Advice For a Newcomer

Andy2482

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Nov 27, 2016
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  1. Vegan newbie
Hello!

I'm about to start eating plant-based. I've done quite a bit of research, but still find myself feeling overwhelmed. I don't personally know anyone that lives a vegan lifestyle, so I was hoping to get some advice.

I'm early in my pregnancy and worried about getting the proper nutrients due to my lack of knowledge. Will I need to worry as long as I keep up on my prenatal?

I'm also wondering what some vegan pantry must haves are!

Thank you.
 
Hi Andy,

Congratulations on your pregnancy and on the decision to go through it as vegan.

I know of this lady on youtube 'mango island mamma' that has been through vegan pregnancies:

https://m.youtube.com/user/MangoIslandMamma1

She is not the only one, but I would encourage you to send her a message. I expect she would be delighted to help.

I do not have direct experiences with vegan pregnancies myself.

Please keep us updated from time to time.
 
Greetings!

I think everyone who initially becomes vegan is anxious about not receiving the correct nutrients, the fact is that most on a meat/dairy diet are not receiving the correct nutrients. I mean, do people think meat/dairy contain all the nutrients required to stay healthy? :p

There was a distant friend I knew who spoke highly of veganism, she became pregnant and then dropped veganism due to not receiving enough iron. Mind blown... So yeah, she went back to steak because she wasn't receiving enough iron. Irons stupidly easy to source from a plant, I have been vegan for almost 2 years and my levels are fine.

Anyway! Ask away, it's what we're here for. :cool:
 
Ive seen a few vegan pregnancy cook books out there, might be a good way of finding out how much of certain nutrients you need and which foods to get them from :)
 
Don't make sudden, drastic changes during pregnancy as you don't know how your body can react to new regimes and new foods. Make steady changes don't go for instance from zero beans and lentils and soy one day to huge amounts the next.

Does "keep up on prenatal" mean supplements for iron, calcium etc? These are probably worth considering whether vegan or not.

Also, take specific care to make sure you get sources of iodine and vitamin B12. These are particularly important in a vegan pregnancy.

I don't have any personal experience of vegan pregnancy, so this is just based on some articles I read, studies that have been done, and so on.

The book Becoming Vegan is about nutrition and has a chapter for pregnancy and young children.
 
I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies, but I do know they're robust little beasts. Some of the people who I meet as clients smoke through their pregnancies, eat nothing but crisps, pepparami and Mcdonalds, and wash it all down with energy drinks. Their children suffer, no doubt: in three years of teaching in the community, I've seen a child with a hole in the heart and a couple of very early births, but they live and they are beautiful in their own ways.
I was very careful about 'nutrition' for about a month after I gave up dairy, and then I just sort of forgot about it. The best advice I found online was don't be hungry, be very careful about pre-prepared and packaged food, and vary your diet. It's all advice that would behove a meat-eater or even a cannibal to follow, but is extra valuable to a vegan, because we're not taking in anything like the poisons they're consuming and so, will enjoy twice the benefits. Don’t ignore it, of course, but get informed, then sort of let it drift into the background as you develop a collection of recipes.
If you want a good, reassuring and informative book on vegan living and health, can I recommend The Heretic's Guide to Vegan Cookery by Andy Murray? It punctures the cod sanctity of 'spiritual' veganism, while talking in a calm and clear manner about enjoying vegan food and thriving on it. It is also quite funny.
Eat well, cook for yourself from basic ingredients as much as you humanly can, and don't get into a dietary rut. I second gab's advice about seeking out experienced guidance, because wisdom and childbearing go hand in hand throughout history, but I don’t think there any special hazards to pregnancy in veganism that aren't more than balanced by the advantages. So many of the 'health concerns' surrounding veganism in the mainstream media are simply FUD: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. The majority of humans throughout history have been fed on an overwhelmingly vegetable diet. We haven't died out yet.
 
The odds are nothing bad will happen if you don't pay any attention to nutrition, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't pay any attention to nutrition when you can point the odds in your favour.

People say I have smoked all my life and I'm fine blah blah blah. You left your health to a lottery and just got lucky.

I may as well as say I have played Russian roulette and not died, that doesn't mean we should all be playing russian roulette.

I think close attention to nutrition during a pregnancy is an extremely good idea, especially when transitioning to a new diet mid pregnancy or immediately before.

After the baby is born, by all means relax a little but still at least take B12.
 
Hope u successfully go vegan for good. If u need any help regarding nutrition feel free to message me. I've done a lot of research and would love to help anyone going vegan.