Expecting a baby-Veganism & nutrition

Tomas

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  1. Vegan
Hello my fellow herbivores,

As some of you might or might not know I have been a vegan my whole life (except for a small window of time where I was vegetarian because I made the mistake of eating and liking cheese) and for me this has been the diet I have know and have grown up with. My wife has, some years ago, also decided to become vegan and now I can say with joy, she is pregnant.

I made this thread because I want to be prepared best as I can. Having a baby is not going to make me suddenly switch to some other diet of course but I want my child to grow up healthy and not feeling it's missing out on things. I find conflicting information online about raising a vegan baby so I'd like to ask if there's any people here with experience being a parent for a vegan baby and would like for them to share their experiences and tips they might have.

Some questions I have:

What supplements does a baby most likely need?
What would be suitable baby nutritional recipes?
How about the mother, does she need to follow certain guidelines during pregnancy/breast feeding?
What are your pro tips?
Any ingredients/supplements ... available in EU would also be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards
 
Full disclosure: I have no children. so my advice is pretty much on the theoretical side and not the practical side.

First and last: check with your OBGYN and your Ped.
We have all heard stories of Doctors that are averse to vegan diets but I think that is not that predominant. And if you end up with one than you probably can find a different/better one. So start off with asking your doctor now.

As far as supplements go, I think just like for adults, moms and babies should get most of their nutrition from real food. but just like with adults there are some things that just have to be supplemented. B12 is the one that we all know about. A lot of time just fortified foods will be enough. Most multis will include B12 too.

Calcium and Vitamin D are also things to pay attention to. These are found in most fortified foods. Most multis have vitamin D. but you might need more. Calcium is best found in real food but ask your doctors.

Iodine has gotten a lot of attention lately in the EU. I guess some countries don't require iodized salt. Either make sure you are using iodized salt or that your multi has some iodine included. You don't need much but its very important especially for mothers and babies.

The omegas are also important and will require supplementation.

Baby books. Most expecting parents read a few of these. Gifts and hand me downs. but Vegan baby books are maybe a little harder to get for free. Look for Dr. Klapper's book on Pregnancy and also I like Alicia Silverstone books and blogs.

Don't forget to talk to your doctor.
 
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Hello my fellow herbivores,

As some of you might or might not know I have been a vegan my whole life (except for a small window of time where I was vegetarian because I made the mistake of eating and liking cheese) and for me this has been the diet I have know and have grown up with. My wife has, some years ago, also decided to become vegan and now I can say with joy, she is pregnant.

I made this thread because I want to be prepared best as I can. Having a baby is not going to make me suddenly switch to some other diet of course but I want my child to grow up healthy and not feeling it's missing out on things. I find conflicting information online about raising a vegan baby so I'd like to ask if there's any people here with experience being a parent for a vegan baby and would like for them to share their experiences and tips they might have.

Some questions I have:

What supplements does a baby most likely need?
What would be suitable baby nutritional recipes?
How about the mother, does she need to follow certain guidelines during pregnancy/breast feeding?
What are your pro tips?
Any ingredients/supplements ... available in EU would also be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards
.
The Vegetarian Resource Group has a detailed webpage on vegan nutrition for infants and children. It is written by Reed Mangels, a Registered Dietitian: Feeding Vegan Kids -- The Vegetarian Resource Group

You might also find it useful to make an appointment with a local Registered Dietitian who specializes in pediatric nutrition and vegetarian/vegan nutrition. In the UK, you can find a local RD through the Association of UK Dieticians: Freelance Dietitians Group | BDA | Freelance Dietitians UK
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