I was Vegan for both my Pregnancies and they were Amazing

In a country like ours being pregnant means your diet is supposed to include extra servings of almost everything. The image of all the elderly women of the house feeding you with dollops of ghee filled laddoos and glasses of milk is not unreal. The thought of not including dairy products in the diet might seem utterly insane at first, yet if you have the courage to break out of these preconceived notions with determination, nothing is impossible. Taking it a step forward, Rithika Ramesh, like so many vegan mothers out there, choose a go through her pregnancy on a vegan diet. We caught up with her to get the details on some of the hurdles and her meals during 9 months. Here is what she has to say 

Rithika's Journey

The vegan lifestyle became a part of my life around 6 years ago. I just had my second baby two months ago, 2 and a half years after my firstborn. This was my second pregnancy on a vegan diet; during my first pregnancy as well, I was completely vegan. In fact, Vegan First spoke with me about my first delivery which was a water birth which was also 100% all natural. 

Since this was my second pregnancy, I wasn’t scared this time around as compared to the first time. However, I was worried about my calcium and protein intake. My entire focus was on maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet throughout the nine months. It was more of the older generation who were worried because it was quite unusual for them to see a pregnant woman on a vegan diet.  With a pregnancy, everyone assumes that ghee and other milk products are essential for the proper growth of the child and breastfeeding is essential later on. So, it was natural for everyone to worry the first time I took this decision, but after my first delivery went normally they were quite relaxed the second time.

During my first pregnancy I researched extensively throughout the internet, read quite a number of books on a vegan pregnancy but one thing which came in handy was the groups on Facebook. You can ask almost anything in the groups and learn from the experience of others. I made sure that I was connected with pregnant vegan women through these groups. Interaction with other vegan parents and mothers made me more confident about my decision. In the end, I just did what my instincts asked me to do and focused majorly on keeping my levels of iron, calcium and vitamins in check. Moreover, I also made sure that I was physically active throughout my pregnancy; I joined pre-natal yoga classes where being surrounded by pregnant women made the experience more fun and enriching.

Rithika's Diet

As shocking as it might seem, my diet was nothing extraordinary. I had healthy home-cooked food most of the time with nuts and vegetables comprising a good portion of my diet. Normally, my day began with idli or dosa along with a fruit smoothie and then lunch again was dal, rice, vegetables and also rasam sometimes. I snacked mostly on sprouts and nuts. Well, we all know pregnancies and cravings go hand-in-hand! This time chaat, pani puri, sev puri and chocolates were on the top of my list. Sometimes, I used to make chaat at home but I also ate out many times. Whereas, my cravings for vegan chocolates was satisfied by Heidi's peppermint chocolate and also Amul’s dark chocolate bar.  A majority of the time, my entire focus was on having organic food, vegetables, fruits and nuts. Apart from these, I had traditional food like sesame ladoos and Diwali medicine which is a mixture of roots, herbs, jaggery and ghee ( check out Vegan First's vegan ghee recipe) but my parents made vegan alternatives for me. Being a baker, I continued with my work both the times until the end, taking a break only in the last week of my pregnancy and right after my baby was born. 

Find a good Doctor

Having the support of your doctor is really important both for yourself and your family. During my first pregnancy, I consulted two doctors before settling with the second one. One wanted me to include all sorts of protein and calcium supplements in my diet. I didn’t take anything except  Unived’s vitamin D, B12 supplements throughout and Gentle’s iron supplements in the last month. My doctor was quite supportive throughout; his only concern was to keep my levels in check and did not mind me following any diet as long as the required levels were achieved.

During my first delivery I went for a Water Birth and this time as well, I choose to do the same. The second time, when my son was born, my daughter was around me throughout the whole process. A Water Birth is a beautiful, calming and relaxing experience for both the mother and the baby. The water was really warm and the lights were dim just like I wanted them to be. Water birth is soothing with everyone talking in hush tones in comparison to deliveries in hospitals where everyone is screaming and shouting. As a matter of fact, I don’t really remember the pain as much as others describe.

The final word

The only thing you actually need is the conviction to follow your heart no matter what others say. You do not need dairy in your diet; in reality, it does more harm to you than good. If one has the passion and a proper healthy diet, it is not tough. Apart from this, Facebook groups like Raising Vegan Babies and others are quite informative with a lot of women who are raising vegan kids or going through vegan pregnancy in such groups.

What a wonderful way to bring in new life don't you think? A healthy vegan diet can support any milestone in a woman's life. So, find a nutritionist and a good doctor to help you through your vegan pregnancy. We hope this article was helpful, if you've got a vegan parenting story for us, let us know in the comments below!

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