Vegetarian Mommies: Is it a Boy or a Girl?

Question

Okay, I've been a vegetarian since I was 12 (now 22). My boyfriend and I plan on having children one day, BUT he said only if I eat meat while I'm pregnant!! (whatever).
He also believes that our chances of having a BOY BABY will be slim to none if I stay vegetarian. So, this is to mothers who are vegetarian: Did you have a BOY or GIRL? Details please.
Thanks!

By the way, we've been together almost 8 years and he is not a jerk who values boys over girls. I wanna have boys and girls.

Answer 1

Considering how "informed" most vegetarians and vegans claim to be I am disappointed by the quality of the answers for this question!

In truth, and in practice there is a big difference between children born to vegetarians and omnivores:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/869696.stm
Scientists have uncovered a way to increase the chances of giving birth to a baby girl - become a vegetarian.

A team from Nottingham University studied the impact of diet of pregnant women on the gender of their child.

They found that while the national average in Britain is 106 boys born to every 100 girls, for vegetarian mothers the ratio was just 85 boys to 100 girls.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/286265.stm
A vegetarian diet could be responsible for genital defects in baby boys, according to BBC-funded research carried out by scientists in Bristol.

Researchers found that boys born to vegetarian mums are five times more likely to suffer from hypospadias, a condition that effects the male urethra.

In general, a balanced diet containing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and lean meats is the best diet for human beings. Vegetarian diets scrimp on vital nutrients and overdose on soy products which tend to raise the amounts of female hormones in the body. Male embryos do not react well to the higher hormone levels. More male embryos are miscarried leading to a higher rate of females being born.

Personally I would be more concerned with links to birth defects than the 85/100 ratio but to be safe I would limit the intake of soy immediately before getting pregnant and during the pregnancy.

On the other hand, ADULT men have a lot to gain from a high soy diet:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040330090046.htm
A team of scientists has discovered that a little-known molecule created in the intestine when soy is digested is a natural and powerful blocker of a potent male hormone involved in prostate cancer and male pattern baldness. In fact, the molecule, equol, completely stops in its tracks the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which normally stimulates prostate growth and causes male pattern baldness.

It is a good idea to do a little research before making major life changes...and look to REAL science sites that include citations in their stories. Many sites promote vegetarianism without citing reliable sources. As with any information....CONSIDER THE SOURCE.

Bad sites-(Lacking in citations and scientific evidence)
http://www.goveg.com/
http://www.vrg.org/index.htm
http://www.vegsource.com/
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/
http://www.vegsoc.org/
Also take note of how the website is presented and how many things they are selling.

Good sites(With appropriate citations and documentation)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism
http://news.bbc.co.uk
http://www.sciencedaily.com

Answer 2

Your boyfriend is a jerk.

For whatever anecdotes are worth -- my vegetarian mother had two girls and two boys.

All quite healthy. And, thankfully, my father isn't a wanker who'd ever try to make her change her diet.

As the person above me posted, there's some indication that more girls are born to vegetarians. I think further research is required, given what would've very obviously happened in the Hindu population by now. I'm currently pregnant, but I dislike soy; I'm pretty sure the gender odds are 50-50.

That's not a "(whatever)" sort of thing. What else about you does he want to control? Grow up and find a real man.

Harsh, but.

Answer 3

I'm not a mom but I think what your boyfriend says does not make sense. How can something like being a vegetarian determine the sex of your future child??? That is absolutely ridiculous! Sex of the baby is determined on the sex gene from the male (XY); the Y is the one that determines if the child will be a male but if it is replaced with an X (from mom) then the child ends up a girl. None the less, all babies regardless of sex, in the womb, all babies are girls and then later continue to grow as female or become a male. If you really have questions about your diet, consult a doctor and dietician but more than likely, it is probably untrue.

Answer 4

I'm semi-vegetarian (I eat fish sauce) and my mom told me the same thing. I think this is a common belief in old Chinese people.
But the closest thing I've heard to determining the gender of the baby non-genetically is based on your mensuration cycle. The closer you are to the time of ovulation, the more likely the baby will be a boy. This is based on the fact that female sperm can withstand a more acidic environment than male sperm. During ovulation, the mom becomes more basic, and the male sperm has a better chance of surviving.
An alternative is to follow the Chinese conception calender. It doesn't have much scientific basis, but it's been tried and has the trust of many Chinese people.

Answer 5

Here's a little science for you - the father determines the sex of the baby, not the mother. It has to do with the chromosomes in the human body, feel free to look into it if you're interested. The important thing is, beyond everything else, nothing you do will affect the sex of your baby.

As an aside, my good friend and his wife are both vegetarians, and have been since before they married 8 years ago. They have 2 boys as well as a girl.

Answer 6

Wow, that is pretty messed up. I'm sure he has the best intentions, but I cannot believe after 8 years of being with a vegetarian, he is so completely ill-informed about the lifestyle.

Therefore, the solution would be to inform him.
:)

Here is some info on being veg and pregnant from the Vegetarian Society
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/preg.html

More on pregnancy one veg kids
http://www.vegsoc.org/health/vital5.html
http://www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert/articles/school.html

Type in anything you would like to know in the "search" bar at the top.
http://www.vegsoc.org/shared/cgi-bin/sengine?kw=pregnancy&rk=3&pn=1&lp=10&tp=%2Fsearch%2Fsearch.tmpl&idp=%2Fsearch%2Fvegsoc.swish&search=Search


Hopefully, he will willingly get information he needs to not force his views onto your life and body. *If* he refuses to learn about this, that would be saying some things on your relationship and his respect for you.

If this has come up now after so long, it is probably time you two had a talk about your goals for family and future if you haven't already... sounds like he would not let you raise your children vegetarian.

Good luck. Hope everything goes well and you have a happy, healthy vegetarian pregnancy.

Oh yes, and if you don't have a veg-friendly doc, I suggest you find one so you can have the best prenatal care. My friend (male)'s parents were told they were killing their children by rasing them veg 20 years ago. He is healthy (and male), intelligent and in college.

Answer 7

you will have whatever gender swims the fastest from the sperm pool! Being vegetarian makes no difference whatsoever. I have two perfectly healthy boys, and one girl. You need to address the issue of eating meat while pregnant, long before it happens. If your body is not used to meat now, it certainly wont process it well while trying to grow a baby. He needs to be educated about this fact, clearly and deeply. You obviously are getting adequate nutrition by not eating meat. You can add protein grains like quinoa, millet, etc, or, if you eat eggs, thats adequate protein. I would address this long before getting pregnant.

Answer 8

I sorry but not eating meat has nothing to do with the gender of your child.
http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/realveganchildren
all these children had mothers who were vegan when pregnant with them. You can see there are some boys there. show your boyfriend this.

Answer 9

your diet, personal health, etc. does not in any way relate to whether you will have a boy or a girl. personally, i would reconsider having a child with a moron like your boyfriend who knows nothing about reproduction and is nonsupporting of your lifestyle. He obviously doesn't know that a child's gender is determined by the sperm (that's his end of the deal.) eggs are always the x (girl) chromosome and sperm carry the y (male) and x chromosomes. whichever one meets the egg first determines the sex. you are more likely to have a boy the closer to ovulation you have sex. boys are faster swimmers but girls live longer.

Answer 10

You are delusional if you think the percentage of boys to meat-eaters is higher. There is no need to even ask the question.

And good luck with making a father out of your boyfriend who obviously values boy babies over girls. And, good luck in your relationship with someone who doesn't respect your choice to be veg.