Being vegetarian and pregnant, is it possible?
Regular medical follow-up
The first thing to do is, of course, to talk to the person who will follow your pregnancy : gynecologist or midwife. This will determine, based on the many blood tests scheduled each quarter, if you are deficient and how to make up for it.
Do not worry if you are given supplements, especially iron: they are prescribed to a majority of women pregnant omnivorous! It just happens that the fetus has a vital need for certain nutrients, and that it will be used directly in your body if the diet does not bring them.
Basic principles
Deficiencies of iron, folic acid or calcium can indeed cause serious abnormalities in the development of the fetus. To overcome them, you will have to eat fish, eggs, dairy products at each meal. Do not forget to play with food associations either. For example, to improve the absorption of iron, consume it with foods rich in vitamin C - conversely, avoid consuming caffeine.
If you are vegan, in addition to increased medical care, you will need to be even more creative and turn to vegetable protein in legumes, grains and oilseeds. Salad and parsley are also interesting. Multiple solutions are possible, so the Korean gimchi is very rich in calcium!
Special cases
Attention also to the stay in the maternity during the birth (or hospitalization): unfortunately, very few provide meals suitable for vegetarians. It will probably need to be refueling from the outside, soliciting the future dad!
