I'm 3.5 months pregnant now and food aversions are going away so I'm excited to get back to raw or high raw. My midwife has approved my vegan lifestyle but has strongly emphasized getting enough protein (surprise, surprise). The standard recommendation she referenced is 70 grams daily or 280 calories from protein. Technically this is still only 10% if I were to eat 2,800 calories daily but I have found it so hard to eat enough vegetables and raw foods to get this much!! Are protein requirements for a growing baby really this high or is that just the American mindset about protein?
If anyone has stories of healthy births and how much protein they ate or advice on how to get enough without supplements, please let me know!
Thanks so much!
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This is exactly the post I needed! I am 13 weeks along, and have been lectured many times by midwives and friends about getting enough protein on a vegan diet.
Unfortunately, my nausea the last couple of months has given me an aversion to raw greens and smoothies. So I've been having trouble getting in enough calories like I used to. I don't know why because I use to live off smoothies for years, but now I really feel like I have to eat the food in its "solid form" to keep my stomach from getting unsettled. I've been eating a lot of dates, mangoes, and strawberries (what I've been craving). I try to eat steamed veggies or raw veggie salads with no lettuce daily. My stomach really seems to turn most times I eat leafy greens. Which is so weird to me because I use to easily pack down 1lb. of greens a day, and I seriously craved salad right before I found out I was pregnant.
If I don't eat mostly or all raw, then I get heartburn which I hate. I'm so thankful it's mango season!
Do I need to be concerned if I currently don't like leafy greens or is celery/broccoli/zucchini/etc. okay? I mean, how long does our body store those vitamins/minerals? Any tips on getting in more greens and calories?
Also, no one can seem to tell me what are the real risks (and show me evidence) of a protein deficiency during pregnancy when you know you're eating enough calories and whole foods?
Can you get your greens in your smoothie? Is lightly steaming your greans better - sometimes with a little lemon is good. I know this is raw forum but I have to recommend raspberry leaf tea during pregnancy, every day, copious amounts. Get your fluids, ditch salt and you need a lot of extra folic acid and iron. Don't hate me raw people but I really think you should supplement with Floradix (iron and b's) if you are not putting away a pound of greens a day. Green lentils are a huge source of iron (and taste great with just curry spice, no salt etc) and don't seem to gas you up like other beans. Food combining rules may help also.
Protein schmotein, I think it's more important to focus on essential fatty acids like in hemp oil, flax seeds and nuts and seed. You'll get plenty of protein there, it's easy, you don't need that much, check out cronometer.com and make sure your getting your nutrients. :)
also I remember munching on a few almonds throughout the day. don't get hungry, that can make the nausea worse, stay fueled up and super hydrated.
I haven't read what the others have written, but I'll let you know what I've done.
I have 10 children, 2 vegan pregnancies. I did the high protein (with meat and dairy) with my first 2 babies and that just ended up with all the problems and constipation that made me almost faint! I was asked by my midwife at the time to take in 75-100grms of protein everyday. That is TOTALLY not necessary!
I didn't watch my protein intake with my vegan babies and just ate nuts, seeds and beans/lentils for my protein. I think if you are eating raw and eating a minimum of 3000 cal per day or more, then you should be fine. If you are counting calories to squeeze out every single calorie in your calculations, then you are most likely not eating enough. I ate an average of 4500-6000 calories when pregnant and only gained 25 and 35 pounds respectively. I also lost the weight the fastest of all my children with these two vegan babies, in 2 weeks and 9 days also respectively! I've also lost the lagging weight of previous pregnancies afterwards, I'm within 10-15lbs of my super skinny (freelee) weight! Haven't been there in over 10 years! I am even happy to have more children without the fear of gaining weight that will stick on me after baby! So here's a bit of what I ate...I was eating cooked vegan at the time:
B'fast: 1 med/large cantaloupe
snack: 1/4 huge watermelon (until I'm packed full)
Lunch: as much rice as I could fit on my plate with sauteed snap peas, reg. peas and asparagus
snack: 1/4 huge watermelon
Dinner: same as lunch
snack: 1/4 huge watermelon
Late: head of iceburg lettuce, eaten just like an apple
I had next to NO salt which helps to keep me from swelling. This meal plan was basically what I had every day for the last, at least, 3 months. I would eat different types of nuts, about 1/4-1/2 cup whenever I felt like them. I drank at least 1 gallon, but sometimes 1.25 gallons everyday as well. With baby #9, she was born in 26 minutes and baby #10 in 45, everyone else(#1 was 21 hrs and #2 was 8hrs) was 1-2 hours from start to finish. #9 was the absolute best pregnancy EVER...also outside in the sun during the summer as much as I could be! I was the happiest, lest moodie and baby was also a contented happy baby - still is at 2yrs!
