Weeks 30-31: Vegan Pregnancy

  A large part of pregnancy involves planning. You plan for the room, the name, the new lifestyle you are about to embark on. You create a birth plan, with every intricate detail that you hope will come into play when your new baby enters the world. Movies always show the in-labor mothers needing to toss aside these meticulously composed plans due to all the unexpected surprises that come along with bringing a human being into the world. Turns out, life imitates art. 

 Let me back track a bit, to the less eventful Week 30. Week 30 involved organizing our new place, deciding which books would go where. Week 30 also involved finishing up with getting the addresses to my shower hosts and finishing up the final touches of the registry. Around this time, I also confirmed my doula: Megan Adair. We met up in the early part of Week 31, a decaf espresso for her and a decaf tea for me. Oh, and a vegan/gluten-free muffin from Vegan Vee --which was fabulous! 

Megan and I talked about my aspirations for this birth. It was a difficult task to visualize something that I'm so new to, so ignorant to. She asked how I wanted my birth to go. I said quick and painless, trying to be funny. Be careful what you ask for.

September 11th was our first Childbirth class; it was a Thursday evening. The room consisted of five other couples and we watched some videos and just summed up pregnancy, especially the third trimester. I left the class feeling incredibly excited, realizing how close we were to the end of this journey. 

That night, or rather Friday early morning, I got up to use the restroom--as I have to quite frequently now, obviously. I discovered I was bleeding, quite profusely. My first reaction was to panic, of course--but I remained relatively calm and called to Eric. Not to say I didn't shed some tears of concern--but I was able to make a composed phone call to the doctor, who told me to get to the hospital and get checked out. At the hospital we discovered that I was already dilated to one centimeter and that baby's head was very low. At only 31 weeks. 

I was then wheeled to another part of the hospital, hooked up to an IV, given antibiotics--all the unnatural things I have been trying to avoid. I was also forbidden any food. Baby sounded good and there were minimal contractions, just the bleeding, dilation, and head position to worry about. Also, there was the concern of my job. They didn't like the idea of standing eight hours a day and lifting/bending. 

We stayed in the hospital overnight, leaving on Saturday around ten am. As of now, it's up in the air what is going on. I'm on modified bed rest, meaning mostly beds and couches with the occasional restroom break, showers, and fixing a quick bite to eat. It's pretty boring. Maybe I'll actually finish revising my novel? We shall see.

In the meantime, I'll be here--keeping this baby intact, inside the womb. Hanging out with Pandora, who believes bed rest to be the best concept ever!

Weeks 27-29: Vegan Pregnancy

  The last few weeks have been absolutely chaotic. I wish I could go back and remember weeks 27, 28, and 29 on their own--but it's impossible. They all blur into a phantasmagoria of moving, animal care-taking, and your basic preggo stuff.

  I am glad to say that Eric and I are now homeowners! It has been...a process--in fact, it is still a process. The entire month of August was focused on packing, putting up a fence so that our dog-child could have the yard of his dreams, and painting the interior of our new home. Being pregnant hindered what I could do, obviously. I chose paint colors and took care of the rental (packing what I could, taking care of the fur-babies, and making the necessary phone calls). I learned that pregnancy not only hinders what you are physically able to do, but also stifles your energy. There were many days I intended to pack an entire room and only ended up getting a couple of boxes full before being wiped out. Not my finest moments--and I really, really hate being on the sidelines. That goes for the painting, too. I guess I should have just relished in the luxury of not being asked to do much. I guess.

New Fence. New House

  We are now in our new place, nearly the 30th week of pregnancy. Our home is far from perfect, but it is slowly coming together--and I absolutely adore this home, and all of its flaws.

  My symptoms and pregnancy experiences haven't changed too much in the last few weeks. Moving definitely alters food routines. There was a lot of eating out (Wild Cow, Khan's Desserts, and Italia Pizza are some of our Nashville favorites!)--and I'm sure there were a few days where I didn't hit my goal of 70 grams of protein. A packed up Vitamix is a big bummer, and a huge damper on plans involving smoothies packed full of Vega protein powder. I'm getting back on track with monitoring my food choices--a lot of protein, vegetables, and--a pregnancy favorite--fruit.

