oh my goodness...I am in shock...

[pbuttercwup]

I do not know any of you so you do not understand the shock of this. I am pretty sure I am 5 weeks pregnant. I have only been 95%raw for 2 months. Most days I am full on raw and then some days I taste a little of my families dinner. Anyway, I am pretty sure I am pregnant, the test I just took looked positive. I have lost 20 pounds in the last month and I would like to continue to lose weight and eat raw. I just do not know how healthy that would be while pregnant. Am I supposed to supplement with anything? What do I do? eat more? I am so freaked out as I know people will freak when they hear I am pregnant and raw. I am just so freaked out that I may not give the baby enough nourishment. I have plenty of weight to spare so I am not starting out underweight but I do not want to lose all my progress. I know that sounds terrible but can I do this healthily for me and the baby?
oh my goodness...what a shocking day!
I attribute this pregnancy to eating raw as it took me 3 years to get pregnant with my second daughter. thanks for any help
B

[Kitty]

congrats! I am pregnant too! From what I have read it isn't a bad thing to continue to loose weight on the first trimester because the baby is to small to need that much nutrients any way. Plus a lot of people loose weight during morning sickness. After that you should gain about a pound a week I think? I am still in the first trimester. I also read that we should be eating more nutrient dense food so raw food covers that pretty well! Personally I think I am just naturally going to gain weight in the second and third trimester anyway.

[RawCutter]

I have lost 20 pounds in the last month and I would like to continue to lose weight and eat raw. I just do not know how healthy that would be while pregnant.

being pregnant doesn't mean you have to be the size of a house

[pbuttercwup]

only someone who isnt pregnant and in shock would utter those words..

[puzit19]

What a wonderfull news :)
Congratulations !

I've heard there's a raw magazine called "The mother magazine"
and it supse to be really good for women- especially pregnent and raw ^_^

sorry I can't help any more :)
But just stay calm and not stressed- sure the stress will do worse than any food regime :) Good luck !

Lots of love
Mary

[Judy]

Hi B.,

Jinjee from the Garden diet is a raw mother of four.
Two of her pregnancies she did cooked vegan and two raw vegan.
The raw vegan pregnancies and births were much easier than the cooked vegan ones. The whole family is raw, and all of them are super healthy. Her latest, a baby boy and all raw, is só lively and enegetic (I saw their documentary). In fact, when done right, it's healthier for mom and baby to live on a raw and living foods diet.
If you need help, advice etc. from someone who's been there, you can contact Jinjee through: http://www.thegardendiet.com/

I know you must be in shock, since you're new to this and all. Make sure you seek help from people who have experience, like Jinjee. Also, at the Hippocrates Health institute, they have lots of expertise in this area: http://www.hippocratesinst.org/ (there are other raw & living foods health institutes as well, search the net). You could also contact Alissa.

[Judy]

Oh, the documentary of that raw vegan family (Jinjee), is now available for free. They are also talking about Jinjee's pregnancies etc. (towards the end). You can watch it here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8183852041721248182&q=breakthrough&total=3930&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1

[belle]

I have no advice, but want to extend my congratulations to you!!! Try not to stress over the matter of what others will think, looks like some great info here people are helping you with, this place is wonderful.
Its inspiring to know that you were able to get pregnant after going raw... :D

All the best!

[EZ rider]

I am certainly not an expert on pregnancy but I can't help but wonder - if a person is pregnant does that mean they have more need of cooked dead food ? or does that mean that eating for two is all the more reason to eat healthy fresh garden foods ? I guess you'll have to answer that question for yourself.

[juliebove]

If you are overweight, chances are your Drs. won't want you to gain the recommended amount of weight for an average weight woman. A gain of 10 to 12 pounds will most likely be fine for you. Remember, that baby will be growing and then there will be all the added fluid in your body. Most of that will go away after the pregnancy.

[Radiantly Raw]

Congratulations! What a blessing!

I've thought about this as well as we plan to get pregnant in a few months. I've read a lot of what Jinjee has said about the subject. I think she has an ebook about it. She also just recently had a baby girl, Yarrow, and I believe she said she was going to be writing up a new one. I know she'll help set your mind at ease if you do contact her!

