25wks pg is totally the wrong time to go vegetarian!

[Bibbo]

someone talk some sense into me....!

I was veggie until about 2 years ago, and recently I've been tempted to go back to it. I really don't like meat very much! and particularly now I'm pg, the thought of it completely grosses me out. I would be delighted to go back to being veggie, right now, but I keep thinking about the possible effect on my iron levels, plus I know a few veggies who decided to eat meat during their pregnancies, which makes me think I would be very silly to alter my diet at all before DD2 is born.

So every couple of days I make myself eat some ham or bacon, think 'bowk' and try not to contemplate it too closely!

Has anyone else gone off meat while pg? as long as I eat healthily with lots of pulses, wholegrains, f&v etc, and take a non-fishy omega 3 supplement, will me and the LO be ok do you think?

Millions of vegetarian women have perfectly healthy babies. You will both be fine!

I agree with Lapsed Pacifist.

In addition, I think it takes a while to run down the iron stores that you build up when meat-eating - I'm sure this is why vegetarians who don't have an iron source in their diet take years to become anemic. Anyway, you can eat plenty of green veg and so on for iron and other essentials. If health professionals are concerned about your levels then you could go on supplements.

I was vegetarian up until about 3 years ago and I'm still a bit conflicted about it really. I haven't gone off meat completely during pregnancy, but I have gone off ham.

If eating meat is making you feel sick and you're used to a balanced vegetarian diet then i'd just go back to being veggie if I was you. You can top up your iron levels with a supplement such as Spatone if you're particularly worried about these being low.

I think, so long as your diet is healthy and balanced, it shouldn't be a problem. I don't know anyone who decided to start eating meat again in pregnancy but I know lots of people who went off certain foods (so not a conscious decision to be vegetarian but going off red meat seems quite common).

Are your iron levels ok at the moment?

I wasn't actually expecting so much support, how nice

My iron is OK I think. have been supplementing just in case. have a blood test coming up at 28wks so will see how things are then

goodbye, slimy wet ham!

You might find the change in diet could affect your digestion for a bit, eg make you constipated. It really depends what you were eating/will be eating.
You can't honestly be wondering if vegetarians can have healthy pregnancies and babies?

Hello!
Well i was veggie from being a small child, when i found out what meat was, to about 20, then spent well over 10 years eating meat. At 20 weeks pregnant i just had to stop, i never really liked it, and didnt want my baby to be made of meat! mws and docs all said to me veggies tend to have far better awareness of nutrition.
Incidentally we are now bringing 6mo son up as veggie until hes 3or4 andunderstands what meat is.
Go for it. I used to make yummy pasta with garlic chicken quorn chili and loads of spinach plus parmesan.....hmmmmmmm xxx

Im 34 weeks and a vegetarian, and am having a healthy pregnancy. Baby is growing fine and at my 28 week bloods my iron levels were normal. Iv tried to eat more spinach than usual, but that's about it. Apart from that iv just got a normal balanced diet. If your worried maybe eat fish only - or cut out the red meat which isn't really any good for you anyway (waits for mumsnet to attack me).
I think u have to listen to your body & eat what feels comfortable - why make yourself feel sick?
Go vegi you'l be fine

I would love to eat pure veggie as I live in the developing world and the meat here is dubious! But I am craving red meat! I keep trying to find a good steak, take one bite and am done!
A veg diet is fine, as long as you eat a balanced diet.

I'm 30 weeks and I'm a veggie. I haven't had any problems with my iron levels or anything. I walk 2 hours a day, I've put 12lbs on and I feel very healthy.

You can always eat more green veg and pulses like lentils are fantastic for helping with your diet x

i was veggie for 9 years til i was about halfway through my first pregnancy and craved meat like a mad thing.. i was sneaking out at lunch and buying slices of ham and eating them in the back lane before going back into work... eventually i admitted it to myself and everyone else that i was once again on the meat. 8 years on from that i still eat very little of it, and make sure its high welfare to make myself feel a little better about it.

however, as long as you are careful you can eat the right things to give you and your baby what you both need.

and there are some great veggie quorn type options around.

do what you feel is right, and if meat turns your stomach and morals, then you can both do fine without it :)

I have been veggie for about 4 years and am 38wks pg. My iron was slightly low at 28wks but I have been taking a liquid iron supplement (iron tablets are not veggie friendly) and the levels had improved by 34wks. Spatone is meant to be very good but I couldn't get it on prescription.

I've been veggie for 23 years (since I was 7) I always said that if I craved meat when I was preg then I would eat it. I was told not to change over during preg as my stomach might find digesting meat difficult (not wanted it at all anyway) However, giving up meat is a bit like just avoiding the food you are having aversions to anyway. I take vitamin supplements and omega fish oils tablets (I don't eat fish either) and MW said that would be fine.

Just go with what your body tells you x

I usually eat meat, but developed an aversion to it when I found out I was pregnant, and I've not really eaten that much since (20+5wks atm). I'm taking pregnancy vitamins and am trying to eat other iron and protien rich foods instead, that I feel like I can eat.

To be honest, for the first 14wks I think I ate nothing but cheese, carbs, crap and citrus fruits

Congrats and good luck! :)

you'll be fine - make sure you eat lots of protein - nuts, pulses etc, and green veg.

and take a pg multi-vitamin.
(the sainsbury's one is veggie)

I would think you'll be fine if you eat some eggs, cheese, yoghurt, whole milk etc, veganism would be more worrying.

But, ham&bacon are processed meats and not particulalry healthy - full of salt and chemicals, maybe that's why your body's rejecting it right now? You'd be much better off with some fresh beef or lamb, as there's large amounts of iron that's easily absorbed by the body in them.

There's two kinds of iron - haem and non-haem. Haem is easily absorbed by the body and only found animal based products, absorbed at a rate of 15-35%. The non haem stuff found in grains, pulses etc may only be absorbed at 5%. Eating red meat along with non-haem irons can apparently boost absorption though.

Weirdly I'm usually a massive steak eater but the sight of red meat makes me feel completely nauseous now that I am pregnant!! No idea why...

If you are vege, also consider protein shakes (loads of good ones in health food shops)-if you blend protein powder, oats, a banana and some milk and omega oil blend you pretty much have these incredibly healthy shake that also tastes great and meets all protein requirements...

As a veggie who fought battered fish cravings while pregnant for third time - I believe it is up to you and if you have no desire to eat meat or fish then don't you can be perfectly healthy - I was. My children are and they are veggie now.

I had a few pig ignorant remarks about vegetarian diets and 'failure to thrive' infants but you learn to tune out the bs and if you are confident you cover all nutritional requirements then you have nowt to worry about.

If you will stress about it then just wait til you have had the baby.

I definately think you should do what your body tells you - if meat makes you sick, it must be for a reason IMO. Dairy and fish of any kind went from being a treat for me and a staple of diet to being hell, unable to be contemplated! But, during 2nd trimester it slowly became bearable and now near the end I'm back to normal, even craving dairy - probably for the fat and protein needed for that big growing phase? Makes sense.

I went totally off meat for about six weeks, I just made sure I ate sensibly and it didnt have any effect on my iron levels, back on meat again now though it was just a pregnancy fad for me