Vegan diet in pregnancy: what you need to know from conception to weaning
What happens if you follow a "vegan diet during pregnancy? Vegans, also called vegetalists, for ethical and health-conscious reasons, absolutely refuse to eat products of animal origin. They do not eliminate only meat and cured meats from their diet, as they do vegetarians, who are now 7 million in Italy, but also all meat derivatives, such as cheeses and dairy products, fish and eggs.
Vegans eat a large amount of vegetables and fruit, vary a lot in the choice of cereals and legumes and also take oil seeds and condiments based on different oils.
When adults make this type of choice, generally no one has anything to complain about, but what if it is a pregnant woman? Are there any risks and dangers for the baby? Let's find out together the precautions to be taken to ensure a healthy and complete diet for the expectant mother and her baby. And in the meantime, enjoy the recipe for this "excellent vegan chocolate mousse ...
Nutrition and vegan diet before pregnancy
There aren't many studies on this topic, but a book has recently come out, Vegan children, written by Sandra Hood for Terra Nuova Edizioni, which is proposed as a practical guide for all parents who firmly believe in the vegan choice and want to offer it to their children too.
Mothers who normally follow a vegan diet must pay some attention, especially in the period of conception, pregnancy and the very first months of the baby.
It is in fact essential that a future mother accustomed to following a "vegan diet, ensures her body, at least six months before conception, the need for vitamin B12 and folic acid, also through the use of supplements, since with cooking foods often some nutrients are lost.
The benefits of a "vegan diet during pregnancy
The vegan diet, low in saturated fat and rich in fruit, vegetables, fiber and carbohydrates, if well balanced and varied, can even represent a strength for the pregnant mother. In fact, we must keep in mind that the foods that vegans eat are generally healthy, of high quality and often organic, therefore they are free of synthetic chemical residues and useful for the mother's body and for the growth of the child.
There are more and more studies that testify that the consumption of animal proteins and saturated fats is closely linked to the development of many degenerative diseases. The vegan diet, on the other hand, is close to the food standards of countries that have posed the problem of a healthy and sustainable diet for the planet.
Children who grow up in vegan families will therefore have no difficulties or shortcomings, especially if their parents are able to transfer to them the pleasure of healthy cooking, rather than the prohibition of certain foods.
Post-pregnancy: vegan nutrition while breastfeeding
The vegan mother who breastfeeds her baby will have a nutritionally adequate milk for the needs of her baby; he will just have to continue to pay attention to the balance and variety of his diet, making sure to take vitamin B12 and omega 3 fatty acids, which are present to an important extent, for example, in seeds and linseed oil, as in all these foods:
See also: Omega 3: the richest foods not to be missed on your table
No need to drink cow's milk. Breast milk is produced thanks to the suckling of the baby and it will be himself to regulate his needs, especially if breastfed on request.
If the mother cannot breastfeed, she can use artificial milk, but she must avoid vegetable milk, such as rice or spelled milk; the only commitment will be to find an artificial milk free from animal derivatives.
Vegan nutrition during pregnancy: what to do during weaning?
Some extra attention must be taken during weaning, which generally begins after six months: in this period, the first solid foods are introduced, while continuing with breastfeeding. The difficulties will be more of a social nature, because those who make this choice are also subject to criticism from family members and very close people.
The best thing to do is get organized: there are recipe books and small supports on the market for parents who face vegan weaning for their children. The introduction of calcium, vitamin D and B12 must be ensured during the first weeks of weaning, but then, around the eighth month, with the introduction of legumes, the diet becomes very easy to manage, since the baby is ready for take products of vegetable origin such as legumes which, associated with cereals, have a high protein content.