I'm also overweight and I lost weight throughout my pregnancy with my first daughter, and I was eating as healthy as I knew how 6 years ago. With my second, I gained weight, but slowly. I'm still overweight, and I wouldn't be alarmed if I lost some weight during pregnancy while eating raw or not. A lot of weight loss might concern me of course.

I think that because typically, pregnant mamas are under doctor's care more than the average woman, it's easy to fall back under the medical guidelines. The panicky side of me starts thinking things like protein intake, prenatal vitamins, etc. But truly- the diet that the majority of pregnant women in America is eating is so far from healthy! I think we're much better off doing it raw!

Doctor's scare tactics make me mad, but they also plant that seed of doubt in my mind. Ugh!

I know that with my next pregnancy, I'll seek more natural care. Like a midwife as opposed to an OB in a large practice like I had before. And I'm not sure how much I'll disclose about my food intake. Here, they love the Bradley diet, which tells you to take in an enormous amount of protein. I just couldn't do that! Even before raw!

If this is the healthiest diet for us (and by diet I mean food intake, not weight loss plan) then it stands to reason that it would remain the best even when pregnant!

So, I hope this helps, and again- Congratulations!! :D

[Allison]

According to Gabriel Cousens, it is impossible for a raw vegan to get adequate B-12. I have been studying up on Vitamin B-12, and lack of sufficient B-12 in an infant can cause severe, irreversible neurological damage. What would cause an infant to have inadequate B-12? Maternal insufficiency.

If I were pregnant, I would make sure I was supplementing with B-12, and I would consume either 1 -2 T. flax oil or 3 - 4 T. ground flax seed daily for essential fatty acids, which are so important for baby's brain development.

Congratulations!

Allison

[Zuri]

According to Gabriel Cousens, it is impossible for a raw vegan to get adequate B-12. I have been studying up on Vitamin B-12, and lack of sufficient B-12 in an infant can cause severe, irreversible neurological damage. What would cause an infant to have inadequate B-12? Maternal insufficiency.

If I were pregnant, I would make sure I was supplementing with B-12, and I would consume either 1 -2 T. flax oil or 3 - 4 T. ground flax seed daily for essential fatty acids, which are so important for baby's brain development.

Congratulations!

Allison

Don't let that entry freak you out Butter. I'd talk to Jinjee, some other women that had babies while raw, and link up with a holistic practitioner that is well trained in the area of eating raw such as a naturopath or well trained herbalist along with your regular doc. Eating raw and being preggy is definitely possible in the grand scheme of things. Our ancestors from ancient Egypt didn't eat meat and had babies so anything is possible. :D

[EmJo]

Bacteria in our guts produce B12. If you're concerned about not assimilating it, you can have some sea vegetables once in a while.

I think if you follow your body's leading you'll be okay, like if you're hungry, eat, b/c it's probably your body telling you the baby needs more. It'd probably be best not to try to lose weight, but if you're overweight and you do lose some b/c of the raw diet, I wouldn't worry about it, 4 reasons others give above.

[Frecs]

First, congrats on the pregnancy! That's great news...once you get over the shock anyway!

Now, as for eating raw and being pregnant. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination so my first recommendation is to hook up with someone who is. There are a few nutrients that are very important to baby's development: folate, B12, and essential fatty acids. If you eat nuts, avocados, and healthy oils regularly you are getting the EFA's. You'll cover the need for folate by eating lentil sprouts, nuts, dark green leafy veggies, broccoli, etc. B12 is a controversial issue but when you are dealing with a baby in the womb I'd say play it safe -- supplement with nutritional yeast.

Hey, think about this..."they" tell women of child bearing age to supplement with folic acid "just in case" because by the time one knows one is pregnant the damage is already done to the baby. Since you've been eating raw and eating good sources of folate you are starting out from a great position! Congrats again!

You may also, with your doctor's guidance, want to begin a good (and safe) exercise program. My understanding is that exercise will make the pregnancy and delivery much easier.

