Vegetarians and Pregnancy
Increased nutrients are needed during pregnancy,and this can be a problem for vegetarian women,and they are usually given advice by doctors to have supplements with their diets with vitamins and minerals , most especially, vitamin B12, iron and calcium. On no account should this be seen as a way to rely on the supplements on their own, and to neglect a balanced diet. Pregnant women should take care to augment their intakes of foods that are already high in these nutrients, and to especially enjoy all the vitamin and mineral rich food that can accessed without a compromise in principle or health choice.
To get enough vitamin B12, vegetarians must take all the steps to ensure the diet contains eggs and milk. Vegans, however, will need to eat foods that contain yeast extract and soya milks which are fortified with B12 and their associated vitamins.
A vegetarian and vegan diet rich in wholemeal bread, dark green vegetables and lentils equals a satisfactory ammount of iron, but this mineral is also in synthetic meats which by law has to be added. Combine iron-rich vegetarian foods with vitamin C to aid iron absorption.
Milk, cheese and yogurt and other associated milk produces provide calcium, and vegetarians who include these foods in their diets will have close to enough to RDA. Vegans who might suffer from low amounts, should eat plenty dark green vegetables, pulses and tofu. There is also the heavy starch option, white bread, which is supplemented with calcium carbonate (chalk), as well as with fortified vitamins and minerals and in many cases Omega oils.
N.b.Control and measure of the RDA must be supervised by a health professional. You must undertake professional advice when taki9ng supplements while pregnant, to make sure that no harm is coming to you and you are not acting in a negative interest to your long and short term health and that of your baby.