Vegetarian and pregnant - advised to eat fish/meat

[GuppieK]

I wonder if anyone can help. I've been vegetarian since the age of 10 and have always assumed I eat a pretty varied and healthy diet - lots of fruit, vegetables, pulses, seeds etc and tofu, 'Quorn' products, soya etc.

Recently me and my partner have been trying to get pregnant and I've had 2 early miscarriages and am now pregnant (7wks) for the third time. This has coincided with me seeing an osteopath (who is also a nutritionist) for a shoulder injury and he has started to look into my diet as he thinks I might be lacking in protein which could be the reason my shoulder isn't getting better quickly.

He seems to think my diet is pretty unhealthy, lacking in vital fats and protein, and that I should really at least eat fish and preferably meat. Today he has said that the reason for my miscarriages could be that my body isn't up to carrying a child so aborted the pregnancies. We've come to the compromise that I'll take a hemp protein supplement (I already take flaxseed oil and a multi-vitamin) and also reduce my soya and 'Quorn' consumption, as he says they're heavily processed foods and not good for us. But I'm super paranoid now, and I was already paranoid because of the miscarriages! I feel like it's possible to be a healthy vegetarian and provide a baby with everything it needs to grow, but after 24 years of being vegetarian my beliefs are being severely tested and I'm wondering whether I need to start at least eating fish.

Has anyone here had a healthy vegetarian pregnancy, and what types of food did you make sure you got lots of? Thanks :)

Change osteopath! What a load of rubbish!! I'm vegetarian, was advised in first pregnancy NOT to start eating meat or fish as too big a dietary change. Now, in second (also trouble-free) pregnancy, and iron levels very good (only thing midwife said might ever be a veggie problem, and to eat lots of leafy greens like spinach if it was, which is isn't). I've also had lots of osteopathy treatment over the years, and never had any unprofessional comments about anything else, how outrageous, so cross for you!!! Shoulders do take time to heal, sounds like he might be trying to find excuses for that. Also, anyone can call themselves an osteopath I believe, without necessarily being registered with the professional body (forget what that's called, but there is one!). His problem, not yours, don't worry yourself any more about it.

I've also been vegetarian since I was 10 and was fine through pg1 and so far with this one. My iron levels were fine throughout my preg with DS unlike many friends who had to take iron tablets despite eating meat and he was born a healthy 7.3lb.
I never overly stressed about my diet, I like dried fruit and nuts so ate these, put spinach leaves in salads etc, broccoli, peas and other green veg, throughly cooked eggs are also good and I ate bags and bags full of haribo (I don't think this helps with the healthy veggie diet but made me happy :) ). I did try to eat some fish whilst preg the first time round and was sick for 2 days after with terrible stomach cramps (although can't say for sure this was because of eating fish, it put me off trying again).
Babies are born all over the world (and throughout history) to people with a variety of diets and lifestyles.

Sometimes vegetarians are deficient in zinc, which helps with wound healing:

www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Zinc-Deficiency.htm

If you're worried then perhaps ask your Dr if you should take a zinc supplement, or even better just eat plenty of the veggie foods listed that contain zinc: cereal products, peas, beans, eggs

The osteopath is a trained nutritionist, you have paid for his advice. I think its not helpful to say I ate xx and I'm fine and so is my baby. Presumably he was looking at a food diary given over a period of time so he could make an informed judgement on your nutritional intake. If you want to analyse your own intake a weeks food diary on fit day or my fitness pal would help to see for yourself where improvements can be made or where you may have shortfalls.

You certainly sound as if you eat a varied diet. I would agree and say that quorn products are just another processed food, avoid if possible. Soya gets good and bad press, generally fermented soy is Ok, as eaten in Japan, but they use it in very small quantities and do not process it into other products as the West do, like milk and ice cream.

I think it's as easy to have a healthy, varied vegetarian diet as it is as a meat eater. Although there are veggies who live off chips and mayonnaise, for most people it makes them think more about what they eat, where it's coming from and whether it's balanced. Lentils, quinoa, eggs, nuts, etc all good sources of non-meat protein.

I've never been anaemic or had any pregnancy complications despite being veggie.