Just my humble opinions. Your mileage may vary. The FDA has not approved these statements.

[herbalgirl]

Congratulations to you!! It truly is a wonderful blessing to be expecting a baby. :)

I am very new to raw, and am not 100% but I do not feel that you have to go back to a lot of cooked "dead" foods in order to have a healthy pregnancy. Remember, most (if not all!) of the info on healthy eating you see at the doc's office or on the internet deals with the SAD diet way of eating. In fact, eating a wide variety of different fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds is the excellent way to get what you need. It's when you get stuck on only eating one or two things to excess that you could develop deficiencies.

Do your research to see what raw foods you can eat that will give you what you need during pg. I agree that in the first trimester, it isn't imperative that you gain weight. However, if you notice you're still losing a lot of weight in the second and third trimesters, I would seriously check what you're eating and perhaps incorporate more fats into your diet.

Best wishes to you for a healthy and happy pregnancy!

[Zella Juice]

toxins are stored in your fat. losing alot of weight during pregnancy will release those toxins into the blood stream and go to the baby. I would not try to lose alot of weight during pregnancy. But I would continue to eat raw and do lots of research on what foods I need to eat to be healthy and keep weight on...at least during the pregnancy. You can go back to losing weight after the baby is born. Thats my two cents.

[sbaker]

I am 5 months pregnant right now. I'm as raw as i can be, i slip up here and there. I am 5 lbs lighter than the day i got pregnant. I have had morning sickness, but never threw up, so I managed to keep most of what i ate down. I know girls who threw up everything they ate for the first 4 months and lost 20-30lbs because of it, and still had healthy babies. Not that i suggest that! The baby will leach what it needs from you, and I feel that as long as you make sure you are getting a variety of what you need you will be ok. Calcium, iron, b12, efa's are most important. like they said before, green smoothies with spinich, throw in some hemp oil...things like that and you will probably be getting more than most SAD women! I make sure to do fruits in the morning and some form of salads for breakfast and lunch, with olives, nut butters and avocados for fats. I don't think being pregnant means you need to pig out and gain 80lbs , or stop you daily exercise and healthy eating. IF you are losing 1-2lbs a week because you use to eat cheetos and now you eat veggies...i don't see any harm in that for your baby! I am not overweight to begin with, bigger than i want to be, but still in a healthy range, and I have maintained that...but according to the Dr. the baby is growing just fine! Also..I am lucky, my Dr. really doesn't mind my weight gain or lack of, as long as the baby is growing on schedule, and we have a don't ask don't tell policy about my diet...i'd much rather get my advice here than from him! I've read countless message boards with women saying they didn't gain a pound during pregnancy, or some were even lighter at delivery day... most of it is because people make a choice when they are growing child to eat much more healthy and even if they are eating tons of food, its different food and they lose weight because its better food. Cutting out soda and twinkies can make a huge difference! Congrats on the pregnancy! Make an effort to eat variety and don't worry!!

[Mialsse]

Congrats!!!!!

[GoingtoRAW]

only someone who isnt pregnant and in shock would utter those words..
Pbuttercwup you are cracking me up. I was thinking the exact same thing! Although I don't think he really meant any harm!;)


Congratulations to all the newly pregnant ladies. It is such a blessing!!:)
Pregnancy can be such a delicate thing. So because of that and because I am a fraidy-cat I would probably run straight to the doctor to make sure that my diet wouldn't hurt the baby (although I don't know how eating the foods that God put on this earth for us to eat could be harmful). Then you just have to use some common sense. :o

[Lavendula]

There are alot great responses ,but I strongly agree with Zella juice, that was my very first thought. The toxins are stored in your fat, and I believe it would not be good for the baby to be trying to lose weight. Continuing high raw is great. But because it's a new way of life for you, and being pregnant is a big enough adjustment, you may not always have the energy and time to make sure you are getting enough of what you need. Maybe if you make sure that your cooked food is nutrient dense and among the healthiest proteins or sprouted whole grain bread, keeping the veggies and fruits raw. What a joy to be expecting an unexpected joy. CONGRATS again!

