Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [126]
Early Education and Proper Planning
Preparedness is a skill to be encouraged in anyone about to have a baby — heaven knows that once the baby arrives, just leaving the house will require packed bags, extra clothes, sunscreen, toys, extra wipes, food, beverages, and a Sherpa to carry everything. You and every other expecting woman — vegan or not — need to plan ahead for your nutritional and health needs. You also need to plan on many people chiming in about everything in your life — especially your diet.
Family and friends will almost certainly express their concern, either with questions or outright demands, about whether a vegan diet is healthy for a pregnant woman. Begin to familiarize yourself with the standard nutritional recommendations for pregnancy, do your research, and take a deep breath. Your loved ones have your best interests at heart, but only you can make the right decision for your health and that of your growing child.
In this section, I help you educate yourself and your surrounding friends and family about your decision to remain vegan throughout your pregnancy. I also emphasize the importance of eating well before becoming pregnant and of exercising appropriately during your nine months.
Educating your loved ones about your dietary choices
I remember my loving mother-in-law recommending that I should eat some meat when I told her I was tired during my third trimester. I tried to explain that my exhaustion had more to do with the fact that I couldn’t sleep because I had leg cramps, a constant need to go to the bathroom, and a baby that kicked incessantly throughout the night. But she still was pretty sure that a steak would help me feel better.
You can choose one of two paths to a healthy and sane relationship with your friends and family during your vegan pregnancy: total silence or calm, educated responses. Sometimes you can use a combination of the two. Read up, as every mother-to-be does, on the various recommendations for proper nutrition. Educate yourself about which vegan foods provide the necessary requirements for you and your baby. Be prepared to answer questions about protein, iron, and nutrition.
Leave books on healthy vegan pregnancy lying around so your aunt and cousins can skim through them during your baby shower or family dinner. Not only will the books show your loved ones that you’re doing your homework, but they also may ease any of their concerns.
Studies have proven several times over that vegan women can and do have healthy pregnancies and babies. One of the longest-standing studies on vegan pregnancy comes from the Farm community based in Tennessee. Members of this group eat a vegan diet and give birth attended by trained midwives. As reported in the scientific journal Pediatrics, this group of vegan women has a remarkable record of delivering babies of normal, healthy weight without the need for interventions or cesareans. Printing out a few studies like this can help you and your family feel better about your choice to remain vegan throughout your pregnancy.
Your own nurse-midwife or obstetrician may have little experience with pregnant vegans, and she may question your choices or even pressure you to change your diet. This is another good opportunity to share your knowledge with others and dispel the myths that vegans aren’t healthy.
Begin keeping a detailed record of what you’re eating so you can show everyone how good your nutrition actually is. This record can come in handy to show your healthcare provider that you’re getting everything you need. You may even be able to help other pregnant vegans down the road by showing them your nutritional information and recounting your successful pregnancy.
Eating well before you’re even pregnant
Ensuring that you’re getting proper nutrition for yourself before you get pregnant is the best way to ensure a healthy pregnancy. So if you know that you may want to get pregnant