your research, Vegan Society would be first stop for that, and get yourself armed to the teeth re: breastfeeding info if you're planning to raise the baby vegan too.

Vallhala · 09/10/2010 19:33

I went through two pregnancies as a vegetarian and never once had a problem. My iron levels were fine and I certainly didn't start craving to eat any kind of flesh. I'm not the most health conscious of vegetarians either, being one on moral rather than health grounds and fond of the odd pizza.

I've several friends who have been just as healthy through both vegan and vegetarian pregnancies so don't see that it's a potential problem.

The biggest problems are those who will tell you that you MUST eat meat in pregnancy and. if you intend to bring your child up as vegan or vegetarian, how you are damaging them and what a dreadful mother you are for imposing your views on your child.

I always find that the term "Get lost" works very well in such circumstances. :o

scottishmummy · 09/10/2010 19:33

if you have balanced nutrition yes,but will require bit planning.depends how picky you are

Vallhala · 09/10/2010 19:34

Apologies for the dreadful grammar. I think I have too many problems in the above post!

Galena · 09/10/2010 19:36

Chil1234 - Do you have the same doctor as me? DD went through the whole pregnancy being called 'parasite' for the same reason - the Dr had told me that's what an unborn baby was like! For some reason when she was a girl I felt really bad (If she'd been a boy I would have been ok with it I think!)

nemofish · 09/10/2010 19:37

lol at term 'loose veggie.' That is so me. I craved beef stew (??!) throughout pregnancy, was horribly anaemic but I was not very careful with my diet. Best of luck to you OP, I am sure you will be fine.

Panzee · 09/10/2010 19:38

Valhalla even as a carnivore I agree about the "get lost"! :o If it wasn't diet it would be something else people would comment on.

CoraBear · 09/10/2010 19:51

Hi Colleen,
I'm a vegan, currently 4 months into pregnancy, I'm also a nutritionist and to be honest it's no biggie. I don't crave any meat or dairy products and I'm happy enough. The baby is fine and all my vitamin and mineral levels are great.

The doctor wasn't arsed that I was vegan, just warned me that the food in the hospital might be crap when it comes to choices.

Everyone will tell you that you must eat meat but they'll be telling you all the things they think that you are doing wrong so just ignore it.

TarheelMama · 09/10/2010 20:49

I'm not vegan but one of my very close friends is and had a very healthy pregnancy and now has a beautiful healthy 9 mo DD. It can be done, but you should definitely listen to your body, it will tell you what you need.

Good luck!

thisisyesterday · 09/10/2010 20:58

i have had 2 veggie pregnancies, and one vegan pregnancy

all my babies were whoppers, happy healthy little bundles.
ds2 and ds3 are also vegan themselves due to egg/dairy intolerances (hence me being on vegan diet too)

my iron levels have never been so high as when i stopped eating dairy!

midsummerfae · 09/10/2010 21:57

Hi Colleen, I' m in a similar situation, vegan and ttc. I think it's perfectly possible to be vegan in pregnancy, as long as you're read up about it.

I'm taking a pregnancy multivitamin and DHA capsule, which contains the brain boosting essential fatty acid that is in fish oil. It is derived from algae(where the fish get it from too). I've heard Floridix is a good supplement in pregnancy ( some have honey in them tho')

Also trying to pack my greens in for folic acid and calcium, there's as much calcium in a head of broccoli as a glass of milk. Folic acid isn't likely to be lacking in a vegan diet, but B12 is less abundant, so keeping that covered by fortified soya milk/ marmite.

I'm generally just trying to get a good 'return on investment' in terms of nutrients from calories, rather than empty calories from cake etc. It is hard though! Will eat a bit more protein and more fruit smoothies etc once the baby's growing.

Don't know how I'm going to deal with cravings, I've heard they can be ferocious, think I'll try to analyse what I'm craving and work out what food has similar nutrients from the plant kingdom! Best of luck with the bun baking :)

terryble · 09/10/2010 22:57

I had a pretty much vegan pregnancy (I ate milk chocolate and I tried a margarita pizza once). We're all fine! I took pregnacare and osteocare tablets (by vitabiotics) which were approved by the Vegetarian Society. Those might not have been vegan, but I'd decided that vegetarian tablets were good enough, given personal circumstances.

Cravings turned out not to be a problem. I in fact had hardly any cravings. Instead, I had "turn-offs" where I could eat hardly anything, except crumpets! Veganism didn't really restrict my diet at all- it was pregnancy that did that!

One perk of veganism is that the majority of food-warnings didn't apply to
me. This allows you a entirely new range of sarcastic responses when people start making comments about "are you making sure you...?"

Don't eat raw egg? Check.
Don't eat liver? Check.

Anyway, good luck with ttc, and I hope you're a joyful parent at whatever point you'd like to be!

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