Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [127]
Imagine finding out that you’re going to have a baby and you’ve been eating nothing but nonnutritious, highly processed junk food for years. Jumping into a healthy diet appropriate for growing a vegan baby would be a tough shift, especially if you start experiencing the fatigue, morning sickness, or weird food cravings associated with pregnancy.
Not only will you avoid common pregnancy pitfalls by eating healthily beforehand, but you also can really do yourself and your future baby a big favor by quitting smoking and drinking in advance. Some women don’t realize they’re pregnant until well into their second month. Drinking one or two alcoholic beverages a day while pregnant can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome as well as other complications. Smoking during pregnancy, even in the beginning trimester, can lead to low birth weight, which is associated with more health and behavior problems like stunted growth, diabetes, and low IQ for the baby later on.
Vegan foods are naturally high in many of the nutrients pregnant women need. Most pregnant women don’t have an ice cream deficiency, but they usually need help getting enough iron, vitamins, and folic acid! Get familiar with the recommended dietary allowances for iron, calcium, and other nutrients (see Chapter 4) for the average woman who isn’t pregnant. Eat a varied diet of whole, fresh, and nutrient-dense foods to prepare your body for optimal health. This diet is the best way to get ready for baby making and ensure an easier recovery postpartum for mom!
Get moving, vegan mama! Exercise and pregnancy
Some days during your pregnancy you’ll just want to put your feet up and sleep the hours away. That’s certainly okay, but keep in mind that regular exercise is good for you and your baby. Entering into pregnancy in fine shape helps ensure a healthier gestation, and staying physically active throughout the nine months will help you on many levels. Most important, exercising improves your health, and helps you handle mental stress, which in turn improves the health of your baby.
Physically, your body goes through a lot of changes during moderate exercise. You probably shouldn’t do extreme sports or rigorous training during pregnancy, but moderate exercises like walking, yoga, Pilates, lifting light weights, and swimming can all help you stay in shape.
The blood flow to your uterus can change depending on the kind of exercise you’re doing. Lying flat on your back isn’t recommended, because it can decrease the blood flowing to your baby. Also remember that your body needs more oxygen during pregnancy, even when you’re resting, so focus on regular, slow and steady exercise. Because your ligaments are looser at this time, be careful with any form of exercise; you don’t want to pull or put too much pressure on certain joints.
Prenatal yoga classes can teach you exercises that help to stretch and strengthen muscles that you’ll use during labor. These same exercises can help tone the muscles after labor, so you can get your body back into shape after the baby arrives. These yoga classes also bring together women going through the same remarkable phase of life and can help you create a community of support. Often the yoga teacher will have been through at least one pregnancy herself, and so she may be able to offer assistance with health questions you may have.
Emotionally, exercise provides a healthy release for tension or worries that you may be stewing over. Pregnancy is an incredible life-changing time, and it may bring up worries and concerns that you hold in your body. Use your exercise time to really focus on your growing love and your desires for a healthy baby. Use walking as a meditative time to breathe relaxation