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BABIES BLOOMIN'
Breast
is Best
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
by The Vegan Society
www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/life-stages/pregnancy-and-breastfeeding
It's never too early to think about good nutrition
"Your diet during pregnancy and your
infant's diet early in life can help to
protect their health into adulthood.
A totally plant-based diet can meet
everyone’s nutritional needs,
including those who are pregnant
or breastfeeding. Ideally, pregnancy
planning should include a review
of your diet. As a starting point, read this to check your understanding of general healthy eating for vegans. The next step is to look into special considerations for pregnancy. Here are some basic tips:
• Eat plenty of foods rich in iron, such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu, cashew nuts, chia seeds, ground linseed, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, kale, dried apricots, dried figs, raisins, quinoa and fortified breakfast cereal
• Eat plenty of calcium-rich foods, such as calcium-fortified foods
and calcium-set tofu
• Ensure a reliable daily intake of vitamin B12 from fortified foods
or a supplement
• Ensure a reliable iodine intake by using a supplement
Whilst trying for a baby and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, take a daily folic acid supplement
• Take a daily supplement containing vitamin D
• Consider microalgae omega-3 fat supplementation
• Limit caffeine to 200 milligrams per day, which equates to a mug
of filter coffee, two mugs of instant coffee, or two mugs of tea
Follow advice about food safety during pregnancy
• Keep active
• Monitor weight gain
Need more information?
"A guide to nutrition for pregnancy & breastfeeding."
Breast is best
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months
of your baby’s life. It is also recommended that you continue to breastfeed until your child is at least two years old.
Here are some basic tips about eating well during breastfeeding:
Drink plenty of fluid
• Breastfeeding requires extra protein and zinc, so make sure that your meals contain good sources, such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, cashew nuts, chia seeds, ground linseed, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and quinoa
• The calcium requirement for breastfeeding is nearly 80% more than the general requirement for adults, so it is strongly recommended that you include plenty of calcium-rich foods in your daily diet, such as calcium-fortified foods and calcium-set tofu
• Ensure a reliable intake of vitamin B12 from fortified foods
or a supplement
• Ensure a reliable iodine intake by using a supplement
• Take a daily supplement containing vitamin D
• Consider microalgae omega-3 fat supplementation
If breastfeeding is not an option, infant formula is recommended. Soya-based infant formula can be fed
to vegan infants when breastfeeding is not an option,
but please speak to your health visitor or doctor before using it.
Excerpts from:
Can you raise a healthy vegan baby?
by Brennan Linsley, 10/12/16
www.cbsnews.com/news/can-you-raise-a-healthy-vegan-baby
"There’s a right way and a wrong way to raise a baby on vegan food. Those who get it wrong, parents say, give the responsible ones a bad name.
"Those cases are not about veganism at all, but are instead about neglect, say parents who are raising their children vegan. Pinning bad parenting on vegan diets, some say, unfairly stigmatizes those who have done their homework and are safely raising their babies without feeding them animal products like meat and dairy.
"The American Academy of Pediatrics’ book 'Pediatric Nutrition' devotes a chapter to vegetarian and vegan diets. It describes how,
with sound nutrition and dietary planning, “it is possible to provide a balanced diet to vegetarians and vegans."