My Vegan Pregnancy

When Adam and I first began trying to conceive, I immediately purchased the only two vegan pregnancy books on the market. I also started countless hours of internet research on both the pros and cons of a vegan pregnancy. Anyone that knows me knows how seriously I take my vegan diet. I always knew I wanted to remain a vegan throughout my pregnancy if it would be healthy to the baby, but knew that if I was going to do it, I needed to have my facts straight.
I have read nothing but positive things about vegan pregnancies done the right way. Doing it right is the key. Since becoming pregnant I've started thinking more about the foods I’m putting in my mouth every day. Instead of having rice cakes for breakfast, I eat a bowl of oatmeal. I snack on fresh fruit and nuts throughout the day. I always eat a large portion of raw vegetables with my Tofurky sandwich at lunch, and I am eating lots of veggies and protein at dinnertime. I’ve even switched my nighttime sweet treat for a glass of chocolate soy milk fortified with tons of vitamins for the baby and me. Full disclosure – there is a pint of vegan chocolate coconut ice cream in my freezer and I’ll totally eat it soon I’m sure . I have to cheat sometimes and eat the unhealthy stuff!  I am currently taking a vegan prenatal vitamin that has been approved by my OB and she has also blessed my diet which made both Adam and me feel completely comfortable about the way ahead.
A lot of pregnant woman use pregnancy as an excuse to eat anything they want and "eat for two." They will eat ice cream, pizza, and French fries to extremes. Ok, full disclosure again – I’m totally going to eat the heck out of some French fries during this pregnancy…but in moderation. Because I have to be so cautious to ensure I'm getting enough protein, calcium, and certain vitamins, I believe I will have a better chance of having a healthy, happy, and normal-weight-gain pregnancy than that of many of my omnivore counterparts. I realize this is a sweeping generalization, but I’m saying it anyway.
I am also convinced that my 17+ years of vegetarianism and 5+ years of veganism are allowing my body to kick this pregnancy’s butt. True, I’m only nine weeks cooked, and the morning sickness still has a possibility of coming on, but to this point I have probably had a total of 8 hours of queasiness and have not thrown up once.  Most research I’ve done says the morning sickness hits around the 6-7 week mark, so there is a good chance I am in the clear. I could just be one of those super lucky ladies that doesn’t experience morning sickness, but because this is my blog, I’m attributing my throw-up free pregnancy to my vegan diet. :) 

Here is a great article on super foods for vegan pregnancy that I’ve found very helpful: http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-pregnancy/super-foods-pregnancy-lactation.htm . This article came from this superb resource: http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-pregnancy/index.htm.
Also, in keeping with the theme of this post, I have to post the coolest little onesie that my sister bought for the baby.

We are no’t planning on raising the baby vegan (I will save this discussion for another post), but because this is for a newborn, the message holds true for the first few months of Baby D’s life anyway.