You are what you eat! And your baby is what you eat, from pregnancy to breastfeeding. Here's a look at the supplements I took while pregnant. My baby was completely plant-based - I ate no dairy, eggs, or meat to make this baby! Most of the supplements were already part of my regimen because of specific health concerns and because of veganism. The only thing new I introduced specifically for pregnancy was DHA and iron, but I should've already been taking iron, I was deficient for a while, oops.
B100 complex
with inositol and choline. It's not just folic acid, it's almost a multivitamin.Omega-3 fatty acids
including EPA and DHA sourced from algae and ALA from flaxssed oil help prevent preterm birth and preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.DHA
prevents many negative pregnancy outcomes and enhances retinal development, visual attention, visual acuity, and brain development. DHA is still important in breastfeeding and in the first two years of life for postnatal brain development.Choline and DHA
work synergtically in fetal brain and eye development.Magnesium
(citrate or bisglycinate) for leg cramps and general health and good pregnancy outcomes.Vitmain D
in pregnancy prevents gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and aids in brain development. Vitamin D is also important in breastfeeding to ensure adequate supply while living in Canada especially in the winter. I also took a vitamin K2 because I'm vegan and to help aid in vitamin D absorption.Iron deficiency (anemia)
is common in both pregnancy and for vegans. I had to pay attention to my iron intake. Iron deficiency in late pregnancy and during breastfeeding is linked to deficits in neurodevelopment. I found iron bisglycinate to be the best kind after trying sulfate and gluconate. I easily defeated iron deficiency and doubled my iron count in less than a month. Iron deficiency causes serious symptoms in pregnant women such as fatigue and restless legs that make sleep difficult and leads to more fatigue. It should be taken with vitamin C if it's not already in the supplement.100% concentrated cranberry juice
prevents bladder infection, which are common in pregnancy and can cause miscarriage or preterm birth.Beyond burgers
for adequate protein intake for fetal developement and to balance blood sugar - so baby grows in the right kind of way, neither too large nor too small for gestational age.Fortified plant milk
provides other vitamins and minerals in lieu of a multivitamin. Also, having access to lots of summer-fresh produce provides everything.
Other than taking my supplements and getting a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, my other dietary focus was blood sugar control. I had some indications of early gestational diabetes, so I started having smaller, more frequent meals with more protein and vegetables and less empty carbs. Frequent low-impact exercise after meals was extremely beneficial. Having a glucometer was an interesting experiment. I found that juice, rice, and uncontrolled snacking are what spikes blood sugar the most, and exercise and proper spacing of meals really regulates bloodsugar.
My vegan baby was born right on time and of appropriate weight and size. He was perfectly healthy with a good apgar score and is growing well every day.