Please enjoy this article from the latest issue of our magazine, PETA Global. To begin your subscription, become a PETA member today!
By Nikki Ford, Campaigner, PETA International Grassroots Campaigns
As it is with many moms-to-be, once people heard that I was expecting, the flood of well wishes – and questions – started pouring in. I got the usual ones, like “When are you due?” and “Boy or girl?” But my favorite to answer was “Are you going to stay vegan?”
My response? “Of course!” Being vegan is an important part of who I am – and I’d done enough research to know that having a healthy vegan pregnancy is one of the best ways to give your little one a strong start in life. The “results” spoke for themselves: On December 26, 2018, I gave birth to a healthy, beautiful, 8-pound (3.6-kilo) vegan baby girl named Keeli Ann.
Pregnancy was a wonderful experience for me. I had no health issues and hardly any morning sickness. It turns out that being vegan probably had something to do with that: Scientists at Cornell University who studied morning sickness found that the most common aversions pregnant women had were toward meat and eggs. That makes sense, because those are the foods most likely to harbor bacteria and parasites that could harm a vulnerable fetus.
I didn’t have any food aversions, but I did crave rice, beans, and potatoes – and ate a ton of burritos. I tried to keep things balanced, though, by making sure I got in some greens every day. Smoothies with fruit and almond milk were my go-to breakfast, and I ate lots of fresh fruits in the summer. During the colder months, I gravitated toward carbs. I also enjoyed delicious herbal teas and drank tons of water.
My advice for others wanting to have a healthy vegan pregnancy is to know that your baby will get everything he or she needs from you. So eat as healthfully as you can, but don’t beat yourself up if you give in to a craving once in a while. Your body is changing, and your hormones are all over the place. Be kind to yourself – you’re creating life inside you!
Breastfeeding has been such a beautiful bonding experience. It’s one of the things I’ve enjoyed the most with my daughter, and it connects me to my mom, too – even though she passed away six years before Keeli was born. Early in my pregnancy, I dreamed I was sitting on my bed with my mom. I was holding my baby girl, and my mother was helping me breastfeed by showing me how I should cradle the baby. She was smiling and laughing. When I woke up, I cried tears of joy.
The mother-child bond is universal, so it breaks my heart to think of the mother cows on dairy farms who don’t get to have that experience because their babies are torn away from them so that humans can steal their milk. Cow’s milk is meant only for calves, not humans of any age. In fact, experts advise against giving babies less than a year old cow’s milk at all, because it can overtax their kidneys, lacks vital nutrients they need in order to grow (including vitamin E and zinc), and could leave them with an iron deficiency.
Right now, Keeli is breastfeeding exclusively, but when she’s old enough, I’ll start introducing her to yummy fruits and veggies. I want her to have compassion for animals, too, so I’ll raise her to be vegan. I’m savoring every moment of watching my baby grow up healthy, happy, and kind.
Take Action Now
Do you know a vegan mom who needs help explaining to friends and family why she’s raising her baby vegan? Are your vegan kids experiencing peer pressure at school? What do you say to grandparents who want to give vegan grandkids “just a little meat”? PETA can help! Visit PETA.org/MommyMentor to get paired with an experienced vegan parent.