Most miscarriages are either random bad luck or caused by an undiagnosed medical problem, I've never, ever heard lack of protein quoted as a reason by anyone. If your osteopath quack can find a peer reviewed, medical study which backs up his claim then I'd consider it. To blame you and your diet for your losses is disgusting behaviour from another human being but unprofessional and dangerous from someone who acts as though they're medically qualified (even though their profession lacks any actual qualification).

Good luck with your pregnancy, I hope all goes well this time.

Unless he is totally confusing the lack of protein C/S (anti clotting factors) as lack of dietary protein. There have been headlines saying lack of these proteins causes miscarriage but that's genetic and not related to diet.

Bollocks. There is no evidence for what he is saying, in fact how dare he suggest you are in any way responsible for the miscarriages. I think that is disgusting. Many meat eaters have poor diets. Vegetarian diets are perfectly healthy if thought out and adequate amounts of all vitamins. How the hell does he think women in parts of the world with low meat intakes (and often inadequate nutrition at all) have babies ever. Irresponsible idiot. Take fertility advice from a doctor not an osteopath. Fwiw I have been veggie for 23 years and had a nearly 10lb baby, lost over 500ml blood at delivery and was never anaemic during pregnancy or after.

Dollydowser, nutritionist is not a protected term in the UK. I could set up as one tomorrow.

Speak to an obstetrician/fertility doctor about your pregnancy losses, not some bloke who has set himself up as an osteopath-cum-nutritionist. He has absolutely no idea what he is talking about. Women eating an extremely limited diet in the developing world carry babies to term.
To be honest I would look for another opinion on your shoulder as well.

I've been a vegetarian since I was around 4 and managed to produce healthy twins- I actually struggled to eat anything most of the time due to hyperemesis.

My consultant wasn't worried at all about me being veggie-.

Nutritionists are also not experts in miscarriage, ffs. What an insensitive thing to say. I'm sorry for your losses, and hope this pg goes really well for you.

First of all, sorry to hear you've been going through a tough time recently - hope things improve soon for you.

I've nothing technical to add, just to add my voice to the many to say I've been veggie for over 24 years now and have never really calculated a nutritionally sound and "healthy" diet, just ate a similar diet to that which you describe in your original post. DH has been veggie for about 5 years following the same diet as me too. We are blessed to have two lovely, healthy girls, both "surprises" (DD2 [6 weeks old and squirming away as I type] was conceived 3 months after DD1 was born and shouldn't even have been possible!). I took vitamin suppliments as usual but that's all and had good, healthy pregnancies.

I am very suspicious of the advice you've been given and would seek further advice/professional opinions before you make any changes which would make you feel uncomfortable. Good luck!

There is at least one book that is a "vegetarian pregnancy guide" - you could probably find it on Amazon. I saw one at our library (along with books on raising babies as vegetarians).

I thought I may have had issues carrying a successful pregnancy cos of a known gynae problem but was told that medically they don't usually investigate unless you have had three consecutive miscarriages. Hopefully it won't come to that for you.

it sounds like he is talking from personal belief or possibly laziness? so many people think that because meat and fish are high surces of protein (conveniently ignoring how much damage it can potentially do) that they are the only effective sources. As an Oesteopath it is not in his remit or experience to diagnose reasons for miscarriage. i have had two miscarriages, neither of which are to do with me being vegetarian and when i went to the miscarriage clinic to try and find out the cause it wasn't even factored in (as it turns out i have sticky blood so it doesn't matter what i eat - it's getting it through to the baby that's the problem). anyway i have had a healthy baby on a strict vegetarian diet - he is now nearly 3, a vegetarian also and doing great! i do eat a lot of Quorn, i know it's processed but so is a lot of meat... through pregnancy i have been eating what my body tells me (interestingly i have had no cravings for meat!) and the only problem extensive blood tests have shown is a very slight low iron count.

ultimately you must do what you feel is best but i would be reluctant to put the opinions of an unqualified (in pregnancy and miscarriage) person above my own belienfs, i'd want something more tangible. sorry to go on. H

Is he selling you the hemp supplement at a huge markup by chance ?

