vegetarian and iron

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I'm vegetarian (have only been vegetarian for 3 years now) I still eat eggs and drink milk...etc, just no meat. I'm 20 weeks and still feeling very exhausted and on and off nausea and a friend told me maybe I'm not getting enough iron. How would I know for certain if this is the case? Is it a blood test or something that the gp can check for with the urine sample that he collects every few weeks?

you may well be anaemic - the gp can do a blood test to check.
You can buy Spatone (liquid iron supp that won' constipate you) from Boots etc - add it to orange juice.

Eat a steak

My FILS girlfriends has been veggie for years , she is 38 weeks pregnant and been eating steaks and allsorts for the last 3 months, she said she felt like her body needed it so just ate as she felt at the time.

Im not really suggesting you eat a steak if you really don't want to, lol, but isn't it strange how your mindset changes whilst pregnant?

A blood test can check your iron levels and this is done routinely anyway.

If your levels are low you will prescribed iron tablets x

I'm veggie and when pg managed to up my iron levels quite easily by making some minor adjustments to my diet.

• eat cereal in the mornings and add a handfull of nuts, seeds and dried fruit (raisins, apricots etc.) plus a spoonful of wheatgerm.
• if you eat porridge then sweeten with molasses instead of sugar/honey.
• always have fresh fruit or freshly squeezed juice at breakfast to help with iron absorption.
• eat plenty of leafy green veg and cauliflower/broccoli/cabbage or anything from that family- eat tofu and up your consumption of pulses. Eat more eggs if you can too
• vary your cereals, instead of the ubiquitous pasta and rice try substituting with quinoa and millaet every now and again as they're quite iron rich.
• eat everything wholemeal - bread, pasta etc.
• accompany your meals with a good source of vitmain C to aid absorption (salads, chopped tomatoes, fruit etc.)
• snack on nuts, seeds and dried fruit instead of biscuits and cakes. Alternatively make cakes and biscuits with lots of nuts and raisins.
• eat a little cocoa rich (at least 70%) plain chocolate every day.
• avois tea or coffee altogether if you can, or don't drink either within half an hour of your meal as the tannin inhibits absorption.

HTH

I am 18 weeks and exhausted. I am also a vegan.

I have had a blood test and my Iron levels are completely normal - don't let people convince you that just because you are a vegetarian and exhausted then you must be Iron deficient. Its probably just a pregnant thing!

Ask your midwife to test your iron levels - I'm sure they will do it for you.

Very much agree BClass. It's a common misconception, non meat eaters are no more likely to be anaemic than meat eaters.

I remember being "advised" to eat meat in my pg by a carnivorous colleague, who ended up being hospitalised herself with severe anaemia and calcium deficiency in the 3rd trimester of her pg. Ah the satisfaction.....

I would agree - it is easy to say someone is anaemic because they are veggie - probably nothing to do with it. It irritated me that when I said that I was on the cusp of anaemia everyone said "oh it is because you are veggie" whereas there were plenty of meat eaters in my ante natal group who were anaemic (well, not that many but you know what I mean!!)
Good suggestions from BRangelina. I had hot choc before bed each night - purely for the iron of course!

Thanks for that list brangelina! That's really helpful. I eat quinoa quite a bit and drink loads of natural juice.

BCLass - thanks! people are always so "concerned" about being vegetarian and pregnant... i'm constantly asked (with worried looks) if I'll raise my baby vegetarian. ugh!

i think Brangelina post is great,i tried most of it but the no tea ,spinach and dark chocolate and orange juice were my favorites!.im veggie and had to cope with all the 'oh the baby needs meat while its inside you'all 3 times!idiots.i was fine,babies all fine and healthy.also turned out that im normally low on iron and when pregnant each time was only time i wasnt!lol

Both mine are veggie - they are the kind of children that people look at and say "gosh, are you feeding them steak" and then look shocked when I say they are veggie...

mine are veggie(dd and ds1 havent always been,i am veggie but their dad eats meat so they made their own mind up,this week their veggie!ds2 has always been ).dd and ds1 are little like me and people blame it on their diet.ds2 is like their dad and people are shocked.

was bit upset while ago when my veggie baby(well 2.5 year old lol) was found sucking cocktail sausage at a party!!