Were you vegetarian while pregnant?

Question

I'm not pregnant now. I was just wondering what it was like for you and what you ate on an average day. Are you happy you did it? If you didn't have a veggie pregnancy, would you have if you were pregnant now?

(I also asked this in the vegetarian/vegan section.)

Answer 1

I answered your question in the vegetarian/vegan section, where you are, er, getting better answers.

Ignore the 'eating meat is more healthful/necessary' answers. 'It caused allergies' -- ?!? This section is full of bizarre cause and effect...

I do worry about these people. Not that I'm bothered by people eating meat, but if their knowledge of nutrition is so poor that they honestly believe meat to be necessary, I have to figure their diet must be suffering.

Pregnancy brings out lunacy, especially in dietary matters. There's a good whack of "OMG! I ate something marinated in red wine!" here, panic over nuts, etc.

In my experience, the standard reaction from doctors and midwives on finding out you're vegetarian is "Oh, that's good!"

I'm not positive that's warranted; for all they know, I could be living off cheese pizza and fries. I suppose it at least guarantees I'm not living off beefburgers...

And I hate to say it, but I've been looking everywhere for proof that a healthful diet actually improves pregnancy outcomes, and coming up empty-handed. It's clear that being deficient in certain vitamins causes problems, and unhealthy mothers tend to have more difficult labours -- but as for evidence that all the health food I eat will actually make for a better baby? There just isn't any. There're undoubtedly placebo-effect benefits given all the propaganda about healthful diets in pregnancy, but.

Answer 2

Hello there.
I have to tell you the truth about this and I am not sure if I am proud of it or not! Because I have studied so much about nutritional needs during pregnancy, and specifically the need for protein, I did eat meat when I was pregnant.
It was not a decision that I came to lightly. I fought with it long and hard. The problem is, "I know me". I am not real good about getting enough protein even when I am NOT pregnant! I am just not real conscientious about getting all the protein I need. I also moved back to Indiana after living in Florida where I had access to lots of wonderful fresh seafood. That changed also.
So, I ate meat and lots of it when I was pregnant with all four of my children. I craved meat when I was pregnant also which is something that I never do other wise. I ate meat probably three times a day! I could eat a huge steak when I was pregnant and normally just the sight of steak makes me ill. But, not when I am pregnant! It is really the only time that I could justify it in my mind. I knew it was morally wrong but I did it for my babies and I have never been sorry. All of my children were large, healthy babies. They say that there is a correlation between infant IQ and protein intake by the mother and all of my children are super smart so I tend to believe it!
That is my story anyway!
Good luck and I hope you make the right decision. I am sure that it is possible to get plenty of protein without eating meat, I was just afraid that I would not be able to do it!
Love and Blessings
Lady Trinity~

Answer 3

No, but I have a friend who was a vegetarian during her pregnancy, and it hurt the baby so much, the kid has a load of allergies of all sorts, and what's funnier, he can't eat much of anything except meat! Isn't that funny?? Tha kid has more health problems than any 90 year old man!!
I don't think I want to try being a vegetarian let alone while preganat. Either way, I think you should consider talking to a doctor and make sure you get enough nutrition, cuz during pregnancy it's critical!

Answer 4

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/realveganchildren

In 1974, the FDA found dieldrin in 85% of all dairy products and 99.5% of the American people. The EPA discovered that the breast milk of vegetarian women contained far lower levels of pesticides than that of average Americans. A study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine found that "The highest levels of contamination in the breast milk of the vegetarians was lower than the lowest level of contamination…(in) non-vegetarian women… The mean vegetarian levels were only 1-2% as high as the average levels in the U.S."

Answer 5

I used to be a vegetarian, but decided to eat meat again in case I have a baby. I thought to myself, "I don't like the idea of killing animals, but I care about my baby more". If a baby doesn't get enough protein and calcium, he can get rickets and other diseases. If you do decide to be a vegetarian while pregnant make sure you eat plenty of protein rich foods....beans, nuts, eggs etc. I would consider taking a protein supplement too...like protein powder. I would talk everything over with my doctor first, though, to see how much protein your need. Proteins are the building blocks of the formation of your baby. If you are a vegan, then you need to take supplements of calcium and vitamin D too. The rickets disease comes from a lack of those two vitamins.

Answer 6

I ate alot of healthy food but i mainly craved for chinese when i was pregnant. My daughter wouldnt let me eat anything made from chocolate: cake, cookies, doughnuts, etc. unless it was a snickers candy bar or ice cream bar. All is good tho, at least she got the nutrients she needed when i was pregnant with her.

Answer 7

No I wasn't a vegetarian but I did eat as healthy as one.

Answer 8

No, I didn't have a vegetarian pregnancy and no I would never want one either. I'm a meat and potatoes kind of gal.

Answer 9

No, but I only ate chicken. Only meat I could hold down.

Answer 10

i ain't veggie but i think they lack the necessary vits from meat etc