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omni wants to switch to vegan diet during pregnancy

1K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  zoebird 
#1 ·
Hi all! On one of my pregnancy boards, an omni wants to switch to a vegan diet - she is newly pregnant. She has a 7 year old son who is allergic to dairy and eggs, so they already don't buy any milk or egg containing products - and she and her husband are ready to take the leap to vegan, had been planning to start in march when she found out she was pregnant.

She wanted to know if this is a safe time to switch, and I didn't really know an answer for her. I'm hesitant to tell her yes if she doesn't know a lot about eating right, and afraid it might be a tough task for her body to handle both the changes of diet and body at once. I asked her if she eats meatless meals often now, and I'm waiting for a response. In the meantime I told her that if she eats a lot of whole foods (beans and lentils and whatnot) and just the occasional organic chicken or something, it might be easier on her. What would you guys tell her?
 
#2 ·
She can absolutely have a very healthy vegan pregnancy-as with any omni pregnancy she must be careful to get all the nutrients she needs. She will need lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts, etc.

I would recommend to her to get both some books on vegan pregnancy-and to visit a veg-friendly nutritionist to help her along the way.
 
#4 ·
I went from omni to vegetarian during my first pregnancy, but not vegan. However I think she can switch to vegan safely, as long as she makes sure to get a reliable source of vitamin B-12 and omega-3 fatty acids (the developing baby needs DHA). Since her son is allergic to dairy, I would bet they already have soymilk around, which is probably fortified with B-12 (and if not she could switch brands). And freshly ground flaxseeds make a great addition to smoothies, and chopped walnuts can be put on breakfast cereal, oatmeal, salads, soy ice cream, etc.

Hey, maybe you could direct her to this site! I'm sure she could get a lot of great advice here.
 
#5 ·
it's absolutely safe to switch. it might be more challenging (to learn about the nutrients and get them all in while pregnant), but there are some great books out there (i've listed them before) about natural, vegetarian/vegan pregnancies and related. so, no real reason not to.

but, be sure she takes Udo's perfect blend DHA.
it'll help.
 
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