Any Concerns with a Pregnant Mom Drinking Soy Milk?

plant estrogens are not as easily absorbed into the body as some like to believe (all those women who swear that soy is helping their menapause are actually benefiting by and large from the placebo effect.) If you're a serious alcoholic you're more likely to be effected by plant estrogens but even then you have to drink like a fish. If this was really a concern they'd tell pregos not to eat anything in the cabbage family and to avoid flax seeds at all cost.

My advice, like everything else...all things in moderation.

everything seems to be controversial with pregnant moms!! i recently read something that stated soy milk caused infertility in males. well, if that were 100% true, there would be no population problems in china !!

my advice with anything is this: google it, read the most credible sources & decide what you want to do, then tell your doctor at your next visit.... if dr., doesn't have a problem with it, then drink up!

The same concerns that definitely do exist with soy milk for anyone--just amplified by the fact that you are pregnant.
Most soymilk is made with GMO soy, and contains sugar & other things you may or may not care to be putting into your body.
The phytoestrogens in soy are NOT good for you. Soy is well-known for messing with people's hormones--soy-associated thyroid problems are not uncommon. The issues with soy and hormones exist with soy baby formula, too, just to keep in mind for later.
The ONLY way soy is really safe to eat is in small amounts and fermented--such as properly fermented soy sauce.
Soy is also a common allergen...which is probably another good reason to avoid it while pregnant.
Personally, I try to avoid all forms of unfermented soy--nearly impossible since it's in just about everything, but we try to minimize soy in our lives.
Do some research. Soy is NOT a wonder food. In fact, the opposite is true.

Wow, reading through your responses I learned a lot and see there is some research I need to do. My story, however, is that I did drink soy through my pregnancy since I was having really bad heartburn. Drinking soy seemed to help some and my OB said it was fine. My daughter, now 18 months old, is super healthy.

Many people believe soy is healthy because of the health of the people in Asia that eat it. But they eat it in small amounts and only eat it fermented. They way Americans eat soy is dangerous to our health. Here is a article that explains why.
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html

I wish the best for you and your new baby on the way!

my old ped said to limit the amount of soy I fed my son (he loved tofu) and I have heard of the connection metioned by the other poster as well. Try making fruit smoothies with milk. If you add friut then hopefully it will mask the milk taste for you, you will get the benefits from the milk and of the fruit as well.

Best of luck to you!

Hi D.,
I personally have never heard an OB/GYN say don't drink soy milk if you're pregnant. However, common sense says regular milk would be better during pregnancy. I would think if you really have to have that taste of soy milk, you might limit it to one glass every few days. I think the allergy thing is a valid argument. However, when all else fails....ask the professional, your doctor! God bless.

Hi D.,

I echo both Gail and Stacey and would reference westonaprice.org as well. An interesting (and truthfully scary) book is called The Whole Soy Story by Dr. Kaayla T. Daniel. You may want to check it out. Congrats on your new one the way and kudos to you for investigating your options! Cheers!

I drank soy milk all throughout my pregnancy... and guess what? I had a very healthy baby BOY. The phytoestrogens are great for helping maintain your level of estrogen in the body. They ARE NOT the same level as taking the pill... egads. I am studying for a Master's Degree in Holistic Nutrition so this is the kind of thing that I deal with in both practice and real life. Drinking anything in excess is not a good thing. I can't imagine that you are consuming a container a day. Keep things in balance. Boys also have some estrogen in their bodies, but not nearly as much. Just as we have androgens in ours, again just not as much. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.