He clearly knows nowt about nutrition and even less about miscarriage

I haven't read all the previous posts, so apologies if this has been suggested already. If you have had two mc's you should consider having your Natural Killer cells and immunes tested, plus discuss with your doctor about taking low dose aspirin on a daily basis.

There are also lots of other medications that, if suitable, can help prevent mc, such as clexane, prednisolone and progesterone support. You would need to see a specialist though and the NHS won't refer you until you have had three mc's, which means going private at this stage.

Google natural killer cells, immunes and miscarriage if you want more info

Also, if you want very specialised pregnancy/fertility nutrition advice, the Zita West nutritionists/dieticians are fantastic and really know their stuff:

www.zitawest.com/pregnancy/treatments-available/nutrition-and-pregnancy/

Thanks so much for your replies, especially the helpful links and info and the people who are vegetarians and have had healthy pregnancies and now have healthy vegetarian children!

To be fair, he has looked at 2 weeks' worth of food diaries and I don't think it's a bad thing that I've been reminded about getting plenty of protein and omega 3s. Some days I probably do rely on carbs and veg (ie pizzas and salads and stuff) and at the moment I'm so determined to be as healthy as possible for this pregnancy I've never eaten so well! I'm putting seeds on everything, grazing on nuts and seeds, eating beans in at least one meal a day and gross hemp protein powder in my yoghurts...

It's just that he seems to think that the proteins in non-meat sources aren't as good as meat ones, and that raw food also isn't good along with Quorn, soya and other processed veggie foods, which makes it quite difficult for me to eat anything good in his eyes!

In hindsight, I think his comments about the miscarriages were pretty uninformed and probably not correct. I've read lots about what can cause early miscarriages and my doctor thinks it's hopefully just bad luck I had two in a row, that the conditions just weren't right. I guess I'm just looking for ways to make this one go okay and starting to listen to advice I normally wouldn't consider.

Another vegetarian (no fish) here for 20+ years; didn't cause me any problems when pregnant or breast feeding for 2 and a half years! I now have a lovely vegetarian 5 year old DD :)

I agree. Two miscarriages might well make you feel that way. If it helps, I m/c my first pregnancy, but went on to have 3 healthy pregnancies and babies. I've been veggie for 25 years. My youngest is 1yr.

I admit to relying a touch too much on quorn, but it's never been a problem. Sounds like you are eating very well and taking good care of yourself. I doubt you could do much more. Good luck with everything.

Hey just wanted to say I agree with everyone else. Vegetarian diet is as good as a meat one and protiens are as good and don't forget carbs have protien too such as wholemeal bread! That's why beans on wholemeal toast has all the protiens your body needs, beans have one part, toast has the other oh and plunkett I hate to say but haribo are not veggie friendly as they contain geletien from cows normally.

I've been veggie all my life (and born to a vegetarian mother who had three healthy babies). Currently pregnant and midwife's only worry was iron levels but my blood tests have shown that they're excellent.

As long as you eat a varied, healthy diet, the lack of meat is not an issue. In fact, it's a massive myth that we need huge amounts of protein to survive anyway.

I was vegetarian through out my pregnancy. I don't eat processed soy proteins. My main sources of protein are:

• Eggs
• Yoghurt
• Cottage cheese
• Lentils
• Chickpeas
• Seeds and Nuts

I come from a family of staunch vegetarians and all the women in my family have had good pregnancies without complications and defeciencies.

The trick is to diversify your diet and avoid processed food as much as possible.

I meant the 'trick' to a healthy vegetarian diet. I don't know if processed soy can be linked to miscarriages, but avoiding processed food is always a good idea.

I think it's perfectly possible to do vegetarianism whilst pregnant, but I don't think it's possible to live on pizza and salad. Your protein needs are higher because you are building a whole other person inside you. Pizza and salad aren't going to cut the mustard.

It's great that you're snacking on nuts and seeds, and your osteopath doesn't sound great, but he does have a point in that vegetable proteins are not as accessible as animal proteins. This is not to say that you need to eat meat, but I would add plenty of eggs into your diet, as for humans these provide the most accessible proteins and a big dollop of vitamins and minerals.