Going raw while pregnant.....

[layne]

Is it dangerous to go raw while you're pregnant? I've only been raw for a month before at a time but I keep on considering going back to it because I felt so good while I was raw. I'm not sure if detoxing would put the baby in jeopardy though. Also, what about juice feasting? I'm only in my first trimester so I want to be extra cautious.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[bsqmurphy]

People have all different kinds of opinions on this and you'll hear them all I'm sure. People also are very strong minded in these opinions. Before I voice mine, I would first say - you know your body better than anyone else and I beleive that if you listen carefully, your body will tell you what's right for you in the moment. I believe that this is more important that what anyone else says.

I think you can transition to RAW while pregnant when it's done very slowly. You don't want a huge toxic dump into your blood stream because your baby will get it times 100. If you transition all of a sudden, you body will go into an intense cleansing & dump a ton of toxins into your blood stream.

When you're not RAW, you're taking in more toxins and your body is cycling & cleansing those toxins out as best as it can. So, no matter what you do, toxins will be going to baby - that's just life. So, minimizing those toxins & maximizing the nutrition is key. A RAW diet definately helps to minimize the toxins in the long run, but too much at once will result in too intense of cleansing at once. So transition slowly so it's a very gradual detox.

Also I would suggest using other methods to help release the toxins in the process - skin brushing, epsom salts baths, massage, drink lots of water, etc.

I don't think I would be comfortable with juice feasting while pregnant because it is such a deep cleanse. As great as it can be, there's just nothing gradual about a juice feast.

Bri.

[bsqmurphy]

One other detail to be aware of. My midwife/doctor warned me against using laxatives, eating too much food that would have a laxative effect, etc. because it can increase your risk of miscarriage and pre-term labor.

So, pay attention to that if/when you choose to transition. Often an intense cleanse will cause your digestive system to clean out in such a strong way it's as if you had taken a laxative. Not good when you're pregnant.

Good luck, take it easy, listen to your body, and nourish yourself & your baby well.

Bri.

[coco]

that is a terrific, balanced reply. i second all of that. take it slow, take care, consult someone if you are in doubt, and pay attention to your body.

one thing i will say is that when transitioning to raw many people benefit from the cravings, symptoms and other messages they receive from their body. during pregnancy you are already deeply enmeshed in a dialogue of cravings, symptoms and other messages and so i think that it can be very hard to determine exactly what is going on and why. i do think it is a benefit to have a handle on how your body reacts to raw and to be comfortable with that before getting pregnant so as to hear and understand which symptoms are from which condition. kwim?
let me add that there is nothing unhealthful about gradually increasing raw at any time as well as gently phasing out less healthy choices. that can include substituting good cooked alternatives for unhealthy cooked foods. just take it slow and pay attention.

[layne]

Thanks so much bsqmurphy and coco. What great responses! I've always been pretty in tune with my body but now my cravings are way more intense. I'm confident that I won't be able to eat (or even consider eating) things that aren't good for me and the baby. (Gotta love morning sickness.)

I'll go slow and be patient.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement!

[theophonia]

i just wanted to say tht i too am slowley going back to raw. i was only raw 100% for about 2 months when i got pregnant and was raw for the first month, but then got scared and craved out! i wanted cheese and rice ect!. i think alot was in my head as i was worried i would miss some nutrient!. anyways, im slowley going bac too, and im in my second trimester now. im trusting that my body is goiing to enjoy all thr fresh and iff it needs something else, ill evaluate weather ill eat it or not.

[jules88]

I went raw after I was 3months preg. and did just fine. Every morning I would have my green go- go juice and I would sip on that until afternoon. I only gained 30 lbs and my preg was very easy. Had lots of energy. I had everything ready when the baby came including the yard work done. This was my 3rd preg and 4th child. (1st preg was twins). I won't say the labor was easy, because they don't call it labor for nothing, but from the very first contraction until delivery it was 2hrs. No pain meds and if I had wanted them toooooo bad, no time for them. As others have already said, just listen to your body, it knows what it needs.

Hope all goes well and heres wishing for an uneventful (complication free) delivery.

[Faithe82]

I started my raw diet this last week at 17 weeks pregnant and have pretty much gone 100% Raw. I have had some loose bm but no cramping or discomfort. I have been worrying about the baby a lot but now that I am starting to feel the little bean bump around a little bit it is reasuring. I have my 20 week u/s on November 6th so my plan is to continue to eat raw until then and see if the baby is growing and putting on weight well. I know that I have already lost a few pounds but I have been trying to eat a lot of balanced foods. Fruit, Veggies, nuts, oil, coconut milk and so on. I know that I am detoxing and I am nervous about those toxins going to the baby but at the same time I want to get it over with and give the baby the best nutrition possible. I feel better when I drink lots of water. I am trying to eat wait an hour drink a glass of water and then eat again in another couple of hours. I am glad I am not trying all of these new foods during my first trimester though I probably would have puked. So far no big detox symptoms just tired and a little grumpy.

[okorolina40]

I am about 15 weeks pregnant and was fully raw until about 11wks, when I started waking in the middle of the night to eat!! I was soo hungry! Seasons are changing and I need to learn whats in season for fall and how to prep some good nourishing raw meals with Midwest harvest :) Anyways, I was worried that overall i have not gained any weight (gained and lost 5 lbs), but I am glad from reading many holistic pregnancy books and reading the threads that I am still being nourished. I drink a lot of smoothies and use hemp protein for my EFAs, although initially i was taking flax oil.. but the flax seems to be contraindicated for pregnancy and I need my EFAs or my skin and nerves will be a little shot. I also give myself olive oil/ almond oil massages every other day, and that helps greatly with my well-being and relaxation.


no real preg sxs the first trimester other than light morning sickness (relieved by opening a window or turning on a fan or two) and some constipation.. other than that... I felt pretty good, except when I slipped on some stupid SAD dishes - then the morning sickness came over me like a WAVE in a matter of minutes. That was more motivation than I ever needed to eat as raw as possible!

So i try to make choices that will make me a happier and calmer person, because my baby will benefit :)

Excited to be with you guys! Rawk on MAMIs!

RawNaija

[freshlight]

I would say it's dangerous to eat cooked food while you are pregnant! I had such strong inner guidance both times I was pregnant, it was amazing!!! And back then I didn't know much about the raw diet! The tiniest smell of cooked food made me feel sick. Each cooked dish I ate came out the wrong way shortly after. In the first month I lost lots of weight and was sure I'm going to die soon. I couldn't eat anything at all and keep it untill i decided to try and eat some fruit. From then on everything seemed to be working much better and I enjoyed my fruity meals :)