  It's really starting to hit me how close the due date is. She'll be here in just a little over two months. That has prompted a lot of feelings, both related to the baby and to myself in general. I worry about the kind of mother I will be and the effect of this change of my furry children. Especially Pandora. She has been my number one baby for thirteen years. She was there before I even moved out of the house as an adult. We have been through everything together, and I want to make this transition as smooth as possible for her. Everyone outside of our home worries about Gustav, due to the many issues he is known to have. I have been playing baby sounds for him, which he doesn't even seem to notice. His biggest challenge may be how he interacts with those that he doesn't live with. He's already not friendly with strangers--and now he'll have a baby that he quite possibly will become super protective over. Again, I am so thankful for knowing the best dog trainer in the world, Tonia Floyd of the Training Spot.

  Some other concerns of mine aren't relative to a newborn, but more to the baby as she grows up. There are the given concerns that all parents have, then there are the ones specific to raising a vegan child. How do you handle social situations that aren't completely vegan, especially if you aren't hovering over your child like a crazy person? There are several people that don't get the vegan lifestyle--especially when concerning a child. We have been brainwashed to believe that in order to develop properly you NEED meat and dairy. That is completely false. Sadly, there are still people that will attempt to trump your place as parent and do what they think is best. How does one deal with those sort of people, without just getting angry. I hope I am proving a lot of those types wrong with this pregnancy. I heard so many times that a vegan pregnancy was unhealthy and dangerous--blah, blah, blah. I know I've discussed this before, but it needs to be said again: my blood pressure, blood levels (iron, glucose, etc), and weight gain have been right on point--a lot of times even better.  I can't wait to have my healthy, compassionate baby in my arms to show everyone that it can be done. Veganism is not scary.

  One last thing before I close out my 29th week. Garden of Life has come out with a new line of vitamins that are totally made out of food, not food based like so many others. It's the Kind line of vitamins, endorsed by one my favorite celebrity vegans, Alicia Silverstone. I only recently started taking the prenatal vitamin. So far, I love it. Vegan D3!!

  See you all in the 30th week!

Week 26: Vegan Pregnancy

  I learned a valuable lesson at the close of my 26th week: there is a certain posture required for eating while pregnant. I had made the most amazing vegan enchiladas and mango-green smoothie. Unfortunately, I ate them while sitting slightly hunched over. They were never even digested for a moment. Now, I make sure to eat sitting straight up--preferably at a table, not on the couch. The good thing is that this will teach me not to multitask while eating. Dinner is not the time for book editing, movie watching, or facebooking. Lesson noted. This may be connected to the hellish heartburn I've been having, a common symptom of pregnancy. I've tried aloe, papaya, eating tiny snacks--nothing has helped. I've heard that calcium helps (it's the main ingredient in Tums). Anyone have a great vegan calcium supplement they would like to recommend?

Beautiful dinner. Ugly digestive system.

  This week was trying for my fur-baby, Pandora. She had a pretty major health scare, one that seemed to suggest kidney trouble. All cat parents know that kidney problems are serious and terrifying to consider. Pandora is definitely my first baby and the thought of losing her was more than I could handle. I know that stress is bad for those incubating in the womb--but how do you remain zen when there's the possibility of losing Pandora. Luckily, her blood work just showed a bad UTI and some tummy issues. She was sent a plethora of medication, including B12 shots that I have to inject at home. I didn't get the hang of that until now (which is week 27). All is going well with that--and Pandora will be the healthiest big cat-sister ever!

Healing my other child. She's pretty stoked to be on a two-can diet now. 

  Unavoidable stress seemed to be the theme of Week 26. We are preparing to move--which is quite an experience while expecting a child. I can't do much, which drives me crazy. No painting, no lifting--ugh, it's so frustrating. I can pack, just can't move the boxes around. Which is also quite frustrating. Although, moving does mean one more change for this year--and, I can't wait for baby to be in the new place, in her room. Decorating details to come.

