vegetarian diet for pregnant women?

Answer 1

All my kids were born with my wife on a begtarian diet. Don't see a problem with it.

Answer 2

My wife is vegan. Eating in such a way is natural for all humans and not a problem. But, there are certain herbs and things which should be avoided during pregnancy (such as sage, coffee, alcohol, sugar, medication, cig smoke, soda pop, drugs, and all that bad stuff). Otherwise, if you are healthy, there's no need to look at special foods or vitamins etc. The most important thing is variety. Eat lots of different things (but not at one meal! Thus, don't drink soymilk then eat oranges; that sort of thing; looking in the toilet will tell you if you are mixing foods properly or not). This should be your regular diet anyway. My wife does not take vitamins or supplements rather she get her nutrients from food and focuses on whole foods and avoids sugars, white flour, white rice, and refined products in general. Basically, when pregnant, you have to be on your very best behaviour and never give in to that craving for junk food or whatever, it’s your baby that will be affected, not you.

Answer 3

Given any reasonable diet, your baby will get all it needs, thank you very much. It's you who may end up deficient however.

For all vegetarians, oils are essential to watch. Its the balance of saturated vs. polyunsaturated and the total volume to which one need attend.

You need 20 - 30% of your calories in the form of oil, and they best be vegetable based, unrefined, certified organic, stored in glass, and refrigerated.

Add hempseed oil if you can find it fresh (it should be sweet). If not that then use an omega oil blend.

Not much else you can do wrong really. Add some fermented foods maybe.

I can't believe pregnant people still eat meat to be honest.

Answer 4

I really suggest you read the book called "Your Vegetarian Pregnancy" by Dr. Holly Roberts.
I had a wonderful pregnancy and a kept my normal diet but added Brewers Yeast and Seaweed daily to my meals. Also to increase breast milk production I drank home made seesame seed milk, almond milk, walnut milk and oat milk. Nuts and seeds were soaked overnight. Read this book is a good and very educational.

Answer 5

This can certainly be done, although you will need to be aware of different kinds of health issues than carnivores. You won't need to worry about some vitamins, but will need to worry about others.
That said, I know several vegetarians who suddenly found themselves carnivores for the duration of their pregnancy. Two of them told me that they woke up one day before they knew they were pregnant feeling like it would be ethically/ nutritionally acceptable to eat meat. Only later they realized their feelings were related to pregnancy cravings. Both went back to vegetarianism later. For what it is worth.

Answer 6

Information on being a healthy, happy vegetarian mother to be.
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/vegetarian-pregnancy.php

Info on B12 and sources
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/getting-enough-vitamin-B12.php

Where to get all your vitamins and minerals
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/vegetarian-pregnancy-2.php

vegetarian baby food
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/vegetarian-pregnancy-3.php

More info on being veg while pregnant, including, appropriate weight gain, balanced diet and meal planning
http://www.andrews.edu/NUFS/Vegetarian%20Diets%20During%20Pregnancy.html

Do your own research and go do a veg-friendly doctor... some of them only have nutrition information from the first half of the century, but many have the information you need.


Tips-
(the second is a "dot-com" website, but seems to be one of the legit ones
http://www.veg-world.com/articles/pregnancy.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_5354_be-pregnant-vegetarian.html

Answer 7

Be very careful. The #1 thing vegetarian women miss for their baby is fat that leads to brain development. Eating meat insures better pre-natal brain development, and women who deny their babies' meat, can shortchange them in the brain dept.

Ask a dietician what you can substitute to prevent this. If you are ovo-lacto, so much more's the better. Eat some fish, too if it fits in your principles.

We are meant to eat SOME meat for biological reasons, but I understand that some do not want to. Be careful, and feed that baby right!

Answer 8

Of course!

Answer 9

As long as you get your Dr's consent then there shouldn't be a problem.