VEGAN PREGNANCY
34 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy is such a beautiful experience! Even with the “all day” sickness for the first three months. I felt really beautiful and amazing, after the first trimester lol. I have been vegan way before I became pregnant, so of course I would be vegan while pregnant. I get asked “were you still vegan while pregnant? and “is it okay to be vegan while pregnant?”. I realized that not everyone understands that you can get everything you need from a vegan lifestyle, because we were taught that you need animal products to get certain levels of protein. Well, you can get even more protein from a vegan diet, its healthier and easier on your digestive system. Now with growing a whole human being inside of you, you need to make sure that you’re getting all of your nutrients, whether you’re vegan or not.
My daughter was born at 38 weeks, 6lbs 14oz beautiful, strong and healthy!
Supplements
Prenatal Vitamins
I love Garden of Life Raw Prenatal vitamins!! I has a whole nutrient formula that I love. Here are some of the benefits.
1800mcg of folate to support neural tube development. I love that this vitamin has folate instead of folic acid, which is a synthetic form.
118mg of stomach-friendly iron for blood and reproductive system health
1,400IU vitamin D3 for optimal dietary calcium absorption
Ginger for morning sickness and digestive comfort. This actually helped not add to my morning (all day) sickness. I’ve tried other prenatal vitamins, which added to my sickness.
Probiotic immune support for mom and baby. I breastfeed my daughter and still take these vitamins post partum. It has helped with my post partum hair shedding.
Prenatal Probiotics
I love probiotics, they are so important! Taking them helps support pregnancy and lactation after pregnancy. Aids gut health and the immune system of me and baby. Here are some of the benefits of taking prenatal probiotics during and after pregnancy.
20 Billion CFU Once Daily Capsule
16 Probiotic Strains
Support For Mom & Baby During Pregnancy & Lactation† - with L. rhamnosus HN001
Supports Immune System & Digestive Comfort
Vegan DHA
Omega-3’s EPA and DHA are important for supporting the healthy development of the fetal brain, eye, nervous system, as well as healthy immune system development. I also added things like flaxseeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds to my smoothies, vegan yogurt, and salads. That is also a great way of getting your omega’s.
Stretch Mark Prevention
I didn’t get any stretch marks durning pregnancy. I believe a part of it is genetics and diet. I did follow a few rules. Staying moisturized and not scratching my belly.
Sweet Almond oil is amazing and I used this on my skin during my pregnancy. After dry skin brushing or exfoliating with a scrub, I would rub this on my skin while it was still wet. Then I would pat dry, or air dry. This allowed my skin to stay moisturized, increasing the suppleness of my skin, preventing stretch marks.
Jojoba oil is one of my absolute favs! So light and hydrating. I apply this the same way in which I apply the almond oil. I also love to use this as a cuticle oil.
Aloe Vera helped me tremendously with my itching stomach. It provided such a huge relief. Also kept my skin soft and supple and added extra moisture. I used a herbal aloe skin gel. Which had other herbs in it. I completely loved this and would keep it with me in my purse.
Dry skin brushing and scrubs is something that I am obsessed with! It has helped my skin so much, and has been apart of my routine before pregnancy. Dry skin brushing has so many amazing benefits, pregnant of not. Click here to see all the amazing benefits of dry skin brushing, and why you should make incorporate this in your skin care regime. I dry skin brush daily in the morning, because of its circulation benefits, keeping my skin lively and bright. I use scrubs as a from as exfoliating twice a week.
I still take these supplements postpartum! It is still important, especially if you are strictly breastfeeding.
Simple Tips
Stay hydrated! Drink lots of water. I loved adding lime, lemon, cucumber and ginger to my water!
Breathe! Taking deep breaths, and controlling my breathing helped me a lot. During labor you will need to know how to breath.
Guard your energy! You are growing a whole human, it is pretty tough work. Your hormones are all over. It is important to stay stress free and happy. This goes for everyday life, but especially during pregnancy. Being stressed can stress your baby. So, anything that creates stress, eliminate it.
Meditate
Prenatal yoga
Take walks
Avoid people who like to tell scary pregnancy stories lol
Overall Vegan Diet While Pregnant
My diet pretty much stayed the same as before I was pregnant, with the exception of certain supplements that I couldn’t take while pregnant. The most common question is how do you get your protein or calcium. Here is a link to my vegan diet blog for my diet while vegan.
Protein shakes are my best friend! During pregnancy and after! I love shakes because you can get tons of nutrients in one drink!!
Hemp protein recipe
Hemp protein
1 cup almond milk or flax milk
1/2 cup filtered or spring water
Handful of spinach
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp almond butter
2 tbsp flaxseeds
Handful of organic gluten free oats
Coconut palm sugar to taste
Dash of cinnamon
Snacks! Also, my best friend during pregnancy. Here are some snacks that I loved to carry around.
Lara bar
Fuji Apple and almond butter packet
Banana and almond butter packet
Almonds, cashews, walnuts with raisins
Vegan Yogurt
Chia shots (these are awesome!!!!!!!, add them to the yogurt or drinks)
Dried organic mangoes
38 weeks, that day before I gave birth
Feel free to leave a comment below of any questions you may have! Also, here is the link to my amazon shop, to shop some of the products listed above!
