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My Vegan Raw Pregnancy
This is the story of my vegan raw pregnancy. I write this to give tips and encouragement and do not intend for this to be a specific guide. Please consult your doctor or midwife regarding your diet situation.
When I found out I was pregnant I was already a raw vegan and knew I wanted to continue that path. My mind soon filled with concern as I talked to doctors and others who questioned my diet and nutrition. I read books about pregnancy (though none on raw pregnancy exist)in the modern medicine realm of things and was amazed to discover how many things can go wrong and how many tests are performed. It was enough to scare anyone to death. I knew I had to provide the ideal situation for my child and myself to avoid all the things that could go wrong. I consulted with
Dr. Doug Graham
on several occasions throughout my raw pregnancy and he helped calm my fears and assure me I was on the right track. I went against what modern medicine suggests and even some of what my midwife suggested but in the end I got just what I wanted without being poked or prodded. My baby and myself are very healthy.
The first trimester of mt raw pregnancy I was so full of energy. I awoke several hours earlier than usual and my appetite actually decreased although I was gaining a little weight. I never did get morning sickness but I was in tune with my body, so toxic smells could make me feel nauseous. I ate raw food most of the time. I generally had a fruit smoothie for breakfast, fruit and/or a fruit smoothie for lunch, fruit for snacks and a dinner of salad with nuts, oil or avocado. Dr. Graham suggested I drop the oil from my diet and I gave it up most of the time. I felt awesome! There were occasions when I’d cry uncontrollably for no reason whatsoever, but I wasn’t sad so I just let myself cry. I did visit a doctor during this time and they did an ultrasound to check the babies development. I wouldn’t have done this so early, but my experience with a miscarriage six years prior (before I was on this diet) left me a bit nervous.
The second trimester proved to be quite stressful, but not because of the pregnancy. I had moved to a new city, new house, new midwife, and started a new job. I was overwhelmed and my diet began to slip. I gave in to emotional cravings. I ate chocolate and even ice cream on occasion. I knew this wasn’t helping anything, especially my baby so I fought hard to keep control. Exercise also helped, I did yoga, kegels and walked to prepare for childbirth.
My last trimester seemed to last forever, perhaps I was just so excited to finally meet my baby time seemed to stop. My belly didn’t stop, it had grown quite large but according to the scales I wasn’t gaining weight. My midwife was concerned about my food and protein intake since this was a raw pregnancy, but I assured her I was eating enough. My weight seemed to stand still for over a month and my midwife suggested an ultrasound to check the babies development. We went for it and of course, my baby was just the right size and weight. Throughout my pregnancy it was also suggested to me to get various other normal testing done, all of which I refused. I tend to believe those "normal" tests are for "normal" people who have the "normal" problems and my raw pregnancy and lifestyle is not that of the average person. I also never took pre-natal vitamins because I felt I consume adequate nutrients from my food.
I gave birth after 3 hours of labor without the use of drugs or instruments. My midwife did fetal monitoring throughout labor but all other tests were rejected. I chose not to let them give my daughter shots or eye drops either. She was placed on my chest right after birth and within 30 minutes was breast feeding.
I know there are lots of normal babies born to mothers with horrible nutrition habits, but I truly know that I gave my little girl the best in womb development possible. I made some mistakes and a lot of people questioned my decisions but I was and am confident in my choices. Consuming nutrient rich foods to nourish our bodies set the stage for a wonderful healthy experience. Not only is pregnancy healthier on a raw foods diet but I believe it made the situation easier too. My raw vegan pregnancy was an amazing success!
Raw baby
/Importance of nutrition
Why a Raw vegan diet?
Tips for starting a raw vegan diet
Natural nutrition from raw pregnancy
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