heather's success as a vegan mother!
I know that lots of you are interested in vegan pregnancy, and raising your children vegan, so I wanted to share this success story. Heather Trappler is a member here on The Kind Life, and wrote me a message telling me about her journey, and how going vegan helped her have children! Take a look:
"My name is Heather... I intuitively became macro overnight 5 years ago. Doctors had been telling me since I was 18 that it would be very hard for me to get pregnant, and to be prepared to be on fertility in the future ( I was diagnosed w/ PCOS).
I gave up everything overnight and became macro (while learning how to cook for the first time in my life), and on my wedding day, almost four years ago, I was unknowingly two months pregnant. Between my macro diet and yoga I delivered my daughter, Finley, "naturally". She is a vibrant, intuitive light bulb, and I know in my heart that her diet attributes to much of that. If I received a penny every time someone said that she had "such an even demeanor, sweet-natured, and kind personality".....I would be $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
I so passionately believe in this beautiful way of living, and I would love to see all babies have this type of diet from womb....on. What a lovely planet this would be, so peaceful and calm...kind and loving. I received your book as one of my xmas presents, and I love it. Today, Finley and I made the thumbprint cookies and I am trying my hardest not to eat all of them, YUM!
I would love to write and share more with other mommies and mommies to be. It would be wonderful to get mommies to be excited about eating this way, since pregnancy development is so crucial.
I look forward to reading and sharing more!"
Thanks Heather! I am so happy for you and Finley. And ladies, Heather can be a great resource for any of you who are interested in getting pregnant or raising your children super healthy!!!
And stay tuned, because I am still working on a bunch of blogs about vegan pregnancy.
50 comments
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Hi Faith,
I'm not a mom, but I would raise my children as vegan as possible. I believe it's the best way for them to become educated about health and the environment. If you think about it babies are vegan from the beginning. They really don't eat meat. They nurse and then they eat pureed fruits and veggies. So you have to do what is in your heart. And I know for a fact that your children won't be short unless you put them into gymnastics at a young age, which will stunk their growth for sure. Thriving on a whole food plant based diet has so many nutrients and vitamins that it won't affect how tall they become. Anyway, it's based on genetics anyway.
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Vegan Mums I need some advice! I am a vegan ( my husband is not but he is very supportive and eats mostly vegan food so we can have our meals together) .We plan to have a family in the next few years but I don't know whether I should raise my kids vegan.Would they end up short?I know height shouldn't matter but I worry that my children would resent me doing something that resulted in them ending up short.I know this question is relatively trivial but please advise!
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as a Vegan I still had preemies, one was a micro preemie, I think it just has to do with luck, I was well fed, very healthy, but still only almost lost my babies. they are thriving now, they are not vegan though, they also eat seafood, which I am trying to sway them from, but their dad is a meat eater, ( closet meat eater when we met...) ( I know, I know...) I know that Angie's post was from last year, I just wanted to share, I am going through some fibroid problems and possible endromitriosis, have to get another biopsy... not looking forward to it, since it hurts for weeks. but I found out about RED RASPBERRY Leaf tea, from a holistic friend of mine, it helps with all kinds of female issues, as well as red clover. I am making the tea now!
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thank you Heather for posting this.
I would also like to talk more to other vegan mummies. I have a four month old son who is full of joy.
He is a social butterfly, healthy- wearing 12 month olf clothes! and beautiful.
Let me know if you'd like to be in touch so we can talk about or babes and our lifestyles
-Brit
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Hi Heather, I have been diagnosed with PCOS and am 24. I am very scared that I will be unablt to concieve naturally and will have complications. I have been a vegan for about a month now, although i have not quit the caffeine and sugar :( Do you have any suggestions or advice for PCOS sufferers like yourself? Thanks!
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I'm 39 and have gotten pregnant easily twice on a vegan diet. The first time it took 2 months and the second time 3. I really can't imagine how a vegan diet could impair fertility when it's the healthiest diet on the planet. Sometimes it just takes women a long time to get pregnant, regardless of how healthily they eat.
