pregnant vegetarians? please help!!!

[bambi06]

ive been a veggie for more than 20 years and never really liked meat even as a child and decided that was it i couldnt do this to the poor animals anymore so stopped meat, any way since being pregnant for the third time ive been craving meat and even dreaming about the damn stuff, and yesterday i nearly put a peice of meat in my mouth ,the craving was that bad but i dont want to eat meat on moral grounds as well as health issues but i know i have problems with anaemia [always have] and obviously thats whats happening now and need iron but im supplementing myself with spatone which is normally enough but being pregnant is upping my demand and im waiting for my blood test results to come back which im sure will show low iron , anyway what should i do with these cravings....give in to help my body or drive myself nuts plus feel tired and look pale a the moment ...whta would you do as a veggie and how did you manage through pregnancy..normally im a very healthy eater and well aware of how to get iron but my body doesnt always absorb all the iron req`d ...any suggestions?

bump

For hour a truly delicious and sure fire way of upping your levely within a few days is apricots. 4/5 unsuphured apricots a day were recommended by my gynae. I have since recommende to anyone I know who has been low in iron and it really works.

Another alternative is Floradix liquid (but that can be hard to find outside of health food shops) Also ther is spa tone. This is a water that is naturally rich in easily absorbable iron. You can get it from the larger Boots.

All three methods really do work and none of the side effects like constipation that you get with tablets.

Just noticed that you already use spatone. I suggest you try apricaots. The other advantage withthem is that you can nibble through the day keeping sugar levels up.
x

not veggie myself but are you avoiding tea with food and having OJ instead to maximise your absorbtion?

might be worth getting your B12 checked too

Hi,

I've been veggie for a similar amount of time and am currently 39weeks with dd2. personally I've never had the craving for meat during pregnancy, however, every now and then i do question my vegetarianism re-assess my views.

i've come to the conclusion that for me my natural squeamishness about eating corpses is my main reason for being veggie and animal welfare concerns a secondary reason. I've considered eating organic meat and freedom foods but can't get past the fact that it's dead flesh.

Anyhoo, what I'm trying to say in a roundabout way is why not give yourself a break, if you're craving meat eat it but make sure it's of a high welfare standard?

I had a real craving for some chicken during my last pregnancy (I've been veggie for 12 years) anyway I gave in and bought a hot, ready cooked drum stick. It was disgusting. But I'm glad I tried it because I think it would have driven me mad to want some but not have any.
I would agree with profYaffle anyway, if you're craving some then give in, after all, the animal is already dead anyway and either you'll eat it or someone else will!

From an animal welfare point of view, unless you're a vegan, or a very strict lacto-ovo vegetarian who is scrupulous about things like organic dairy and eggs, animal rennet in cheese, vegetarian wine and beer, non-leather shoes etc - the vegetarian moral position can be pretty shaky anyway. You've abstained for more than 20 years - you've done what you can to limit the amount of animal suffering you've been complicit in (that being your main concern). If you are craving meat to the extent that you describe, surely the easiest approach would be to cut yourself some slack as Yaffle says and just eat some. It's not like you'll go back to being an omnivore forever after - you might not even like it, as Fivefour points out.

My cousin was vegetarian and started eating meat again in pregnancy.

I think you listen to your body.

Dried apricots as Fingers said or wholemeal toast and orange juice (you need vit C to help you absorb any vegetarian source of iron).

In your shoes, I might try a taste of meat - I believe in indulging pregnant women. Wouldn't have floated my boat but don't think you should worry too much.

i was in the same boat, i just gave in and ate it occasionally. i had ridiculously high iron levels throughout my pregnancy so i don't really know what the craving was all about. i eat meat now but only cos i live close to a really good butcher.

try floravital (i think that is what it is called) or floradex they are a really good tonic one of them is yeast free which is good for pregnant woman as you are more prone to thrush.

I'm 35 weeks and vegetarian. i have had serious craving for steak (just steak - no ther meat).

I decided to give in as I was finding it hard to eat anything at all! And if my body was craving it I thought it would be best for the baby.

I have rationalised it by

1. It's the baby eating it not me!
2. I made my husband go vegetarian on the nights I ate meat!

I'm not preg but have had two babies - have been veggie for nearly 23 years and the only time I have seriously craved meet was during pregnancy...I wasn't anemic then though, but have been since and strangely when I was very anemic I didn't crave meat at all...If you have decided to stick with the veggie thing, try having loads of tofu accompanied by vitamin c - it's packed with iron and if you jazz it up can be a bit like meat - same goes for quorn burgers/pieces, although they don't have as much iron in them...Pumpkin seeds and pulses are also fab for iron. The spinach thing is a myth though - there's more iron in broccoli apricots or mushrooms!

