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Vegan Pregnancy

1K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  honeyandcardamom 
#1 ·
I have been transitioning to become vegan for about a year and am ready to take the final step and go fully vegan. My only concern is that I am trying to get pregnant, and I worry that when I do become pregnant, it will be difficult to get the proper nutrition I need.

I've looked at a bunch of forums and blogs, and find that a lot of pregnant vegans rely heavily on soy products which I am not comfortable doing. The research I have done isn't conclusive enough to convince me that eating soy daily is safe, so I try to eat tofu/edamame/soy products just 1-2 times a week.

What are some other quick/easy/ ways to get in enough calcium, protein, vitamins, etc, while pregnant & vegan? Anyone with first-hand experience?
 
#2 ·
Hi honeyandcardamom,

Several members here on VeggieBoards have had fully-vegan pregnancies, and I believe that we will hear their advice shortly.

You might also find it useful to make an appointment with a Registered Dietitian who specializes in prenatal nutrition and in vegetarian/vegan nutrition. They will be able to give you definitive, evidence-based information and advice. They will also have good suggestions for meals and supplements (if needed).

In the United States, you can find a local Registered Dietitian this website: http://www.eatright.org . Just click on the "Find an Expert" button, located in the upper-right-hand portion of the webpage. (As an aside: when my Mandarin-speaking niece and her husband were expecting their first child, I was able to use this website to find a Mandarin-speaking Registered Dietitian that specializes in vegan nutrition. This website is very useful!)

In the U.K., you can find a local Registered Dietitian on the Freelance Dietitians website: http://www.freelancedietitians.org/

In New Zealand, you can find a local Registered Dietitian through the Dietitians New Zealand website: http://dietitians.org.nz/find-a-dietitian/

In Canada, you can find a local Registered Dietitian at the Dietitians of Canada website: http://www.dietitians.ca/Find-a-Dietitian.aspx .
 
#4 · (Edited)
I miss @no wheyjose!
She had a completely vegan pregnancy, and a healthy baby boy! No drama from her! Look up her name in the search, as well as the relationships/vegan kids forum!
I wasn't even fully off meat during my pregnancies, and can only imagine how hard it can be fending off friends and family! Certainly far harder than nutritionally!
Off the top of my head I'd say look up Mayim Bialik and Alicia Silverstones books. I know there are lots of great books from health sources -search amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=vegan+pregnancy+books&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Avegan+pregnancy+books
 
#5 ·
I was a gestational surrogate for a friend and delivered her baby boy last month. I was vegan throughout the pregnancy and had no trouble at all. Baby was healthy and full term. I made sure to eat every few hours throughout the day (5 small meals). Occasionally, I would use vegan protein powder and vegan protein bars. I really like the Vega protein powder and would mix a scoop into a smoothie if I thought I hadn't had a good amount of protein. I did eat some soy products, but don't like to every day. I tried to eat a good amount of whole grains, beans, quinoa, nuts, seeds, fortified nut milks and of course lots of fruits and veggies. I also took a good prenatal vitamin daily as well as an iron supplement and a calcium/magnesium supplement. I am currently pumping for the little guy and his mom is always telling me how much he loves my milk :D

The only gross craving I had was early on I really craved fried chicken. No idea why and never ate it. It was weird because I would crave it and then if I thought about eating it, I would get grossed out. If I had cravings for something vegan though, I always ate it. I did crave walnuts dipped in molasses, which is really good and I indulged in, lol
 
#6 ·
Wow, thank you @David3 for all those links, I will certainly check out a local dietitian, such a good idea!

Thank you @speairison for the first-hand advice! What an amazing thing to do for a friend, congrats! I have NEVER heard of dipping walnuts in molasses, lol. I guess I'll have to give it a shot :)

Thanks to everyone for the helpful input!
 
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