Can you still be vegan if you are pregnant?

[char]

Is it possible to still follow a vegan diet if you are pregnant?

[jan]

Yes, you can still be Vegan if you are pregnant, but you will need to make sure that you are providing your body with all the nutrients it needs, for the sake of both yours and your baby's health.Definitely talk to your doctor about your plans to keep up with your vegan diet though. It might be important for you to take certain supplements.

That said, if you are not yet Vegan, and it's a lifestyle you are interested in adopting, I would strongly recommend that you wait until after your baby is born to begin the full on switch. The reason is that if living a Vegan lifestyle is not natural to you, you'll find it to be a huge adjustment and its easy to make poor dietary decisions. In my opinion, it's just not worth it to put you or your baby through that.

[tara]

It's totally safe to be vegan while you're pregnant. You just have to make sure you're giving your body the proper nutrients. This shouldn't be too difficult if you are already following a vegan diet, just make sure you bring up your lifestyle choices with your doctor so that he or she is aware of the diet you are following so that they can make any recommendations to you and properly monitor your progress. :)

[madscientist]

You can follow a vegan diet, but I would recommend doing this only if you were encouraged to do so by your doctor or you already are following a vegan diet. I wouldn't recommend that you suddenly just become vegan while you're pregnant. If you aren't yet a vegan, then I think it's better to wait until after you've had your baby to alter your lifestyle in such a way. I think it's just safer overall.

[Kyra]

Yes you can. Just talk to your doctor about it so that you can make sure you're getting the right amount of nutrients and calories you need for a healthy and safe pregnancy :D

[lia]

You can but you do need to find out how to do this properly, even if you are already a vegan. If you're not already a vegan, unless your doctor recommends that you start following this type of diet, wait to make this lifestyle choice change after you've had your baby and you're done with breast feeding. The last thing you want to do is add a huge lifestyle change to your life on top of the huge baby change. Stick to what you know and make changes gradually if you still feel the same way after you've put yours and your baby's health first.

[char]

Thanks for all the great opinions guys and for the support. I actually was about to convert to veganism for both personal and health reasons and in the same month I found out I was pregnant! I have talked to my doctor and we've decided that it's best if I don't go full on Vegan for now. I have altered my diet in a way that will be good and healthy (and more plant-based-friendly) for me and my baby, but I'm going to wait until my baby and I are not sharing the same diet before I consider becoming fully Vegan.

By the way, I'm not saying that this is what is best for every pregnant mother who is or wants to be Vegan, because I have discovered that you can totally be Vegan and have a healthy and safe pregnancy and a healthy and lovely baby. The choice I made with the help of my doctor is just what turned out to be best for me and my current lifestyle. :)