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Vegetarian's and motherhood!
I have been Vegetarian for many years and have had children whilst still following a vegetarian lifestyle. I have 3 children who are now 5 years old and two who are 2 years old.
I did not find much opposition to my diet whilst I was pregnant. (The only time was a discussion with my consultant about blood transfusions, I did not want a meat eaters blood� luckily I did not need a transfusion!) The main opposition or plain ridicule came from uninformed family members.
If you are a vegetarian and are planning a family, (or indeed already pregnant) then you should pay even closer attention to your diet.
I suggest Sarah Brown's book about conceiving and pregnancy, as that is the one I found the most useful and invaluable.
My main role pregnancy was to eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet, therefore giving my children the best start in life. (More so with my second pregnancy as it was a multiple one, and my first child was born 7 weeks prematurely)
This is a time when you will pass the effects of your diet onto your children. So I have outlined some of the parts of my diet that I paid attention to whilst I was pregnant.
Energy (calories)
During the last two trimesters your intake needs to increase by about 300 calories.
This is best achieved with unrefined and wholefood, nothing fancy just wholewheat pasta and pesto sauce or home-made flapjacks�If you make your own then you can add whatever ingredients you wish, therefore adding the extra nutrients that are needed in your diet.
Protein
In this food group you will find amino acids. I do not fully understand how they work, but proteins build and repair cells throughout the body, so food containing protein is definitely essential!
Tofu, wholewheat bread and baked beans on toast all contain protein. If my memory has not failed me completely then all but one of the amino acids are found in baked beans on toast�.
So never let anyone tell you that a quick snack of Beans on toast is not a good enough meal!
Vitamins and Minerals
Different ones do different things, but if you eat plenty of fresh fruit and veg then all the hard work is for these is done.
Natural and whole foods are excellent sources, so try making your own vegetable juice or fruit juice.
Calcium
This is necessary for helping your baby to develop strong teeth, bones and skin. Calcium is best absorbed when your body is rich with Vitamin D and Boron, the latter is found in apples.
A good source of calcium is hummus, or again vegetable juice. Cheese and milk are a good source, but there are many other foodstuffs that are nutritionally better than cheese or milk.
Folic Acid
An increase in folic acid before and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy has shown to reduce the risks of spina bifida. Folic acid can be found in green leafy veg, such as spinach.
(Personally if we eat spinach it is the frozen chopped kind, and I add it to mashed potato)
Iron
This is necessary to form new blood cells for mum and her growing child. It is needed to form blood and for carrying oxygen in the blood.
A lack of iron can cause anaemia, but being vegetarian does not mean you are more likely to have a lack iron while pregnant. It is a myth!
Women are all different and therefore differ greatly at absorbing iron, so eat iron rich foods with foods rich in Vitamin C, as vitamin C helps the body to absorb more of the iron.
Iron rich foods that I indulged on were dried apricots, red kidney beans and the good old baked bean!
Tea and Coffee should also be avoided for at least 20 minutes after eating as they help to deplete your body of Vitamins and minerals.
Do also watch out for the usual "No No's " when pregnant�such as raw eggs, and certain cheeses.
I do not know whether my well balanced vegetarian diet was the reason why my three children are healthy, but I believe that I did all that I could to ensure they had a fighting chance from the very first moment.
What I am really trying to say is�..all pregnant women should ensure that they are eating as healthy as possible. The more refined the food you eat is, the less goodness your body can extract from it.
Get yourself clued up on the facts about the food you eat and then you can feel satisfied that you gave your children the best start that you could possibly
The vegetarian Society
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