Need Advice on Going Vegetarian While Breastfeeding

Hi C.,
I am a vegetarian (no meat at all - chicken, beef, fish, etc, but I do eat eggs & dairy). I ate soy protien all through my pregnancy and breastfeeding for 8 months. My daughter was 9 lbs, 3 oz when she was born and is still - a year later - in the 95th percentile of height and weight. Everyone (especially my husband's family) was nervous about me continuing my diet through pregnancy and afterwards, but there was absolutely no problems. I just took the prenatal supplement & made a conscious effort to eat beans, nuts, & other protien elements every day! Best of luck!!

I AM A VEGETARIAN THAT EATS MILK AND EGG PRODUCTS. I DID NOT CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT MY DIET WHEN I WAS PREGNANT, HE WEIGHED 9 LBS 2 OZ AT BIRTH (2 WEEKS EARLY). HE IS 21 MONTHS TODAY AND WEARS A 3T IN CLOTHES. I ALSO BREASTFED HIM, HE GAINED WEIGHT AND WAS PERFECTLY HEALTHY AT THAT TIME. DO AS YOU WISH!!! YOUR BABY WILL BE FINE...... M.

try www.veganoutreach.org that is a great website with great information. I became vegetarian while I was pregnant with my daughter 2 1/2 years ago. Meat grossed me out! There is a lot of great recipes on there and they send you a vegetarian starter kit with tips and things. I hope this helps. :)

p.s. I have 2 children ages 2 1/2 yrs. and 8 1/2 months. I still eat seafood on occassion but not red meat, pork or chicken. I also eat cheese and milk products...I am currently nursing my son. :)

Well, I realize this is a good bit later than your origianl posting but this is my first day on this group and had to respond. I am in my final year of school to become an Acupuncture Physician and Diplomate of Oriental Medicine. So first things first, Congratulations on the new baby! I imagine if she/he isn't here yet, its a matter of minutes. Secondly, as far as diet goes along with breastfeeding, you need to see a doctor, acupuncture or western to make certain that your health is not compromised by changing diets. Personally, I would not make a drastic change shortly after giving birth and breastfeeding as your body has essentially been through a trauma and is trying to recover. You and the baby need as many nutrients, protein, carbohydrates (good ones) that you can get. I whole heartedly recommend seeing an Acupuncture Physician as soon as you can , as they can help you recover from childbirth, as well as guide you in the right direction nutritionally. And as you know it definitely can help with the weight loss and over all health benefits. if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. I wish you many blessings for your family!

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I am a vegetarian mom who breastfed my daughter for 14 months until she weaned herself. You will get a lot of people worrying about protein intake--I even had a dietitian visit me in the hospital because I was veggie and planning to breastfeed. Just remember protein doesn't just come from meat; it comes from nuts, legumes and dairy products, too. Just eat a well-balanced diet of everything except meat, and you'll be just fine!

I also ate every vegetable under the sun, including all the ones that supposedly make your baby gassy, and my daughter never had any problems with gas. In fact, broccoli and spinach are now two of her favorite vegetables.

I am not a vegetarian but when I was taking a breastfeeding class I was told to stay away from almost every vegetable for the first 3 months. I could not eat tomatoes, any green leafy vegetables and pretty much any other vegetable because they would cause my daughter to have gas which would ultimately result in her being colic. It was really hard to stay away from these vegetables but everytime I cheated (even just a little) my daughter was colic and screamed her head off most of the night. You might want to consider becoming a vegetarian after your baby is 3 months old. I would also consider consulting my prediatrician and see what advice he/she might have. Good luck!

One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of veggies can cause excess gas in breastfeeding babies. I'd look into that :-)

I was raised vegan (with the occasional exception of eggs in cooked dishes). I raised both of my children the same way until my eldest turned six (including the 11 months of breast feeding for both kids). I had a pediatrician once insult me because of my choice...I found another pediatrician. A study completed in about 1990 between kids raised vegetarian (or vegan) and those that ate meat showed a gain in IQ testing of about 10%: I'm sure there are more studies out there to check out. Bottom line: make sure you are getting a well-rounded diet with supplements possibly.

I'm currently pregnant and have been vegetarian for 3 years. I never considered eating meat again even after I became pregnant and I don't plan to while I'm nursing either. I've not had any problems throughout my pregnancy because I'm vegetarian. Like others have said, you should be conscious of what you actually do put in your mouth. You can be vegetarian and eat pizza, nachos, and cheetos. This is obviously not a healthy diet. There are very simple ways to make sure you're getting enough protein. Nuts, fish (I eat fish), beans, nut butters, soy products. Whenever I feel that maybe I didn't get enough protein in the day I make a delicious shake with milk (or soy milk), 1 banana, and 1 big spoonful of natural peanut butter in the blender. It is sooooo delicious! I also take a B supplement. You can get the GNC brand and its sublingual so you don't have to swallow anything. It's easy being vegetarian. I think it's much harder for others to accept that you're vegetarian than it will be for you. Go for it!!

Dear C.,

This does not answer your question directly but will answer it - the book you should read is The China Study by T. Colin Campbell. It is the largest nutritional study EVER done. The information in the book will surprise you.

That is my tip. The book is very comprehensive and will strip apart many things that you thought you knew.

Once you read it I would be interested in hearing what you think about it.

Sincerely,

D.

I am a pseudo vegetarian (I eat seafood and sometimes poultry, but no red meat - for over 15 years now). I have a 4-year old boy. My girlfriend is the same, but no poultry ever. She has a 5-year old and a 2-year old. We breastfed with no problem. As with any diet (diet as in the food you eat, not the food you don't), you need to make sure you are eating enough (you're body should make sure of that) and getting what you need out of the food. As with any diet, some foods will cause gas or even possibly allergic reactions through the breastmilk. If so, you discontinue until the baby is weaned. Cabbage, brocolli, beans will most likely cause gas (in you and your baby). Try to get as much protein and carbs to keep up strength and energy. Other than that, eat as you normally would. I don't know if there are any issues with drastically changing your diet mid-pregnancy. Although they say many women stop eating many of their normal foods or start eating things they don't normally without too much problem. Your body may go through a bit of a withdrawal which may be more uncomfortable for you than your baby. I would suggest giving it a try, but holding off if you experience issues.

My advice has to do with fish in your diet. Here is the FDA's suggestion on which types of fish to avoid.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates commercially sold fish, recommends that pregnant and nursing women and young children not eat any shark, swordfish, tilefish, or king mackerel.

There is some more info on this subject on this site.

http://www.kellymom.com/health/chemical/mercury.html