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Im very excited to be a vegan mom some day and i truly believe its the healthiest way to carry a pregnancy. I've read too many awesome results because of it.
When you're vegan, you tend to revert to a plethora of vegetables and fruits which is sooo great for the development of the fetus!
I love this chart this vegan dad posted on his blog:
http://theveganverdict.com/vegan-things-i-love/
See? Veganism IS totally normal! :) -
Hello!
I have been veg for about 18 years and 95% vegan for about a year. I have been trying to get pregnant for 2 1/2 years but was recently diagnosed with endometriosis. Questions: How should I respond to inconsiderate family members who say I just need to "eat a burger"? Also, I am doing acupuncture and my doctor says I need animal protein to "cook" the eggs. (She is a highly respected Acupunturist). There is also a lot of literature out there claiming that a veg diet causes infertility. Considering that drug addicts often get pregnant I don't by it but can't seem to find any medical studies backing a veg diet as good for fertiltiy. Any suggestions?
Thank you! -
Does anyone have any tips on how to transition children into a vegan lifestyle? We've always eaten healthy (no red meat, pork, fresh produce, etc) but when I read this book I decided I had to take it to the next level. I'm going to start mostly w/ myself but really want my 8 yr old daughter & my boyfriend to join me as well eventually. Here's the thing, my daughter eats, breathes & lives dairy-string cheese, yogurt, milk-you name it. I've contemplated taking her off it for quite some time now because I've always had a suspicion that she may have an intolerence to it-she has terrible allergies, gets colds a lot, she also sometimes acts as though she's diabetic & has a bit of a short fuse a majority of the time. The problem is I feel like if I take away what she loves most & try to force all these new things on her it's going to come w/ a lot of resistance. Granted she loves her veggies, but at the same time she's 8 & if it doesn't look appealing or she's never had it she may not be all that open to trying it, lol. Any words of wisdom/advice from people that have been there & had success would be greatly appreciated!!!Thanks!!
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Great post. I have also been trying to fall for over 12 months with no luck, and am hoping this healthier way of life will help out in a big way.
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Hi Heather: That is amazing to here because I became vegetarian in December and Vegan about a month ago. I just started eating fish again and have been trying to get prego.
I have hearing mixed things on being able to get pregnant and eating this way. I feel healthier and just have been concerned because I used to always get my period every 28 days and just got my friend a week late.
Anyway, I am very excited to know your story.
xoxo
Nicole -
When I saw that photo, it took my breath away. Awesome. And I have my own little one here with me--2 years old. Except, she doesn't seem as even-tempered. I try to have her eat whole healthy foods, not necessarily vegan, but organic.
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i will definitely be checking out your blog heather! :) my hubs & i are in pre-planning for baby. need all the advice and info i can get!
~VL
www.veganlovebird.blogspot.com -
From Heather & Finley:Dear Moms, moms-to-be, and women intending to become mommies, I feel very blessed and honored by all of your emails. I am very grateful to Alicia for posting my story, as I have felt strongly over the last few years to share my journey. I will do my best to answer all of your emails, and I have also decided to start writing on a blog I created a few years ago. I will be writing about Macrobiotics, PCOS, pregnancy, raising baby, and more. Please find me at http://needavillage.blogspot.com.If nothing else, just begin by eating whole grain (organic brown rice, barley, millet, polenta, quinoa, etc) and vegetables every day. Choose a good quality sea salt. (most macro folks use SI sea salt). As strange as this may sound now, these simple steps will change your life for the good! (this coming from a girl who never cooked until becoming macro!)Best of luck on your journey, and most of all radiant health!Heather & Finley (4yrs)
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What a great success story! Great picture too! Looking forward to more Vegan pregnancy info. We are planning on trying this Fall ;o) -
I love that photo. I remember seeing me babies' feet (I have two kids) for the first time inside me. It's so crazy, but cool.