[Kitty]

THIS is what I heard about toxins. Just like most medicines the toxins do not go into the baby nearly as much as when breast feeding. Wouldn't it be more toxic to eat SAD? Anyway I just felt from my research and being pregnant that it is safer to start raw while pregnant and get detox over with then it would to do it during breastfeeding. And on top of that, if you really wanted to slow it down have a bowl of brown rice at night or something.

[Green Life]

being pregnant doesn't mean you have to be the size of a house

Yes, BUT....it's a good excuse:p

OH! BTW...Congratulations to you, pnutbuttercup!

[sbaker]

i agree kitty... the toxins are in our bodies regardless, and they are sure to come out when we are breast feeding...and if we eat sad while pregnant, than that will be the first stuff our body releases when we breast feed..i would imagine! I'm not putting any more in!!! Losing 1lb a week is better than gaining or losing 3lbs a week I would think. I'm not trying to lose weight at all, im just trying to eat as healthy as possible and not gain a ton, because i think lots of women use pregnancy as an excuse to gain loads of weight....there is no need to gain 80lbs and pig out on buckets of ice cream. lots of the baby websites i went to ...when girls weren't gaining weight the Dr. would either be fine with it if the baby was growing OR some Dr.s would tell the girls to go home and eat tons of ice cream and shakes to put on the weight..how much sense does that make!!! thats why i wont listen to the Dr. about diet!!! Just IV some dairy into your system!!! As far as i can see there is no difference in releasing toxins by losing weight , or eating toxins on a daily basis with sad foods, thats how they got in there in the first place!

[Kitty]

yes as long as the BABY is growing and healthy then they shouldn't care to much if you aren't gaining any weight. Jinjee with her 4th pregnancy only gained 10 lbs but the baby was I believe 7lbs when born! Perfectly healthy.

[cinnamon panda]

http://rawfood.revvell.com/2007/03/11/jinjee-pt1.aspx
jinjee talks about giving birth etc. with cooked vs. raw here.

amazing!!! and congrats :D raw babies are awesome. my friend has a 2 year old that eats zucchini like many kids i see eating candy, it's a beautiful thing.

[Livingsunfoods]

Here is a link to an interview with Helen Rose co-owner of Natural Zing. She discusses her pregenancy and what foods she ate, supplements, etc. http://www.tribecaradio.net/blog/categories/hookedOnRaw/2007/01/30.html#a203 :)

[MSloan65]

Hello Butter,

I also offer my heartfelt congratulations. I would like to experience childbirth while eating raw. I am inspired by Jinjee too.

After reading the threads the only thing I feel I'd like to offer is keep educating yourself, then do what you feel is right with your own inner wisdom. I know, easier said than done, huh.

Your body, as you know, will tell you. How interesting it is that you got pregnant while embarking on a near 100% raw vegan diet.

I remember reading somewhere that it isn't advised to be pregnant while new to a raw diet. Something having to do with the detoxing. I don't want to add to what I'm sure is already confusing. I think Jinjee was 8 months into her raw diet when she got pregnant for the first time.

Again, if it's one thing I am learning more than anything on my raw journey is that this is so new to get publicized that there isn't conclusive data. There is so much conflicting information. So perhaps look into the different raw schools of thought then see what your gut is telling you, and find an expert to assist.

I personally would feel good about having a raw pregnancy. But I'm not sure about doing that while in a detox stage of still being fairly new.

Also, check out the raw pregnancy site on here. Lot's of moms to ask!

[noodle-o]

When I was last pregnant, I ended up losing about 35-40 lbs over the course of the pregnancy. It wasn't that noticeable until the end. What was happening was that I was maintaining a constant weight throughout the pregnancy despite the extra weight from the baby and extra fluid/blood. The day I had him, I weighed about 15 lbs less than I did when I found out I was expecting. I was wearing clothes I hadn't worn in years the day after I had him. In fact, I felt healthier while I was pregnant than before or after.