See you at the end of Week 27.

Week 25: Vegans Test Better

  I had my glucose test during my 24th week, and never received a phone call with the results. When I called inquiring about my missing results, they informed me that they were perfect. They don't just test for glucose; they do a whole panel and look to check iron levels. Most pregnant women are recommended to take extra iron--in fact, every pregnant woman I seem to encounter is on an iron supplement. Me, the vegan, is on none. Just more proof that this diet is the way to go--not only for the benefit of animals, but for yourself, too.


  One dietary concern that I do have is protein. Oh, the irony. The one thing that I hate to have non-vegans question or worry about with me is the one thing that I find myself worrying about. Pregnancy makes things strange. Everything I've read recommends 70 grams of protein--for development and to make a natural birth run more smoothly. I'm all for healthy babies that come out easily--however, 70 grams?!!? That's A LOT. I've been adding protein smoothies to my daily regimen; my favorite brand is Vega. I prefer the Vega One, but as I've been buying a glut of supplements--I've been going for the Vega protein smoothie. I also love the Vega bars.

  Beans are an excellent source for protein, too--and iron! We have been going bean crazy in this house: enchiladas, spicy beans and rice, burritos, mock tuna made from garbanzo. One recipe that I made last week was amazing, and so healthy. I'm not one for specific measurements, but here's the recipe in a gist:

One poblano

One head of kale

One roll of polenta

A jar of salsa

Two cans of beans 

Some garlic, some onion

****Saute this all up in a pan, pour into a casserole dish, top with vegan cheese and bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. We like to top it with vegan sour cream and avocado.****

  Other than bragging about my perfect blood and glucose, I've been feeling tons of baby movement. It feels like a fish with tiny hands maneuvering through my muscles. Kinda strange and totally miraculous. 

Looking more pregnant. Huge, as many have said. 

Vegan Pregnancy: May 2014 (weeks 13-16)

May was a huge month for us. We went to Portland--which is vegan mecca if you haven't been. We hadn't been out to see my dad since 2011, and we were pretty overdue. The trip became even better with Eric's mom and brother meeting us out there--oh, and telling everyone about our mini-vegan, of course.

Our trip was a perfect blend of sightseeing and eating. Always eating on trips. We went to Paradox cafe for vegan breakfast, ate awesome donuts at Voodoo Donuts, revisited Native Foods (I can't believe how far they have expanded), went to the vegan strip mall, and found vegan sundaes on Alberta Street. All vegans must go to Portland. Now.

We were able to announce the baby at a family gathering, where all of my family made their own vegan dishes--including my 82 year old grandmother. The food was delicious, but it was great to be able to share such big news in person. We didn't get to do that with our parents, but at least we had the chance with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmother. After we told family, we were ready to tell everyone. With social media, obviously. Pregnancy brain interfered with me choosing any specific date to tell the world, but it worked out. I apparently posted the ultrasound photo on the eve of my "first" Mother's Day. Although, in my world, I've been having Mother's Day since 2002 when I found my Pandora.

I ended my first trimester in May, and decided to start gearing myself up for delivery. You can never be too prepared, right? I started seeking out every natural birth video I could find. I thought the images and videos were be either kinda icky, or terrifying--but, instead I found myself crying. Ah, hormones.

Parodox Cafe. Vegan breakfast does exist, and it's fabulous.

A whole section of vegan donuts!!

                                           Native Foods!!

Sweet Pea Bakery. More vegan donuts.

Week 24: Body changes, flutters or kicks, and cravings.

