Preggo with # 3..trying vegan again

[Paprika]

Hi there..my name is Mandy,I am a SAHM to 2 little girls..I gained a huge amount of weight with my first preggo..lost it when I really worked hard on being vegan,I never ate meat before,but I was eating dairy and some fish.

I felt SO good and lost 60 pounds,it really felt right to me.Then I got pregnant with dd#2 and gained 50lbs.After I had her I felt so overwhelmed and kind of let everything go,kwim?

Anyways,I still weigh the same as I did after dd#2,who is now 15months.I am 6 weeks pregnant and I NEED to get healthy.For me,and my family.I feel very strongly about the philosephy behind being vegan,however I find myself compromising for the sake of convience:(

I would like to become vegan again.Not just for weight loss,but for life.Any tips on starting over?

Sorry this was so long,thanks for reading:)

[Erin Pavlina]

You just need to do some advance planning. Find vegan foods that are convenient too.

One idea is frozen foods. There are a lot of frozen vegan meals on the market now. If you want a list, let me know.

But you also need fresh fruits and veggies too. One thing I did when I was pregnant was to buy 6 heads of romaine lettuce each week, cut them up ahead of time and stick it in a large ziploc bag. Then when I wanted a salad, I just grabbed a handful of hte lettuce, put it in a bowl, added dressing, and things like raw cashews or almonds, and voila. Salad! Very fast.

Be careful not to restrict your calories in an attempt to lose weight while pregnant. Not a good idea. You'll probably gain less weight having a vegan pregnancy. I only gained 20 pounds. By week 30 I had only gained 8 pounds, it was hardly noticeable, really.

[Paprika]

Thanks Erin,those are great ideas:)

I think my biggest problem is planning,kwim? I need to plan ahead for sure.

I copied out your list of daily intake during pregnancy in order to get a good idea for meal planning.(Thanks!!)

I am not so concerned with the weight as I am with being healthy.I just want to feel healthy again.My midwife does not suggest pre-nats at all,do you?

I am nursing my 15mo too,btw,and will probably tandem.Do I need to be concerned about my diet at all lacking anything so long as I eat from all the vegan groups?

[Erin Pavlina]

On the subject of prenatals. If you're not absolutely certain you're getting what you need, then take supplements. If you're certain you're getting some things but not others, take a supplement for the nutrients you're missing.

Order the DHA vitamins from Vegan Essentials. See the front page of this site for ordering info and a discount. www.vegfamily.com. I wish those were available when I was pregnant.

Your diet will be healthy if you are eating well from the food pyramid. Get Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina for a great section on pregnancy and nutrition.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570671036/vegfamily/102-5290172-5707330