Author seeks stories about veg pregnancies.
An author contacted us looking for personal stories from women who have had veg pregnancies to include in a book about vegetarian & vegan pregnancy. The author is specifically interested in how much things have really changed.
Do family members still pressure women to add animal products to their diets while they are pregant, and/or nursing? What health concerns do these people raise? In what ways are veg pregnancies different from Standard American Diet (SAD) pregnancies? SAD appears to be making many of us sick yet it seems like most docs still know very little about nutrition. In light of this, what are docs really saying to their pregnant veg patients these days? Did your doctor ask about your diet? What did you tell her? Published stories will include your name and will also be copy edited. Please include your address so we can send a free copy of the book to every woman whose story is used.
Email stories to [email protected].
I am currently 33 weeks pregnant, this is my second pregnancy. I have been a faithful vegetarian and on and off vegan for the past 12 years. I am 26 years old and a survivor of congenital heart disease. Times have definetly changed from the time I was first a vegetarian. My last pregnancy which was only 5 years ago I got a lot more negative feedback on my choice to not eat meat. I was pressured to try small portions of meat and cows milk by my family and certain medical professionals (I did and still do work in a medical clinic). I did not eat meat although tried to incorporate a little bit of cows milk. I had a healthy child and a normal healthy full term pregnancy. This time I have recieved significantly less pressure and even some support. I feel there is much more support out there for vegetarians and vegans, a lot more resources a lot more knowledge and far more products on the market. Its simple really, most people consume FAR more animal products than they need for a healthy diet pregnant or not and there are so many options that can replace the nutrients that vegetarians and vegan don’t get from animal products if not from other foods from vitamins. Especially if you eat a variety of healthy vegetarian/ vegan foods and are taking prenatel vitamins there is no reason to worry. I am fully confident in a vegetarian diet to prevent and reverse disease and to have a healthy pregnancy. Once again so far I have had a very healthy pregnancy all around, I have never been vitamin deficient and have remained 100% healthy my whole life despite multiple open heart surgeries and heart disease which I was born with. I fell like I am an example of how a vegetarian diet in many cases is the only “medication” needed to live a healthy life, even when the odds are agains you. If the corporate politics of the dairy and meat industry and old ways of thinking would subside more people would see this and not be so critical of a vegatarian and vegan lifestyle. The research is out there, it is undeniable.
Gina- I would love to talk to you! I’m a vegetarian/vegan and adopting a child from china with congenital heart disease. I’m trying to learn if there’s anything I need to watch for while feeding her a vegan diet, specifically related to heart disease and special needs that may bring up for a vegan.
If you get this it’d be great if you’d shoot me an email-
[email protected]
thanks!