A Couple of Questions??

[Kale]

I don't know if this is the place to post it, but I will give it a try anyways.

I will be getting married next May and I was wondering if anyone knows of a vegan website to buy a wedding cake from? I live in California but I'd be willing to go the extra mile on my special day just so that I will not have to support bakeries that cook with eggs and milk etc.

And my other question is that as soon as I get married my vegan husband and I want to have children right away! Is it really hard to met all of the required nutrients while being vegan and pregnant? I have a hard time meeting mine now as a vegan without being pregnant?

[GranolaMommy]

Mani's in LA. They make a WONDERFUL vegan carrot cake and they do special event cakes http://www.manisbakery.com/

And WONDEFUL, BTW, does not do it justice. It is amazing. We used to live within walking distance from them. Good thing we moved! :)

[Erin Pavlina]

Congratulations!

We did the carrot cake from Mani's. It was good, but I would see if Real Food Daily will make a cake for you. Their carrot cake is better (in my opinion).

www.realfood.com

I also know someone who can make an amazing vegan wedding cake for you. Email or PM me for the name and number.

MOre later on the pregnant thing but baby is crying. Must go attend!

[sophie]

Kale-
Congrats on getting married!
As far as pregnancy goes, I've done it 3 times being vegan and it has been absolutely fine. Better than fine, actually, I was totally healthy with great nutrient levels (aparently my haemoglobin was the best my midwife had ever seen), and my babies were big and healthy and have continued to grow that way. anyway, I think the most important things are to take B12 supplements when pregnant, plus folic acid for the first 3 months (in fact, start taking it now, it's good to take it 3 months before you conceive), take omega 3 (I take flaxseed oil). I also took spirulina. Apart from that eat a range of healthy food with enough protein and you'll be fine. GOOD LUCK!
ps I was a little worried when I had my first pregnancy in 1996. I was a recent vegan, I was 23, and everything I read said it couldn't be done (the net wasn't huge back then so I didn't have that for info). However, I did the best I could and it all turned out to be wonderful, I felt so proud. So I was much more confident about the next pregnancies.

[artemis]

I agree with Sophie. It is important to start taking folic acid before conceiving. I started taking prenatal vitamins made by Freeda, and Omega Zen for DHA three months before we conceived. I also had my blood tested and a full physical to make sure all was well before we started "trying". I am thankful for this, because we got pregnant without even really "trying" - one month before we were going to really start "trying". Knowing that I was already very healthy and well noursished relieved any anxiety I may have had otherwise.

[Kale]

All of your advice will be most helpful, thank you!

Have any of you gotten scrutinany from your family or friends about being pregant and vegan? Like for instance your child will be this or that if you don't take enough or do of this or that?

My family is very much this way!:o

If you were scrutinized what did you say or do about it?

[VOW]

I feel so strongly about folic acid supplementation, it is my heartfelt belief that all sexually-active women should be taking it.

During the most critical stages of development of the new embryo, before a woman even knows she is pregnant, there is a need for folic acid. This is when the neural tube emerges, and that is the future brain and spinal cord. Studies have shown that if the mother's body does not have adequate amounts of folic acid, the neural tube will not fully develop. This will result in major birth defects, ranging from inadequate brain growth to spinal bifida.

Spinal bifida is a tragic birth defect, and the child can be left paralyzed for life. Supplementing the maternal diet with folic acid before pregnancy is easy, cheap, and mandatory, IMHO.



~VOW

[Erin Pavlina]

My family gave me some grief during my first vegan pregnancy. They were very worried. Read the story here (http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-pregnancy/dealingwithdoctors.htm).

For the second pregnancy, of course no one made any comments.

The more confident you are in what you're doing, the less their comments will be able to affect you.