Is a pregnancy on a vegan diet possible? Of course it is. I switched to a vegan diet in 2011. At first, the reason was mainly health. Later, however, over time, ethical considerations and an understanding of what our human being should really eat came to the force.
The first pregnancy was still controlled by uncertainty. Despite reading a lot of books, blogs, articles, visits to dieticians, the power of the programs I had imposed since childhood was much greater than I expected. That is why I included eggs in my diet for several months. I did not feel well after them, but as I wrote above, I was not yet at the stage to have the strength to reject them.
After a positive qualification (numerous examinations and interviews), I decided to give birth at home (under the assistance of an experienced midwife with many years of experience: Iwona Marczak). The idea of giving a birth in a hospital filled me with fear and I could not imagine any other option than to perform this miracle in the warmth of our home. Of course, there were many more reasons for my choice, but the most important thing was that it naturally felt right to me. I trusted and fallowed my intuition. As I wrote, my physical condition and the course of my pregnancy allowed it.
It was a very personal experience, which I do not want to share in detail here, but I can say that it was an extraordinary experience. It has made my memories and the whole birth full of calm and happiness. Confidence in the possibilities of my body and my intuition were also very important here. The support of my husband and midwife (duola) was a balm for my soul and body. Therefore, my second daughter came to this world as well at home, under the assistance of the same midwife.
The second pregnancy was already much more mature in terms of my development. Totally vegan, with the emphasis on the predominance of raw foods. Daily green and fruit juices, fresh fruit and vegetables but also sometimes homemade thermally processed foods. This made me feel much better than during my first pregnancy. Each time I took care of the right dose of exercise- daily 10 km walks were standard. Stretching and yoga came along.
In my second pregnancy I was tempted to jog for up to 5th month. Due to the size of my belly (in comparison to the first time, I had a much bigger belly, and the baby was also much bigger). I think it might have been a reason why I received a minimal umbilical hernia. However, I believe that on my way, one day my body will regenerate by itself.
My first daughter has not been vegan since birth. As I wrote, the programmes imposed on me covered my faith in the right thing. My daughter ate eggs occasionally and very rarely, but sometimes fish. As soon as I was ready and mature for this decision, I switched her to a vegan diet (she was about 2.5 years old). I breastfed her until the age of 2.
My second daughter however is vegan from the very beginning. She ate a lot of raw foods, for which she instinctly asked for. When extending her diet, I only used raw vegetable foods and breastfeeding until the age of 3. Both daughters ate in the BLW style and I consider this method a very good choice.
My first daughter had many symptoms of detox. Since I stopped breastfeeding her and introduced eggs and fish, there hasn't been a day (literally) when she wouldn't have running nose. Sometimes it was accompanied by a cough (the body was throwing mucus through the lungs) and enlarged tonsils (clogged lymph nodes). I went from doctor to doctor (with emphasis on alternative medicine), but nobody could help me with this. When my daughter became allergic, I have had enough andI have decided that I was taking matters into my own hands. We switched to a completely strict diet, including appropriate herbs and CBD oil. The result was a way out of this endless stream of mucus. And for the first time in a long time, a huge relief. It convinced me that raw plant foods are the most suitable foods for humans and can help to heal and restore balance in the body.
To be sure, I always check my daughters' state of health with conventional doctors (paediatricians) and the opinion was (and still is) always positive.
Once, a dentist, worried about our diet, asked if I was making sure that the child had an adequate supply of calcium. I don't know if he actually asked, because he really deeply cared, or if it was tricky and he may have thought ‚I will show it to her now’. But as we talked for a while, after the conversation, he said that I am really well informed and there is no reason to believe that there is or will be anything missing from my children's diet. Of course, at the end he proposed fluoridation of my children's teeth, which I politely refused to do. He did not even ask why, nor did he try to convince me to change my mind. I think he knew there was no point.
At the moment my daughters eat mainly raw fruits and vegetables, as well as seeds, mushrooms, nuts. Most often they eat on the principle of RAW TILL 4 (until 16:00 they eat raw and then 1 thermally processed meal as the last in the day). They have days in every week (2-3) when they eat only raw (one can make really amazing things in the kitchen from raw foods). Sometimes it can also be a whole week of raw food. It can vary, we stay flexible.
I am extremely pleased with my choices. Everything is in the right pace and at the right time.
