Is the intake of vegan food safe during pregnancy?

by Prapti Chauhan Prapti Chauhan

When someone has vegan food that means he or she stays away from dairy products, as well as animal fat, and protein. Shifting the regular choice of food into something healthier as well as balanced like vegan can make you feel healthy too.

But, if you’re pregnant, and you want to include vegan food as a part of your regular diet, how will you do it? Excluding animal fat and protein and milk products from your pregnancy diet may not fulfil the all-essential nutrition required for a healthy pregnancy and for the development of the baby inside.

· If the intake of vegan food isn’t safe during pregnancy, why is it not?

Only a few vegan food has all the essential nutrition. That said, nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy may give rise to pregnancy complications leading to the would-be - mummy’s and the baby’s poor health. Lower consumption of Vitamin B12, for instance, may increase the risk of low birth weight, premature birth, birth defects in your baby, or miscarriage.

· But, is everything bad about vegan food during pregnancy?

No! Not everything is bad about vegan food during pregnancy.

Having vegan food during pregnancy has some potential benefits associated with it.

So, the benefits of having vegan food during pregnancy are as follows:

A vegan diet is basically a plant-based diet. So, they have sugar and fat content and are good sources of fiber; that can keep you safe from gestational diabetes or high blood sugar during pregnancy.
The similar properties of a vegan diet can also keep the chances of pre-eclampsia (pregnancy high blood pressure) lower.
In addition to this, having vegan food during pregnancy can lower the risk of some of the baby’s developmental issues after birth and keeps you protected from DNA damage.

· How would you safely include vegan food in your daily pregnancy diet?

Since you are aware of both the benefits and side - effects of including vegan food during your pregnancy, your nutrients while you’re embracing motherhood, would require your special attention.

ü Including Calcium: Calcium is essential not just for your health, but also for the health of the bones, muscles, nerves, and heart of the baby inside you. If you’re vegetarian, getting calcium from milk, yoghurt, and cheese is an easy option. But, if you’re vegan, having green leafy vegetables, or soy milk can fulfill your dietary requirement of calcium during your pregnancy.

ü Including Protein: During your pregnancy, you’d need more protein than is necessary. But, being a vegan, if you’re worried that your protein - requirements won’t be fulfilled, then you’re wrong. As you can have green peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, whole grain cereals, lentils, etc

ü Including Iron: The blood volume in your body naturally increases by 50% during your pregnancy, in order to support your health and the health of your developing baby inside you. Lower iron intake during pregnancy can make you feel anaemic - leading to preterm labour and low-birth-weight baby. Taking iron supplements according to your health practitioner’s recommendation along with prenatal vitamins after 20 weeks is a good idea. However, if you vegan mom-to-be, having beans, barley, oats, a few soy products, dried fruits, etc can fulfill your pregnancy iron requirements.

ü Including Vitamins: While vitamin D plays a vital role in building as well as maintaining healthy teeth and bones, vitamin B12 accompanied with folic acid helps in the proper brain development of the baby inside you. While lack of Vitamin D may lead to poor growth of your baby, lack of Vitamin B 12 may lead to neural tube defects in the baby inside you. Therefore, get enough Vitamin D from fortified soy milk, cereals, etc, and get enough Vitamin B12 from fortified cereals, Nutritional yeast, etc.

Don’t forget your prenatal doctor appointments and share any of the worrisome symptoms so that, your healthcare practitioner is able to monitor you properly and guide you with care.

So, all the vegan would-be-moms on the block, enjoy your pregnancy to the fullest.