I would say, that as long as you are not intentionally trying to lose lots of weight while pregnant, your body will continue to build that baby and continue to heal you. Just make sure that you eat good, nurishing food, keep your good fats and proteins coming (both for baby's health and to avoid developing toxemia). Do keep your doctor in the loop, so he/she can help you stay aware of any potential or developing problems.

Noodle

[sbaker]

thanks noodle!!

[sherahtaylor]

Just wanted to chime in here that I've had the same doubts & fears. It truly does feel like a pioneer when you think about being pregnant and raw. I started on my raw journey in August of last year, and didn't know it but I got pregnant at about the same exact time I went raw. I had just come off of a 30-day Master Cleanse so my body was really clean.

Knowing that raw was the best, I went 100% right after the MC and was raw for the entire month of August, but frustrated that I wasn't losing much weight - at least, the amount I had expected. Come to find out, I was pregnant which is why I wasn't losing the weight so fast - and still continued to lose 1-2 lbs for the next 3 months while I was 100% raw.

Then - I miscarried. You can imagine how much THAT freaked me out - nobody said it, friends & family, but I know they were wondering if my diet had anything to do with it. But I lifted up my chin and told myself that I had given my baby THE BEST fighting chance it had.

But like someone said, those seeds of doubt are hard to get rid of. I was mostly raw with a few slipups here & there - until March when I got pregnant again. This time I was determined to blog about it (see my blog in my signature) and really detail my journey so that I & others can see and compare my SAD pregnancies (I had 5 kids all on SAD) vs. my raw pregnancy.

So now I'm almost 7 months along. I've been very high raw most of the time - and have now been 100% since July 23rd. There have been concerned friends who approach me - and of course THE main question I get is, how do you get your protein? Aren't you supposed to get even more now that you're pregnant? :rolleyes:

I've gained 11 lbs as of yesterday, and as you can see from my blog, it's been verrrry slow gaining. Normally by now with SAD pregnancies, I would be at about 30-35 lbs weight gain. I feel GREAT and most of all, the baby is doing very well. I REMEMBER how I ate on SAD and it truly was NOT good - I didn't even try to be healthy because the only thing that had motivated me to do that in the past was to lose weight. It was just too hard to deprive myself if I couldn't lose weight, you know? So Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, chips, chocolate - it was all a very big part of my diet and I rarely ate veggies or greens of any kind.

My best friend has been research - reading Jinjee's stuff, reading the pregnancy board, reading Gabriel Cousen's chapter on pregnancy, just everything I can get my hands on. And I've paid careful attention to how much greens I get. I don't take any supplements but I do have at least 1 tsp. of Maca, 1 tsp. of Spirulina, 1 T. of cocoa, and 2-4 T. ground flax seeds per day. Geez - how do you think that + 2 bunches of greens per day measures up to Taco Bell? LOL!

Follow my blog and you'll see where you can be in 6 months. :D

[luckitri]

I lost weight on a SAD pregnancy because the baby was taking more than I could eat. I was having to wear baggy t-shirts and unzip my pants and tie the top with a rubber band. One day one of my snitty co-workers told me that she did not want to be embarassed by my clothing choices at a seminar we were going to and wanted me to put on one of my old dresses. At this point I pulled up my shirt and showed her exactly how big my stomach was and she realized that I would not fit my dresses - however she was welcome to buy me some dressy pregnancy clothes which our wage did not allow for.

I ate lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and I ate constantly and I could not get enough food down me. Also supplemented with the folic acid and certain brands of nutritional yeast are supplemented with the B12 (not all are.)

The best possible outcome is that both you and baby are healthy - the weight can come off later.

[Lavendula]

I know the toxins stored in fat will be deliverd to baby in the breast milk. I am glad to hear that is believed the unborn baby should not get the same dose. As long as you are not doing high detoxing with the high detoxing greens, it should be okay. We also take in bad toxins everyday from the environment that have been found in breastmilk, due to the world we live in. Eating a diet high in quick exit foods and paying attention to the food cominbining rules to make sure they exit quickly should also keep from storing any from putrefication. It would be interesting to see what Victoria B. would say. anyone know? Definately stay as raw as can be, I think that would be unanimous here, and take care to not eat too much of a good fruit or veggie, and get diarhea(sp/), not good in early pregnancy. Be Happy, nothing is better for you both. We all rejoice with you over this Baby, and will want to know how you are doing along the way.