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This is an amazing story! Thank you so much for sharing!! I've been a flirt for many years and after reading many books, I am convinced. I've been told my entire life that I will have a hard time getting pregnant as well, hopefully with my lifestyle changes I too will be able to conceive! I also plan on raising my children organic and hopefully vegetarian if not vegan. Congratulations to you and your beautiful family!
Ashley~ Have you gone to see a fertility specialist? If so, are they an alternative"holistic" clinic? There are many natural "medicines" that they could prescribe. I hope this was helpful and good luck! -
This is so great! I applaude you! I myself have been trying for 2 years with no luck, I have been vegan since this past october and will never go back...I love it and will raise my kids vegan. My hormones have been really out of wake, slightly better sense being vegan but I just recently started taking chaste tree berry and drinking raspberry tea to help with fertility I was wondering if anyone knew anything else I could do to help with hormones and fertility. I think I am on the right path. Just wondering if anyone else is having this problem and what they are doing. Thanks.
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What a perfect start to life, and sharing is soooo much of this journey. May you all be forever blessed. And Alicia, you are an amazing women! -
This is so exciting, wonderful, wished I was macrobiotic then, too, however never too late to improve on one's health and life,,,Congrats!! I am so very happy for Heather, Finley, and family!
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This is probably just the push I needed. I, too, have been diagnosed with PCOS and I am TERRIFIED of going through fertility treatments and having them not work. I have been flirting for the last couple of months and have tried to incorporate a few superhero meals into the mix but now I'll be mixing in quite a few more! I've unfortunately gained weight since cutting out meat because we haven't been able to break ourselves from cheese yet and whenever I go out to lunch with co-workers, more often than not, the only option for non-meat eaters is a cheese dish! Lately we've had some health scares and being able to to conceive but with this story I just might be able to overcome my fear of letting cheese go!
Thank you so much for sharing this story. -
ame, thanks for your thoughts and kind words. i've done the mac & cheese and they both liked that. i've made veggie ground round tacos (big hit) and they like veggie and tofu stir fries. my husband works extremely hard and sadly can't cook.......at all! (it's kinda painful watching him in the kitchen) he gets home from work at 9:30pm and i've been off work for over a year due to an injury. i can't not have dinner ready for him, and unfortunately sometimes it's meat and or cheese influenced. i get their chicken delivered from a guy nearby who raises organic/hormone free chickens and he sends me my organic veggies too. he met me and married me as a meat eater, i feel guilty pushing too hard. it was my decision to change, i just hope one day (on his own) he follows suit. side note.....this site is amazing! i love all the support that comes from everyone. happy tuesday everyone. -
So happy to read this post! I'm planning on walking down the path of motherhood soon (fingers crossed!) so I'm really looking forward to posts about vegan pregnancy and raising vegan kids!! Congrats to you Heather!
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This is so exciting, Alicia, how you are reaching vegans in so many special situations! Way to go, Heather! And thanks for sharing this beautiful picture, and your precious daughter.Our granddaughters, now 13 & 11, were raised macro, and our daughter & son-in-lalw were already enjoying a macro diet before they were born. They're bright, at the top of their class, sporty, happy gals! And they love cooking! Taking cooking classes at Whole Foods, helping their mom, and even assisting at my Macrobiotic Cooking Classes! Alyssa even assisted twice when Warren Kramer was most recently in Atlanta. Their pediatrician was always impressed with their growth. Brittany was low in iron once, and realized she really did need to eat her green veggies!The Kushi's and Esko's wrote a wonderful book if you can still find it, showing the importance of the mother's vegan diet, Macrobiotic Pregnancy and Care of the Newborn.Melanie Waxman has written several books helpful for baby & expectant mothers:Bless the Baby - about every kind, loving aspect of expecting a baby; Yummy Yummy in My Tummy - organic baby food you can make; Melanie's Cooklets - Cooking for Children is specific for children, and by the way, Melanie has seven of her own! You'll see them on her website! These, along with the delicious recipes in Alicia's book, and our young families can eat very happily!
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