Healthy Vegan Pregnancy & Diet

If you have just found out that you are pregnant, or currently trying for a baby, and following a vegan or plant-based diet, you might be wondering if it is safe to be vegan during pregnancy.

You might be thinking about if a vegan pregnancy is right for you, how a vegan diet will affect your baby or how to make sure you consume the essential nutrients in your diet when you’re pregnant and a vegan.

Make sure you read this post on vegan diet and pregnancy, along with information on Pregnacare Gummies, our vegan pregnancy vitamins.

What’s a Vegan Diet?

Vegans do not eat foods or use any products that are derived wholly or partly from animals, including dairy products and eggs, or any animal-based products. A vegan or plant-based diet can include fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, beans and pulses - along with any foods made from plants.

Veganism is becoming increasingly popular, and as of January 2024 YouGov’s biannual tracker of UK consumers suggested two per cent of UK consumers are vegan, five per cent are vegetarian and three per cent are fish-eaters. A further 13 per cent, they say, are flexitarian or mostly plant based.

If you are a vegetarian, read our post on how to have a healthy vegetarian pregnancy.

Can You Be Vegan During Pregnancy?

It is important for everyone to try and eat a varied and balanced diet during pregnancy, whether you are vegan or not. This will help provide nutrients for your own health and in turn the development, growth and health of your baby during pregnancy.

Yes, you can be vegan during pregnancy as long as you eat a healthy, varied and balanced diet, with essential nutrients sourced from places other than meat and dairy, and safeguard your nutritional intake with supplements if needed.

Is a Vegan Diet Safe & Healthy For Pregnancy?

It is safe to continue eating a vegan diet during pregnancy as long as you eat a varied, balanced diet that contains the right building blocks such as protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates – sourced from places other than meat and dairy.

Those following a vegetarian or vegan diet may need to safeguard their nutritional intake with vegan supplements, as some nutrients are only available in limited food sources.

Make sure you consult your midwife or doctor for advice on your diet during pregnancy.

Vegan Pregnancy Diet: What Should Vegans Eat During Pregnancy?

The best vegan foods for during pregnancy should make up a varied, balanced diet that contains fruit and vegetables, protein, healthy fats and starchy carbohydrates (bread, cereals, rice etc.) Read our post on pregnancy foods to eat and avoid for the basics of a healthy pregnancy diet and how you can adopt this to your vegan diet.

While vegans don’t eat meat or animal-based products, they can eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, as well as grains, nuts, seeds, beans and pulses, along with foods made from plants – anything that’s not derived from an animal.

Is It Bad To Not Eat Meat While Pregnant?

It is fine not to eat meat during pregnancy, however, if you are pregnant and following a vegan diet, you need to make sure you get enough iron and vitamin B12, which are mainly found in meat and fish, from sources other than meat or fish.

What are the Essential Vitamins & Minerals to Watch Out for On a Vegan Diet During Pregnancy?

In addition to eating a balanced, varied and healthy diet during pregnancy, vegan mums-to-be need to make sure they get enough iron and vitamin B12, which are mainly found in meat and fish, along with vitamin D, calcium and iodine. Iron contributes to normal oxygen transport in the body, which is important during pregnancy. Vitamin D contributes to normal immune system function, vitamin B12 contributes to normal red blood cell formation and iodine contributes to normal thyroid function. Calcium, of which a common source is diary product, is important as it contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth.

Folic Acid During Vegan Pregnancy

The UK Department of Health recommends that all women take a daily supplement containing 400μg of folic acid when trying for a baby, and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and potentially beyond, as this can help to reduce the risk of Neutral Tube Defects (NTDs) such as Spina Bifida, in your baby.

Supplemental folic acid intake increases maternal folate status†. Low maternal folate status is a risk factor in the development of neural tube defects in the developing foetus. Folic Acid is also beneficial beyond 12 weeks as it contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy.

If Flour In The UK Is Fortified With Folic Acid, Do I Still Need To Take An Additional Folic Acid Supplement Before And During Pregnancy?

Yes, you will still need to take a supplement as fortification is only to improve the folic acid contribution from the normal diet. The government announced in September 2021 the good news that folic acid will be added to UK white flour from the end of 2026 (the new rules will exclude gluten-free and wholemeal flour). This is to help increase the amount of folic acid in maternal diets, as low folic acid status is a risk factor in the development of neural tube defects (NTDs), such as spina bifida. This will, however, not replace the need for mums-to-be to take a folic acid supplement, as the UK Department of Health continues to recommend that all women trying to conceive until the 12th week of pregnancy should take a daily supplement containing 400µg folic acid.