I would see someone who was sympathetic to vegetarianism but could advise you on nutrition. It sounds like you have some serious deficiencies if you are getting such strong cravings for a food you really dislike. I could ask at my local health shop if you like? The owner is wonderfully knowledgeable and could probably advise something. Maybe you have a local independent place where they could give you some help?

Other than that, I can't say what I would do in your position. None of us are morally perfect and I believe we mostly do the best we can, making the decisions that we feel are right for us at the time.

Don't forget to eat plenty of dark chocolate too

thanks all for your messages, frannyandzooey would you mind asking at your local health shop as they might have some advice unbeknownst to us..i`d really appreciate it as i feel wrong to go back on my decision to eat meat ..i know i didnt like it as a child and can remember how i felt , maybe it will be the deciding factor once i try some and hopefully find its disgusting.i also wonder how my body will cope with some strong protein like meat?
my dh keeps on about apricots.he devours them by the packet as does my dd but i just cant stand the taste of them..what about dried apple rings/ i also eat seeds but obviously cant have nuts in pregnancy as i do love them normally..i do eat quorn and tofu but theres only so much you can eat before you get fed up of the same foods..i like my variety

I've been veggie for 15 years (DH and DS are also veggie), and during my first pregnancy I craved meat. So I ate it. The craving went away at about 20 weeks and I haven't had meat since. I'm now 25 weeks into my 2nd pregnancy and have not had any desire for it. I wasn't anaemic with either. I mean, some people want to eat clay or dirt. Who the heck knows what's going on?

If the craving is that strong, just go with it. You'll soon be back to normal!

And you can eat nuts while pregnant, just not peanuts. Almonds and Brazil nuts are good sources. You can find cashew nut butter in health food shops and spread it on whole wheat bread, eat with orange juice. Very iron rich!

Dried fruit: peaches, figs and dates are also good, if you hate apricots. Even raisins.

And don't forget fortified breakfast cereals, some are really packed with iron - check the labels on your favourites.

Yes I ate nuts during pregnancy, I think you only have to avoid them if you've got a history of allergies or athsma in the family. A handful of nuts and seeds with lots for fresh fruit is a really easy way to get your iron in, as is molasses on wholemeal toast with freshly squeezed juice at breakfast. I personally don't believe the pasteurised juices sold in cartons contain much in the way of vit C after all that processing, but maybe I'm wrong. Better to eat an apple in my view.

I've been veggie for over 20 years too and never had any desire to eat meat when I was pregnant, don't know if it was the fact my iron levels were OK throughout but the idea of meat disgusted me then as it did before. Had a mad craving for Scottish smoked salmon though, but you can't eat that in pregnancy anyway so I was saved.

Why don't you try TVP? Not the mince but the chunks. The texture is not too far off and you can make the flavour of the sauce "meatier" by adding marmite, mushrooms etc. That might work, unless your craving is for something a bit bloodier...

Bambi I will. I should see the owner this afternoon so I will see what she says.

thanks i`ve got roast turkey in the oven for tonights dinner ..dd and dh love meat big time!! and the smell is actually quite nice for once..worryingly so!!!

"Yes I ate nuts during pregnancy, I think you only have to avoid them if you've got a history of allergies or athsma in the family"

There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about this. You can eat most nuts even if you have a history of allergies or asthma - it's peanuts only which some people think you should avoid.

Also, the food standards agency explicitly states that it doesn't advise against eating smoked salmon in pregnancy, as the risk of listeria from it is so low.

i`m avoiding nuts as my son reacted to a lot of fs when he was a baby and i have hay fever and allergies to medicines and some foods so sticking clear

I second unsulphured or normal apricots. I think you need to make sure you get vitamin C to help absorp the iron (or is that calcium??). My m/w also said lentils are very good for iron, so I used to have dahl and rice at least once a week...

but bambi, what I'm saying is there's no need to steer clear of most types of nut: there's no evidence that eating them causes any problems for the baby at all. It's peanuts only which are supposed to be risky.

Hi I am a vegetarian and 18 weeks pregnant.The first 10 weeks was hell as I craved red meat with a passion...especially lamb and mint sauce. I would literally drool at the thought.

My iron levels were absolutely fine so it wasn't that. I tried to compensate by eating those quorn lamb flavoured grill things with LOADS of gravy and mint sauce. I also did lots of stir fries with thick chinese sauces and tofu to 'pretend' I was eating meat of some sort.

the other think I craved was seafood and I would fantasize about a plate of 'bodies' such as prawns and mussels and cockles

Like you I almost caved in a couple of times but just couldn't for moral reasons.

The cravings faded at week ten and im so relieved that I didn't cave in as it makes me feel quite sick thinking of it now.

Good luck!

Bambi - unfortunaly you dried apples etc dont work has to be apricots. Any wway you could hide the taste?