¿Vegan Pregnancy Abroad?

[xrodolfox]

My wife and I are both long-time vegans, but we are scared because we are unexpectedly pregnant abroad. We currently reside in the city of Santiago, in Chile, South America.

Most of the advice doesn't apply and most of the vegan food we are used to (and recommended in books) just doesn't exist here. No soymilk with B12, no nutritional yeast, no calcium fortified tofu, no healthy snacks, no fresh juices... and we are scared and worried.

We have yet to have a bad run-in with the medical profession... but that is only because we can't make heads or tails on how it works here. We have yet to have a regular doctor check my wife since pregnancy began.

So.... I was wondering if any of you could offer some advice or help in dealing with a system of health different from one's own, and doing this all while Vegan.

I hope our vegan diet of the past four months will do the trick, but I don't know, and I am scared.
Feel free to email me personally as well as publicly posting if you have any suggestions: dolfo@umich.edu

[sophie]

Hi
I really hope things go well for you. I was wondering what kind of food you eat in Chile, I am imagining a lot of beans and grains? If so, these are very healthful. I gave birth to a big healthy baby 6 weeks ago and I only ate tofu about twice in the whole pregnancy, and consumed very little soymilk. Some of these things are not essential. But one thing your wife needs to be taking is a supplement of B12, this is essential. Maybe you could order some through the internet?

[veganmama]

Well, my husband and I got pregnant in Santiago Dominican Republic. We lived there almost 2 years as vegans. The foods you can't get we couldn't either. I ate beans, greens, brown rice, nuts, pasta, home made wheat gluten (seitan) and peanut butter on toast, oatmeal, fruit , raisins and salads. I had a very healthy vegan baby. We did however return to the states at 32 weeks so I could have the baby near my family. I also found any and all vegetarian resturants in santiagoand the capital, santo Domingo and also cooked with friends who also were vegetarian.

I think you are more worried than you need to be. It was not hard. Ask me any questions. VM

[xrodolfox]

Thank you for your responses.
I think my post was the reaction of my initial fears: I know that I am very healthy, and that so is my wife. As long-time Vegans, we have really found it easy to eat well. However, this pregnancy thing is totally new, Vegan or not, and due to my lack of knowledge on the subject other than the general panic passed on from parents-doctors-books in general, I had nothing, especially practice and experience to allay my fears with. Now, with a bit of time, and some positive blood tests, and in no small part due to the posts on this messege board, we have become much more comfortable with where we are, and where we will get those essential nutrients nessesary to a healthy Vegan pregnancy.

thank you,
rodolfo palma
:)

[kim]

Hello, My husband and I became pregnant (unexpectedly also) about a year and 9 months ago while we were on a motorcycle trip across Central America. We had all of the same concerns that you have/had. I found Materna (the prenatal supplement) in the smallest of pharmacies in the smallest of towns. Another great thing to eat is fortified cereals (with b12, etc.) - you may have to eat it dry, but so be it. We also found soy milk, served out of big bins into plastic bags by a tiny old honduran woman.
Especially in Santiago, you should be able to find some soy/vegan type products. Also, although I followed a strict vegan diet up until we found out about the pregnancyand for the first month or two, and continued to do so immediately after returning home (I was pregnant away for 3 months), I did eat eggs once (after we ordered them by accident in a restaurant) and drank chocolate milk 10 or so times. This is obviously a personal decision, and one that I am sure a lot of vegan people would not agree with or understand, but it was something that I felt comfortable with at the time. I am not encouraging your wife to take this route, but this site is about sharing experiences, and to help people feel that they are not alone in decisions that they have to make. We loved our trip and becoming pregnant there only made it that much more thrilling and memorable, and I'm sure you will (or probably already do) feel that way too!
PS Our pregnancy was absolutely perfectly healthy and so is our 11 month old vegan son!!!