Your Vegetarian Pregnancy . A Month by Month Guide to Health and Nutrition

Editorial Review

When you're eating for two, you need to eat well.

There's no question that a vegetarian or vegan diet is just as nutritionally sound during pregnancy as one that includes animal protein. In fact, vegetarian nutrition offers pregnant women valuable health benefits that you simply won't find in a nonvegetarian diet, such as higher levels of folic acid, lower cholesterol, and an abundant variety of essential minerals, vitamins, and nutrients. Whether you are already vegetarian or you simply want to reduce the amount of meat in your diet, making the right dietary choices to support you and your baby is the key to a safe, healthy pregnancy.

Fulfilling every nutritional guideline recommended by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Your Vegetarian Pregnancy is the first authoritative guide to maintaining a healthy plant-based diet before, during, and after the birth of your child. Combining complete obstetrical information with sound nutritional guidance, this guide will educate you about:

Basic pregnancy issues, such as fetal development, changes within your body, and preparation for labor and delivery.

What to expect each month, and how to cope with the unexpected.

Key nutrients for your baby and you, with suggestions on how to obtain these through diet, vitamins, and supplements.

The myriad benefits to eating vegetarian during pregnancy, in an entire chapter comparing vegetarian and nonvegetarian nutrition.

With this unique and accessible handbook, you can be confident that your vegetarian pregnancy will be wonderfully beneficial for both you and your baby.
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Customer Reviews

terribly difficult to find what you are looking for

2009-01-05
I really did not like this book. I donated it to Goodwill already. There is no sense (at least that I can see) for the way the book is laid out and I think the way the author counts pregnancy is weird...most people count weeks 1-4 as month one, even though you do not know you are pregnant yet. She counts it as month zero. Although this is valid, it is not the way any other book I own counts pregnancy, so it is too confusing for me.

The book gets two stars for its nutritional information. I cannot see how this information can be easily used by many who are not RDs, but it is cool to look at. Maybe it would be helpful if you have worried family members, but I kind of doubt it...you could really only make them feel better about protein.

I would not buy this book again, obviously, since I got rid of it!

Good to have

2008-12-13
I had this book as well as about 20 other books with similar subject matter (vegan/vegetarian family health & nutrition). I consistently found myself coming back to this easy read while I was pregnant when looking for basic nutrition factoids, things I need to watch out for and the occasional reassuring pros to having a vegan pregnancy. I definitely felt it was more for vegetarians than vegans, but it was helpful nonetheless. It gave me some nutritional brain ammo for all of the relatives' quips on how "YOU NEED TO EAT ANIMALS FOR A HEALTHY BABY". I basically agree with alot of Jenney Chendea's review. My son has been vegan since conception, was born 9.5 lbs, very healthy... he is 3.5 yrs old now and he's thriving.

your vegetarian pregnancy

2008-10-05
I thought this book was wonderful. It had a breakdown of exactly what foods had what vitamins/ minerals and proteins. When you are a vegetarian you are always bombarded with questions like what are you eating to get this or that. So it's nice to be able to answer

Decent

2008-08-05
I think this book has great intentions.
Its not the kind thats bores you, its a quick and easy read.
Especially, good when you want to reference back.
I am not saying it covers everything, but finding a book that covers everything would be overwhelming, and I'd prob. not pick it up unless its organized exceptionally well.
Anyway, this book is a 4/5 for me because I think it could have covered a little bit more.
It is a book that I would recommend to a vegetarian, because I have not found a good book on vegetarian nutrition.
Plus what I like is that it does not OVER EMPHASIZE SOY, which I can't stand eating. Most vegetarian books tend to do that, and its very frustrating.
I also like parts where it compares apgar scores, nutrition profiles etc of meat eating vs. vegetarian etc..Its reassuring for some people I bet.

Happy Vego!

2008-06-16
This is a really re-assuring read for any vegetarian thinking about pregnancy, and as a bonus it arms you to deal with all the questions the non-vego rellies will ask!

Not a good choice...

2008-02-25

When you're eating for two, you need to eat well.

Basic pregnancy issues, such as fetal development, changes within your body, and preparation for labor and delivery.

What to expect each month, and how to cope with the unexpected.

Key nutrients for your baby and you, with suggestions on how to obtain these through diet, vitamins, and supplements.

The myriad benefits to eating vegetarian during pregnancy, in an entire chapter comparing vegetarian and nonvegetarian nutrition.

With this unique and accessible handbook, you can be confident that your vegetarian pregnancy will be wonderfully beneficial for both you and your baby.

Good book, some info you don't get from other books. 2007-08-21
I used this book through both of my pregnancies. I really liked it, especially that it was specifically for us vegetarians. It's not expensive, so if you are a vegetarian and pregnant (or want to get pregnant) you can't go wrong with this book.

A little panicky, a little preachy, a little inaccurate and no help 2007-08-05
I was really looking forward to this book as being a voice of insightful reason about what it means to be pregnant in a world that regards vegetarianism as a faze and therefore pregnancy as an opportunity to end that faze. In that sense the assessment of vegetarian diets for nutriets combined with meat eaters was somewhat helpful. But also a little tedious.
What made me really dislike this book though is that I sometimes found it a little panicky-- you must see you doctor immediately if a, b, or c happen when other books and sources are much quicker to reassure readers that lots of things happen in pregnancy and most are normal; this book could send a nervous mom-to-be in to repeated panics.
Secondly, it was a little preachy-- "vegans are the purest", notions like pregnant veggies are special because they are "bringing a new life into the world without taking a new life" came across as santimonious rather than helpful. For people who are already committed to vegetarian lifestyles, this is unneccessary. For people contemplating vegetarian lifestyles, this is condescending and rude.
Finally, there were some general scientific inaccuracies (not about vitamins or what to eat maybe) but the counting system for instance is just wrong. Month 1 is 4-8 weeks. Month 2 is 8-12 weeks. Which month is week 8 again? Inaccuracies like that suggest someone without much practical experience or intellecutal rigor.

useful, but more details please! 2007-03-18
I thought this book was interesting and informative, but not beyond the second chapter.

The second chapter on nutrition runs through detailed information about all the essential nutriants and general dietary guidlines. This is the best section of the book if you want to understand what to eat and why.

Unfortunately, the month-by-moth guide is greatly lacking in detail and information. I think there is too much general (and very unnecessary) commentaries, such as complications from eating fish or having a venereal disease. I'd rather have had more information about what exactly is happening with my body and my baby's, what foods are ideal for what stage in development.

So, if all you need is some (fairly comprehensive) information about nutrition and very general information about your pregnancy, this book should be fine. On the other hand, I've not seen a better book that deals with vegetarian pregnancy, particularly because the author is so reassuring about maintaining a vegetarian diet during pregnancy.

Great Reference! 2006-12-18
As a vegetarian, I have many questions about what to eat while pregnant or trying to conceive. I feel that this book does an excellent job outlinging the main points of a vegetarian diet and pregnancy. In a simple question and answer format, the author clearly provided information for all my questions. I liked that it was straightforward and simply put without overdoing it on the herbal remedies like other books I have read. It is a good reference!