My ADA

The Vegetarian Mom-to-Be

October 3, 2006

People at any age can follow a vegetarian way of eating and get the nourishment they need for health. A good time for a vegetarian (and anyone else for that matter) to consult a registered dietitian is during pregnancy.

If you’re already a pro at vegetarian eating, adjusting your food choices for pregnancy and breast-feeding won’t require much effort. Follow these tips:

• Keep tabs on your weight gain during pregnancy. For vegetarian and nonvegetarian women, pregnancy requires additional calories — the exact amount is different for every woman. Research shows that babies born to vegetarian moms are similar in birth weight to babies born to nonvegetarian women.
• During pregnancy and breast-feeding, your need for vitamin D is the same as before — but you still need enough to absorb calcium. If you’re lacto-vegetarian, drink milk fortified with vitamin D. If you’re a vegan, you may need a vitamin D supplement, especially if your exposure to sunlight is limited.
• Most pregnant women — vegetarians and nonvegetarians — are advised to take an iron supplement. Consult with your doctor and a registered dietitian.
• If you’re a vegan and breast-feeding, make sure you eat sources of linolenic acid, such as ground flaxseed, canola or soy oil, to help increase the linolenic acid in your breast milk.

For help developing a nutritious vegetarian eating plan to meet your needs and those of your new baby, consult a registered dietitian.

Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team