It is also recommended that vitamin B12 is taken with folic acid at this time as it works very closely with folic acid. Research suggests* that taking a daily supplement of at least 2.5 µg of B12 (the EU RDA) with your main meal, in addition to the recommended daily 400µg supplement of folic acid, may further reduce the risk of NTD. B12 is mainly found in animal and dairy produce, so B12 supplementation is especially important for women following vegetarian or vegan diets. Vitamin B12 also contributes to the process of cell division and the normal functioning of the nervous system.

^†The beneficial effect is obtained with a supplemental folic acid daily intake of 400µg for at least one month before and up to three months after conception.

* Addition of Vitamin B12 to folic acid supplements to optimise the prevention of Spina Bifida and other Neural Tube Defects, Professor John M. Scott, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

Iron Intake on a Vegan Diet for Pregnancy

If you are following a vegan diet throughout pregnancy, you need to make sure you consume enough iron. Plant-based foods that have iron for pregnancy include:

• Wholemeal Bread
• Dark Green Vegetables, Including Spinach & Broccoli
• Pulses And Legumes
• Fortified Breakfast Cereals (Look for ones with added iron)
• Dried Fruit, Such As Apricots

Vitamin D Intake During a Vegan Pregnancy

All adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, are advised by the Department of Health to consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D especially in the autumn and winter. During this time the body cannot make sufficient vitamin D from sunlight alone, which is why a supplement is recommended.

We source vitamin D from sunlight, but it is also contained in foods fortified with vitamin D, including some breakfast cereals and fat spreads. However, as vitamin D is found only in a small number of foods, it is difficult to get enough from foods that naturally contain vitamin D and fortified foods alone.

Calcium Intake During a Vegan Pregnancy

Another thing you need to look out for if you’re pregnant and a vegan is getting enough calcium, as non-vegans get most of their calcium from dairy foods like milk, cheese and butter.

Good sources of calcium for vegans include:

• Dark Green Leafy Vegetables Including Spinach And Kale
• Pulses
• Fortified Unsweetened Soya, Rice And Oat Drinks
• Brown And White Bread
• Calcium-Set Tofu
• Sesame Seeds And Tahini
• Dried Fruit

Vitamin B12 in Pregnancy for Vegans

Sources of vitamin B12 for vegans are limited, which is why you may consider taking a vitamin B12 supplement. Natural sources of vitamin B12 for vegans are:

• Fortified Breakfast Cereals (Lower sugar options where possible)
• Fortified Unsweetened Soya Drinks
• Marmite Or Other Yeast Extract Products

Iodine In Pregnancy For Vegans

Iodine intake is a consideration during pregnancy and breastfeeding, when the body naturally needs more iodine as pregnant women must produce more thyroid hormone for her own and her baby’s needs, particularly in the early stages of pregnancy. Iodine contributes to the normal production of thyroid hormones and normal thyroid function.

Natural sources of iodine include milk, sea fish and shellfish but for vegans, it can also be found in plant foods, such as cereals and grains, but the levels vary depending on the amount of iodine in the soil where the plants are grown.

If you're vegan then the NHS advice is to consider taking an iodine supplement or eating foods fortified with iodine, such as some types of plant-based drinks.

Iodine is also included in the Pregnacare range.

Which Pregnancy Vitamins & Multivitamins Should You Take?

If you’re pregnant and currently following a vegan diet, you might be wondering if there are any vegan Pregnacare supplements. When it comes to vegan pregnancy supplements in the Pregnacare pregnancy vitamins & supplements range, Pregnacare Gummies - the UK’s first ever comprehensive gummy pregnancy supplement - are vegan prenatal vitamins that are suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Pregnacare Gummies are specially formulated to provide the essential nutrients for pregnancy in a delicious blueberry and strawberry flavoured chewable gummy. Each gummy contains 17 nutrients for during pregnancy, including 400µg folic acid and 10µg vitamin D, the exact levels as advised by the UK Department of Health during pregnancy - supplemental folic acid intake increases maternal folate status and vitamin D has a role in the process of cell division and helps support normal bones and teeth - vitamins B2, B6 and B12 which contribute to normal red blood cell formation and zinc which contributes to normal fertility and reproductive health, and Iodine which contributes to normal production of thyroid hormones and normal thyroid function.

Do I Need to tell My Doctor or Midwife that I’m Vegan?

It is a good idea to tell your doctor or midwife that you are vegan so they can answer any questions you might have and help discuss your dietary needs and how you can help support your body and baby during pregnancy. Your midwife will ask about your diet at your booking-in appointment. If they don’t, then it would be helpful to mention it to them.

Sources:

NHS – Vegetarian or vegan and pregnant

https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/vegetarian-or-vegan-and-pregnant/

Viva (The Vegan Charity) – Statistics about veganism

https://viva.org.uk/lifestyle/statistics-about-veganism/

Disclaimer: The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional regarding any medical condition. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in the blog and to describe best generally accepted current practices we cannot accept any liability for errors or omissions or for any consequences from application of the information given.