Is it a good idea to be vegetarian while pregnant?

I was vegan, then I found out I was pregnant (totally unplanned), so then stress and morning sickness made cooking an unbearable chore, so for about two months I was eating crap, mostly frozen pizza from the store, complete with meat. 

Now it is the second trimester, I have come to terms with having a baby, and am almost...occasionally...happy about it, depending on my mood that day.  Sometimes I still cry thinking my life is over but that is another story.

So I don't want to eat meat any more, I really don't like it, I feel like crap when I eat it.  So for about a week now I have been back to being a vegetarian...not vegan, I still eat cheese.  My doctor was worried when I told him, but I assured him that I know what I am doing and it will be okay.  Was I lying?  I am  not sure.

But I do seem to crave protein.  But instead of buying a meat frozen pizza to satisfy that craving, I made a black bean pizza instead, and that seemed to take the craving away.  I bought some Lightlife hot dogs and am totally addicted to those right now. 

So is a vegetarian diet okay while pregnant?

Never been pregnant, but from what I have read it is more than OK - it's extremely healthy for you and the baby to not have toxins, antibiotics, steroids, cholesterol, and saturated fats in your diet from eating meat.  You can find a lot of information in books and online.  A quick search online revealed some links:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0820/i s_n241/ai_19733248

http://www.vegetarianbaby.com/pregnancy.shtml

Hiya - though I have been vegan for 2 years I was vegetarian for just over 23 years.  When I had only been veggie for about 12 months I fell pregnant with my first child.  Out of the 6 women on my ward I was the only one who was NOT iron deficient.  My baby was normal weight range and healthy and is now a 6'1" strapping healthy lad who has hardly ever graced the doors of our doctor!  I have since gone on to have three other children - all when I was vegetarian and all 100% healthy (including my 14 year old life time vegetarian daughter who is 5'5" and about to enter her first kick boxing competition)! 

So I guess I'm saying being pregnant and vegetarian is cool - just follow healthy eating guidelines and enjoy the bump!

PS just read your bit about cravings - reminded me of my cravings with my second child - cold curry sandwiches - yuk!

Hi!

I recently asked my ob/gyn about this very issue.  (My mother continually comes up with potential "concerns" about my vegetarian diet )  My doctor said there is no issue with vegetarianism and pregnancy, as long as you are eating a balanced, healty diet and getting the right nutrients and vitamins.  He has had many patients go through it with no different risks than a "regular" pregnancy.

On a side note - it made me wonder a little why your doctor seemed so concerned - is he concerned with you being vegetarian or concerned with you not eating a balanced diet?  Do you think your doctor is knowledgeable enough about the vegetarian lifestyle and can offer you the right kind of support and information from a medical perspective? 

Wishing you the best of luck with your prenancy.  My sister had a "surprise" when she was 19 and it turned out to be the greatest thing that ever happened to her.  My niece is now 19 and I can't imagine a world without her in it!!!!  You are definitely not alone!  Hang in there!

 

Cesty-

First off, my first (and only) baby was a huge surprise.  I was depressed and quite resentfull for the first 28 weeks or so.  She is now the complete love of my life.  My husband and I just adore her.  We had only been married 6 months when I discovered I was pregnant.  I am so thrilled now, our marriage is better than ever and we are hoping to have another sometime soon too.  So hang in there, you'll fall in love just as I did.  You should seriously rent "waitress".  CUTE movie.

Second, I was not a complete vegetarian my first pregnancy, but I was shortly after, I have done a lot of research, and it looks like I am going to be just fine having another baby on a vegetarian diet, I look forward to it.  I have never felt better than I have recently on my vegetarian diet.  I would get a book on being vegan/vegetarian during pregnancy.  I personally am going to be vegetarian while pregnant, but I am waiting to try out being vegan until after I give birth.

best of luck to you!

feel free to message me if you'd like.

Hello,

I'd like to suggest that you get a copy of 'Disease-proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right', by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.  This book promotes a plant-based diet for the optimal health of you and your child.  It also goes into what the research says about the important connection between childhood diet, and the chronic diseases that occur in adulthood.

The bottom line is that what you eat during (and even years prior to) pregnancy will have an effect on the baby, and a healthy vegan diet can provide ideal nutrition.

 

A vegetarian diet should be fine.  I know I'm going to get beaten up for saying this but I wouldn't recommend a vegan diet.  At least not without supplements.  A vegan diet is very low in vitamin b12, which is necessary for the development of nerves (read spinal cord and brain).

Of course you'll have to watch the calcium, iron and folate/folic acid (although folate is most important during the first 3 months, and you are already past that).  That means lots of green leafies and alot of beans/tofu/eggs/milk for protein (and in the case of eggs and milk, vitamin b12).  No problem for a vegetarian.

B12 is needed for the proper formation of nervous tissue.  It is available only from animal sources, no plants naturally make it (cause plants don't have nerves, lol).  An adult can strip it out of their diet and be healthy, becasue a) their nerves grow only slowly and b) B12 is recycled by the body, so the b12 that they ate when teenagers they'll still be using when they are 60.

Luckilly for vegans, scientists took the gene for creating B12 from a cow and stuck it into bacteria.  The bacteria make the b12 but since they don't have nerves either they spit it out as a waste product.  That bacterial "waste" is collected, purified and added to vitamin suppliments.  So there is a vegan source of B12, unless you count bacteria as animals (which some do) or are anti-genetic modification (which many are).