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 :)

Small interjection, but how is osteopathy any more quackish than physiotherapy (available on the NHS)? Genuinely interested, since they use many of the same principles. Ben Goldacre is a journo who wanted to sell his book- I suspect that hyperbole may have entered into the equation.

I don't think osteopathy is quackery at all. Although I don't think an osteopath should be giving half-baked statements advice on pregnancy nutrition.

The nutrionist bit is the quackery. Anyone can say they are a nutrionist. His advice seems poor.

Ben Goldacre is also a qualifed doctor.

I don't think osteopathy in general is quackery, but there'll be quackish idiots in any group, my old GP comes to mind, apparently babies are not physicallly able to feel pain and there is no such thing as infant thrush! - I think HE was an idiot but not GPs as a group, and I don't think the OPs osteopath is typical of osteopathists in general either

Hi all
Sorry this post is a bit out of sync with the rest of the thread it refers to a post I made early on which a couple of people have commented on and i've had a couple of private messages about. I hope this doesn't seem insensitive as I think this thread is important to vegetarians who are worried about there diet during pregnancy and the advice to the OP has generally been very good and supportive.

I made an off-hand comment regarding eating Haribo and a few people have pointed out that generally Haribio is not veggie friendly . Admittedly I am Vegetarian as I do not like the taste and texture of meat (hense why I tried fish in last pg) and although I do try and avoid by-products am not overly concerned by this. However Haribo do do some vegetarian products, some of these have been discontinued since my last pregnancy which was some time ago but there are some available online or in some veggie shops.

Just for anyone interested here's a Link to one shop although there's a few if you google it.

Thankfully this time i'm craving savory so no such conflict but thank you to those that were concerned that I was eating something and not aware of what was in it :)

Yes Igggi, its always good to ask about research.
Here is some research into link of stress and miscarriage:

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 March 7; 103(10): 3938?3942.
Published online 2006 February 22. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0511183103
PMCID: PMC1533790
Physiology, Anthropology
Cortisol levels and very early pregnancy loss in humans
Pablo A. Nepomnaschy,??§ Kathleen B. Welch,¶ Daniel S. McConnell,?‖ Bobbi S. Low,? Beverly I. Strassmann,,** and Barry G. England???
Author information ► Article notes ► Copyright and License information ►

Life events and miscarriage.
T O'Hare and F Creed

• Author Affiliations University of Manchester Department of Psychiatry, Manchester Royal Infirmary.

Risk factors for first trimester miscarriage--results from a UK-population-based case-control study.
Maconochie N, Doyle P, Prior S, Simmons R.

Stress triples threat of an early miscarriage
By Sarah Womack, Social Affairs Correspondent12:01AM GMT 23 Feb 2006? Www.telegrah.co.news

Stress and immune mediators in miscarriage
P.C. Arck1,3, M. Rose1, K. Hertwig2, E. Hagen1, M. Hildebrandt1 and B.F.
Accepted April 4, 2001.

To name but a few....

Our sympathetic nervous system is switched on when we are stressed- which means our bodies are ready to "fight or flee" a stressful situation, not feed or breed or rest and repose as it is in parasympathetic mode.
Studies have shown that cortisol, a hormone that elevates during times of stress, may cross the placenta and interfere with the development of the embryo in early stages of pregnancy.

Sadly, obviously there are many reasons for miscarriage, stress can be a contributing factor for some people but not everyone as some people's systems are better at dealing with stress than others. .

Ps. B12 is found in dairy and eggs, but best and highest form is in meat and fish (chicken 2mcg, sardines 25mcg).

As regards protein being important in pregnancy it IS important, pregnant women need about 70 grams (g) of protein per day (Non-pregnant women: about 45 g). Protein is made of amino acids which are the fundamental building blocks of our cells and our babies cells.

I stand corrected on Quorn being mycoprotein-but watch for salt, fillers and sulphites-almost as bad as nasty sausages!

I can't see a healthy vegetarian diet being a miscarriage risk.

Recent research linking veggie maternal diet to insulin resistance via b12 deficiency weightoftheevidence.blogspot.co.uk/2007/12/vegetarian-diet-in-pregnancy-insulin.html in India . There is also research somewhere about veggie maternal diets and low fatty acids (vital for brain and other cell membrane development). Oily fish a couple of times a week would probably help with both of these, if you could bring yourself to. Hope you have a healthy happy pregnancy and baby.

I thought pregnant women were now meant to avoid fish because of the pollution?

Or if you'd rather not eat oily fish, take a supplement. There are plenty of good vegetarian Omega 3 supplements as detailed upthread.

Babeinbumpkinland it's amazing any babies are born at all, given how stressful many people find pregnancy. Presumably people who are most unhappy and anxious to find they are pregnant spontaneously miscarry? But that's not the case is it.

I do question the usefulness of telling anyone who is worried about miscarriage that stress could make it worse - the idea that you can switch off worrying about your baby is a strange one. Instead it just gives you something else to feel guilty about when your baby doesn't make it.

newfashioned - interesting but not sure I'd take the word of one blog, reporting on one study, among a specific population in India who may have all sorts of different diet, lifestyle and health issues to the average person in the UK, as evidence of anything that would form the basis of serious dietary recommendations. You need to look at meta-analyses, reviews, and the consensus of scientific evidence.