Just wanted to tell you as much as possible so you can take what you need and have the best pregnancy and deliver and sweetest little one, too!! Big hugs, congratulations and I hope you enjoy every moment!
My goodness, that's great that you've been able to eat so much while pregnant. I think my stomach shrunk over the last few months but I'm hoping to get back to that capacity. Didn't you have digestion issues eating watermelon later after cooked food!? Thank you so much for the hugs and congrats, I love all the support from other moms. It's really helped to take away my fears and make me so excited to go through this with my baby and husband. Your words are all awesome, thanks!!
As far as eating fruit after cooked, I never had any problems. I went with my gut (pun intended) and paid close attention to things that bothered me, for instance, oranges - I got major headaches from juice OR the fruit unless it was organic. I basically had NO problems with #9's pregnancy - it was so awesome! I royally messed up eating some pizza, chips and donuts with #10 which made for a more painful labor/delivery. I have these reminders that, should I have more children, I will definitely go as raw, no salt, vegan as I can! The biggest thing that helped me was the time outside in the sun getting my vitamin D - I cannot emphasize the euphoria that I felt and without cramps, weird pains all over and all the other problems!
The sites I visit everytime are spinningbabies.com and 20000-names.com! Again, have peaceful and the BEST pregnancy ever! :)
That's great! It's hard to believe someone could have such a beautiful pregnancy as it's always seen as such a miserable time in our culture, thanks for sharing your experience. And I'll be sure to check out those links =) Thanks!
I have had three children over the last nearly 6 years and my diet has become progressively vegan and more raw and fruit-based over that time. All of my pregnancies were quite delightful compared to the average. I did have a little nausea with the first one and some tiredness with the second but all up no major issues. Oh I did have indigestion with the third when I ate grains. All of my labours were fast and uncomplicated. Under 6 hours of intense labour (no breaks between contractions) was my first, my second was born at home in under 2 hours, and my third was 45 minutes, speedy and quite blissful. All of my babies have been healthy, absolutely no problems, and are healthy growing vegan children (although they do occasionally eat eggs from our chooks and fish when my parents cook for them).
I personally didn't worry too much about keeping track of nutrients, I just ate the foods I felt that I needed. During my first pregnancy I ate bagfuls of rocket, lots of oranges and strawberries. I wasn't vegan then and I was also eating a lot of eggs, cream and full-fat dairy milk (and it took nearly 6 years to wean my daughter off being quite obsessive about dairy, I think I imprinted it on her while in utero!). During my second pregnancy I ate a lot more fruit. During my third I had more aversions to raw food in the early months but ate more raw in the latter.
I didn't take any pregnancy supplements except during my first pregnancy, but after listening to Don Hamilton's take on supplements would maybe consider them if I did it again (no more babies for me). I think barley grass juice would be a good one. I definitely don't eat enough greens.
I think staying hydrated, eating lots of high water content fruits like papaya and oranges, and getting in greens and bananas for minerals and folate is more important than protein intake. And plant-based fats like avo if you feel you need them. I am reading The China Study at the moment and it certainly has a lot of bad things to say about excessive protein.
Try and really listen in to what your body needs. Being pregnant really connects you deeply with your intuition if you have the clarity of mind to listen and the strength to tell others to quiet down.
Thanks for your story, these are all so encouraging. It's good to hear from a mom who is not major anal about your kids eating occasional eggs and fish because my husband and all his family are not vegan. He is mostly vegan at home though but I just think there will be times that I may have to be a little flexible so thanks for your example. Obviously I will draw the line at a lot of things still. That's so true, what you said about the intuition! I feel like my mind is starting to become much more intuitive and instinctual lately. How exciting, thank you!
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