to think I can have a vegan pregnancy

[ColleenEatsVeg]

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.

Never been vegan but pretty strict veggie and never craved or ate any meat while pregnant. Unless you have only been vegetarian for a short while it would seem a really strange thing for your body to crave.
You will certainly need to think 3 times as hard as anyone else about what you're eating in order to avoid the negative views of others. I would imagine drinking/smoking/shovingchocolateintomouthlikegoingoutoffashion whilst pregnant (I did only one of these) would be much more dangerous.

I did it. Had no problems, HCPs were non fussed by it all. Only thing you NEED to do (if your successful) is get DH to bring all your food in the hospital.

Didn't really do anything differently at all. I trusted my diet before hand, so didn't see why I needed to analyse it now. Only thing I did differently was take the vitamins, but more for a just in case measure.

I'm am sure that my diet is much healthier than most people. MIL doesn't eat red meat or green veg, but was worried about my iron levels.

So in conclusion YANBU, just carry on as you are

(is there a vegan section anywhere?)

My aunt had a very sucessful vegan pregnancy and her daughter (10) is healthily vegan too. Whereas at the same time, I had a failed vegetarian pregnancy and I still eat fish.

Maybe the vegan society would be a good starting point for information.

I'm veggie (though not vegan) and had massive steak cravings (and gave into them) whilst pregnant with DD. These disappeared approximately five minutes after DD was born, when the hospital offered me lamb stew... I looked down at her gorgeous newborn face and was struck by the horror that must have been felt by the mummy sheep giving up her baby sheep to be made into lamb stew. Hormones, of course... but I don't think I'd lapse again.

Yep, you certainly can! I did and my DD's very healthy! She has grown physically at a fantastic rate and is very bright and happy (smug mum moment - sorry).

Yes, the Vegan Society has useful info, but it's really very simple. As others have said, the list of what-not-to-eat-when-pregnant is all animal products isn't it (apart from alcohol, of course)? No probs for us vegans then!

If you feel the need to take a supplement, Pregnacare's vegan (and not tested on animals).

If you'd like to PM me to chat about it I'd be very happy to offer advice. I'm not a dietician, but I have done the vegan pregnancy thing!

BTW, I am the only vegan in my NCT group (all others are meat-eaters) and only I and one other woman wasn't iron-defficient during pregnancy. I think it's common generally for pregnant women to become anaemic, but certainly not caused by not eating meat.

Sorry - me again! I thoroughly recommend the book Skinny Bitch, Bun in the Oven A Gutsy Guide to Becoming One Hot (and Healthy) Mother! here It's an entertaining and very enlightening book. Full of all the reasons why you should have a vegan diet if you're after a healthy pregnancy.

I am veggie, mostly vegan.

However, when I was preganant with ds I was sick up to 20 times a day for he whole nine months, didn't eat hardly anything and the little I did came straight back up again, I even lost over four stone in weight throughout my pregnancy as I starved (I was 17 stone when i fell pregnant though and had complete wankers for doctors and midwives who wouldn't help me with at all) and ds was fine.

People always focused on the fact I didn't eat meat when I was pregnant, I didn't eat anything for nine months, i awlays wanted to scream that at them and whack them.

If you do your research and eat the right things I dont forsee any problems

I was never a great meat eater but went totally vegetarian during my pregnancies.
I couldn't stand the smell, look or texture of meat.
I also went off milk, coffee, tea, wine...

I've had 3 babies now (veggie pregnancies!!) and all was fine, I did have low iron but i know meat eating women who've had same problem.
I was low in vit b12 too and injections were considered but didn't happen in the end.
I never had cravings for meat/fish while pregnant!! Good luck with ttc!

I'm not vegan; I'm veggie my whole life (almost 50).

I was violently sick for the first 4/5 months. I had ketones in my urine from just about day 1.

I ate only avocado, basil, melon, apricots and nuts throughout the whole pregnancy.
I went through the whole diabetes monitoring from mnth 2 -10 of the pregnancy every time I had an ante natel check-up due to the ketones.

Quite a while afterwards ( and I'd been BF for about 9 mnths; research came up that the Women in Brazilia have the "richest" breast milk due to Avocadoes.
It then transpired that apricots are brilliant for regulating blood sugars.

I think the clue is to "listen" to your body.

I ate a fillet steak off my DH's plate when my DD was about a year and an half old. I have no explanation for it; and haven't eaten meat before or since.

Labels and stances are unimportant. It comes down to what feels "right"

I'm not vegan or veggie but did find meat and fish a complete turn off when pg.

I did however crave dairy with my carbs and would've been lost without chocolate milkshake when I had heart burn. And M&S prawn mayo sandwiches (not fishy fish)

I also found pg vitamins made me very constipated but when I got anaemia a liquid iron supplement was great.

I say go for the vegan diet but don't feel bad if you dont stick to it. You are no longer a person in control of your body. You are the host for your parasitical baby and everyone will have opinions. I just used to say "really? I'll bear that in mind" then carry on.

Penelope why are ketones bad?

Sorry for slight hijack but I'm a fan of Atkins style eating, total opposite of OP but is to keep my blood sugars steady.

I bet your DH wasn't too impressed at you eating his fillet steak!

I'm vegan, as is DH. 10 years plus. We had our first baby yesterday. I didn't crave meat at all, and had the smoothest pregnancy of anyone I know. DS is delightful. :)

We have set up a website for vegan parenting here - www.veganparent.com - am still adding to it, but hope it's of some use to you.
Any questions, feel free to PM me.

Congratulations, AbFabT! :)

Looks like a great site!

Climber, not so much a vegan section, but we have a thread for vegans here:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/food/984090-Vegan-Vegan-friendly-MNetters-the-new-thread-sign-in-here?pg=1

Ooh, thanks, Booja! :)