What's more, the main issue they can identify in that study seems to be lack of B12. I mentioned this way down the thread as an issue that we veggies need to be aware of. But there are veggie sources of B12 - fortified foods such as cereals, milk, and yeast products such as marmite. It's more of an issue for vegans, tbh, as most veggies will get enough from dairy products anyway.

Igggi. I absolutely know what it feels like to not be able to switch off worrying about a pregnancy, but I am talking about prolonged stressful life situations that keep our nervous systems in 'fight or flight' mode.
I know two people who did everything to conceive. Interestingly doctors could find no reason why either couldn't get pregnant, it wasn't until they each removed themselves from stressful conditions (a job and a living arrangement) that they both became pregnant. .
Surely if the link is there it is better to know the risk and put the necessary changes to your life in place if possible.

Sorry haven't had time to read all the thread, but thought I'd comment as today is my 23rd veggie birthday! That's 23 years with no meat or fish.

I'm not a healthy vegetarian. I've always eaten what I liked (lots of dairy, eggs, carbs, cereal. ) As a kid I never really liked veg, I eat more now but not masses and I'm allergic to lots of fruit so have to have that in moderation. I've never taken any extra vitamins except for folic acid when pregnant. My Mum was convinced I'd be anaemic when I was young, but I was tested regularly and even when I was pregnant I was always well within the healthy levels.

I've also got 2 strong healthy children who've suffered no ill effects from my vegetarianism. They were/are breastfed. My 4yo loves meat. She hasn't yet realised that I don't eat it and I'm not pointing it out. She can make her own decision in her own time. My 8mo son hasn't tried it much yet, but he's a huge boy at 24lb (ish) so it's not doing him any harm either.

About the only change I made to my diet when pregnant was to drink more milk... or milkshakes... My MW advised a pint a day as the baby would take calcium first from my diet, then if it still needed more it would get it from my teeth or bones. I also found if I went a couple of days drinking less milk I'd get leg cramps at night.

Good luck with your pregnancy.

Sorry i havent read all the comments but wanted to reassure OP that I have been veggie for 27 years and have 3 v healthy veggie children. The fact you are already thinking of nutrition means you are already more prepared than many many pregnant ladies. I am sure you will eat a good balanced diet and that is already putting your baby in a better place than a great many babies on this planet. I had fertility issues, and in 3 years of testing never once did my vegetarianism raise an eyebrow. I saw specialists in Kings, Guys and also the great man Mohammed Taranisi. None of these fertility specialists were concerned with a veggie diet.
I wish you all the best for a healthy and happy pregnancy. Good luck!
x

I was veggie for 26 years before having my DS nearly 6 years ago. I don't eat fish either. My pregnancy was text book and I didn't even need additional iron supplements. I think my diet was very healthy beforehand and so I only changed a few things during the pregnancy: had a spirulina smoothie each day and took a Solgar food supplement (for pregnancy/lactation).

I breastfed him for 18 months and continued with the Solgar/spirulina and never ever had any problems.

Take the advice that makes sense to you and run with your gut instincts.

That attitude that we need meat is so infuriating. I am vegan and managed to have one of the healthiest pregnancies my midwife had ever seen. Her words. Soya and tofu are high in calcium, much needed in pregnancy. Eat as much soya and tofu as you can. Eat dark green veg - high in iron. Especially kale. Soak dried fruit in a bowl of boiling water mixed with a tablespoon of molasses and have with some granola for breakfast with yoghurt or milk.

Get some sprouting beans on the go, these help your body absorb nutrients properly. And eat beans - the no.1 protein bubble. Don't forget peas are also beans, so is hummus, lentils etc. It's easy to chuck a can of butter beans, haricot peas or other into any dish.

Above all, invest in rose Elliot's guide to vegetarian pregnancy. I buy that book for all my pregnant friends, vegan/vegetarian or meat-eater. It has wonderful nutritional advice and is the best baby-book I've come across. It's no nonsense.

BTW, I have had 3 miscarriages. Absolutely nothing to do with my diet and everything to do with nature.

Sorry, late to this thread and haven't read the whole thing. I'm veggie, and with DC1 I remember loads of friends/family members offering me shite 'advice' on how much protein I needed and how I needed to eat meat. Strangely, no one ever said a word to my cousin, who does eat meat, but no vegetables or fruit other than lettuce (rarely). Seriously, none. My natural, organic, healthy veggie diet drew all kinds of criticisms, while her survival on Pringles and scotch eggs drew not a word.

And your osteopath is a tool. Find a real doctor.

It is possible to have a healthy vegetarian pregnancy but it may be that you could need changes to your diet to achieve that, just as many omnivores need to make changes before getting pregnant. Even if you have by most peoples standards a healthy diet you may have genetic or environmental ssues which mean you need a bit of extra help from your diet.

The best way to check your food status might be to have a vitamin and mineral status and Fatty Acids status check - maybe in the light of your previous miscarriages you could reasonably ask your GP for this. Not to say that diet was the cause of them, or even a contributing factor, but unless you were given a reason other than 'its just one of those things' (which always makes me want to say, well one of which things?) then it is enough of a possibility to justify asking for a test IYSWIM, for your own peace of mind.

Best of luck.