    I hit my 24th week on July 22nd. Time is going by so quickly! People have started to ask when I'm due, which is almost jarring as I'm used to the "don't ask unless you know" rule. It's strange how pregnancy puts your body under anything-goes-commentary. I have had several people acknowledge my expanding shape, not always with the sweetest adjectives. It's actually really rude, and creates a whole new complexity for female body image. I've always struggled with the way my stomach looks and it isn't always easy having so much focus be on my most hated body part. All I can do is remind myself that this isn't just the average burrito belly, this one has a person growing inside of it! It's a struggle, the pregnant body. It's a body that changes so rapidly and can look so strange--but, it's a beautiful thing, too. It's crazy to think that my body is cultivating a human being. Sometimes that thought really blows me away.

    It's easy to forget that I'm growing a person, especially when I can't even feel them. From the research I've done, it seems that most people feel their babies by now. I have an anterior placenta (some crazy medical jargon), which means I could be delayed in feeling everything; I have a buffering placenta. There are times I feel something, but I can't always discern digestion from fetal limbs. Hopefully soon!

    As I near the third chunk of pregnancy, one thing that almost irks me is my lack of kooky pregnancy cravings. No pickles and coconut milk ice cream? I have noticed that I am really into lemonade and orange juice--but those cravings aren't very interesting. Ever since being pregnant I have been obsessed with Arnold Palmers, an immediate problem due to the caffeine in iced tea. I've taken to brewing giant pots of decaf black tea. Pregnancy really changes your taste buds. Things that I loved before aren't that great now--such as Primal Strips vegan jerky and Daiya's havarti wedge. I really hope I like these again one day, especially that havarti wedge. It was seriously one of my favorite things. What I do love is fruit and the new Earth Balance macaroni and cheese. Comfort food and natural sweets. Earlier in the pregnancy I couldn't stand sprouted bread, luckily that didn't last long.

   I only have four weeks left before my third trimester--which is nearly impossible to believe. We are getting ready to move, and I think that will have me feeling more prepared for the baby. I'm super excited to set up the nursery and hang up the pile of baby stuff that is currently gathered in front of our record player. Pacifiers, diapers, creams, etc assembled in front of Bauhaus and Joy Division records. I think this will be my life for a while.

Vegan Pregnancy: April 2014 (weeks 8-12)

   April was serious time. We had March to vacation, eat without aversions, and relish in our shared secret. April wasn't as carefree. During this month, I started to experience the oh-so-dreaded sickness. Not in the morning, but rather a constant feeling of queasy unease. Definitely not the number one perk of carrying a baby. This feeling presented a debacle with how I address food. While I love sweet carbohydrates, I also love kale, collards, beans, etcetera. The baby didn't want any of that healthy stuff. I was lucky to eat a few spoonfuls of oatmeal and maybe suck down a banana-almond milk smoothie. I lost a few pounds during this time, but that is pretty common in this part of pregnancy. I decided to eat what sounded good, just to make sure I had something in me. I would sneak some kale into my smoothies and had a brief tryst with vegetable sandwiches--just with soft, white bread. These options were better than not eating at all.

    I started to let the secret slip to some friends in April. We had already told immediate family and were waiting to tell extended family in May, after taking a family trip to Portland. When you tell people you're pregnant, you find everyone has a strong connection/opinion regarding pregnancy. Especially the pregnancy of a vegan.

  " How will you get enough protein?"

  "Are you going to force your child to be vegan?"

 " Oh, you'll eat meat while you're pregnant. Everyone does."

    I've always hated the comments from the outside. The same comments every time, and I've been hearing some of them for thirteen years. Now, these comments had morphed into hyper-concern for my baby. Apparently these people forgot that. This baby wasn't theirs to raise, feed, or teach values to. That was our job, Eric's and mine. Even with raging pregnancy hormones, I didn't join in a futile debate. I just politely opposed these views and concerns, while doing my own research. I purchased Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven and The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Handbook. Both were decent reads, but, honestly, I had read all that nutritional stuff before. I scouted out the internet, joining online support groups, and becoming ecstatic when finding out my favorite recipe blogger, from Oh, She Glows, was also pregnant. She has been great support, even if only from a computer screen.

    And, you know what? I'm now 24 weeks pregnant and still find the thought of consuming animal products appalling. Take that, naysayers.