So I'm fairly new to vegetarianism (just under 2 months). I initially went veg as part of a fertility diet recommended by my doctor, but have stuck with it for ethical reasons.



I just found out I'm expecting again (we've had multiple losses). I'd like to maintain a vegetarian lifestyle, but could use some nutrition resources. I've found a handful, but if you actually tally up all the calories their suggested menus contain, it's often 3K and beyond. If I ate all that, I would gain a tremendous amount of weight, which isn't good for baby, either!



I know there are many healthy veggie women out there (and really, it's easy to replace whatever protein/iron you'd get from meat). I'm just having trouble finding the guidelines I need!

There are a few books specifically on vegetarian pregnancy that might be helpful, and I know there is a great chapter in "Becoming Vegetarian" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina, which is a great resource for new and more experienced vegetarians.

I was vegetarian during my pregnancy, and it was fine. I didn't gain a lot of weight, but my baby was ENORMOUS anyway {big babies run in my family}, weighing in at 11 lbs 4 oz {hello c-section! heh}. If you're worried about your baby's growth, I'd say have your doctor do regular growth scans. Your insurance should pay for them without issue, and it's nice to have the reassurance that your baby is growing appropriately.



One word of caution -- I would DEFINITELY take an iron supplement, especially toward the end. I tend toward being anaemic anyway, but I was so severely anaemic after he was born that I could barely stand for days and days. Iron is one thing that I've always had a bit of trouble getting from my diet, and you'll want to make sure to get a ton while you're pregnant.



Good luck! I know some people will try to scare you and say that vegetarianism isn't healthy during pregnancy, but they're the same ones that will tell you it's not healthy at all. They're wrong, and I'm sure you'll have a beautiful and healthy pregnancy.

i am veg and pregnant now. i didn't really read any books per se. i would stay on the fertility diet and perhaps increase folic acid and iron rich foods. i get folic acid through beans, avocados, and whole grains. i get iron through greens and iron skillet.

oh, and i only eat about 150-200 extra calories per day, but honestly, i'm still eating roughly the same amount as i did before, which is about 1600 to 1800 calories per day.



i'm nearly 13 weeks now. not very showy (i notice), and i haven't gained much weight (about 3-5 lbs depending upon the scale and what i'm wearing), but i'm very healthy and happy and everything is going well.