[Zella Juice]

Sherah,

Good for you...eating raw for this pregnancy. It's hard to think that going to taco bell would be better. Raw is the healthiest way to eat.

as for losing weight while preggers,

I just don't think women should try and lose weight while being pregnant. Like trying to cut out nuts or something.

I also think it's not the time to try and detox. So wheatgrass and green smoothies that are packed with too many greens would not be a good idea. It's more like Green Smoothies that have less greens and add more as you go. more gradual so that you don't detox too fast and send too many toxins to the baby. Unless you were drinking wheatgrass or heavy green smoothies before you got pregnant. Then I think that would be fine.

thats my two cents

[pbuttercwup]

dire warnings. I went to the dr. it is all confirmed and I am certainly pregnant. I am not in shock anymore and I feel alot better about this all. I told the dr I am pretty much raw and asked her about losing weight by staying on this diet. She said If I was losing weight with healthy eating and good food then she has no problem with that as long as I am eating enough. That I can certainly do. I am not setting out to lose weight while pregnant but I recongnize that I will if I continue to eat this way and go about the exercise plan I started. I have lots of research and reading to do, thank you for all the links and advice. I feel pretty sure I can do this if not 100% raw then pretty close! I have one more question for any of the ladies currently pregnant or who went through a raw pregnancy. I am starting some serious morning sickness at 5 weeks and I can not stomach any form of ginger(including the smell of ginger ale) any food related remedies would be really helpful. Last pregnancy the only thing I could eat for 2 weeks was instant noodles. horrible I know but nothing else made me stop feeling sick. So I am looking for some ideas now before it gets really bad. thanks again:)

[sbaker]

i am at 5 months thursday and i still can't eat much. i only threw up a few times, my real problem is heartburn...and not the normal heartburn (i get that when i eat too much too) but just a sick gross feeling in the back of my throat... it's REALLY bothersome!! I can't even drink water, it makes me the sickest! I've learned it really goes and stays away if i stay raw for a few days..but as soon as i slip up and have say..toast with peanut butter..it's back..and its there no matter what i eat, for a few days. I also noticed i can eat fat in the form of almonds, or avocado, but oils, even coconut, one of my faves, will set it off. I say keep it simple, and although you need to oils for proteins and omegas, try to limit them and see if it helps. I find the more simple i eat, the better i feel! i've been making a lot of soups with a spoonful or two of miso..that settles my tummy, as do a few other salty items. Try 1 avo, 1-2 tomatoes, some spinich, and cilantro or various other greens blended into a soup with some miso... I'm sure we are all different, but thats what i've concluded!!! Also granny smith apples have been a savior!

[sbaker]

oh and chocolate...FORGET IT..i get instantly sick!!

[pbuttercwup]

I just bought some the other day from the HFS. I have been craving the salt and I am hoping it is healthy. I havent added veggies yet but I am going to do that. I want broccoli and green onion...mmm... thanks for all the good tips and sherah I have been looking at your blog...inspirational and helpful!thanks again!
Brooke

[firefaery]

I had a raw pregnancy-it was far better than my others.

It is absolutely true that the placenta is a better filter than the blood stream, and detoxing a bit now is far preferable to doing it later.

Nausea is usually a result of iron deficiency or a lack of B vitamins. I would recommend making sure you are getting adequate amounts of both. I personally would also pay special attention to vitamin A as well as EFA's. It's likely you'd get enough, but vitamin A is ESSENTIAL to baby's development and in pregnancy you do require alot. I don't think I got quite enough (not a function of diet, but of my inability to assimilate and convert.)

Congratulations!

[EmJo]

Nausea is usually a result of iron deficiency or a lack of B vitamins.

It is also commonly a result of low blood sugar, as was my case and my SIL.