What Do You Feed a Vegan?

I am not the creative cook of the family. That's my husband, but he hasn't shared his yummy vegan lactation cookie recipe with me yet. That means I'll just have to make sure you know about some other great vegan food blogs.

These are a few recipes I'm drooling over lately:

Live. Love. Learn. Eat. - Tangelo Creamsicles

Luminous Vegans - Bread Pudding Muffins

The Mighty Vegan - Pepper-Crusted Cashew Vegan Goat Cheese

In more personal news, the baby has decided he's gotten way too old for naps. It's kind of exhausting, but I have to be soooo grateful for his night sleep. I actually think he could sleep through the night if I didn't wake him after 7 hours. Any tips or tricks for day time naps you'd like to share?

Why Eggs and Dairy Are Bad For Babies

This is not a post about health. Well, not human health.

This is a post about the things that people don't think about when they buy eggs and milk. This is a post about why you, as a parent, should care.

Both industries have one unfortunate byproduct: boys.

Think about it. Eggs and milk come from female animals, right? And to keep the industry going, they have to keep breeding more animals. More egg laying hens and more dairy cows. Just like any other time, though, half of the babies will be boys, so what happens to them?

First, lets point out a fact that is often overlooked. Cows produce milk for their babies. You don't lactate when you haven't had a baby right? Well, cows are just like us, so they are kept perpetually pregnant to keep lactating. The male calves that result are most often used for veal. Maybe you don't realize just how cruel veal is, so I'll share. When I was an intern at Farm Sanctuary, Farmer Brown took us to visit a stockyard, so I was able to see firsthand. The calves are taken from their mothers as soon as possible, maybe a couple days old if that. They're put into a pen together and shuffled around with canes and electric prods. I saw the workers cracking them in the heads to get them to move where they wanted myself. They're scared. Then they are auctioned off and taken to a strange place. There, they are kept confined either in a crate or on a very short tether. They're fed an improper diet and kept from moving so that they don't develop any muscle tone. Then, they're slaughtered while they're still babies.

Veals in crates.

The egg industry is even more ruthless. As the chicks are sexed, the males are simply tossed into trash bags to suffocate or ground up alive. It's that simple.

Male chicks left to die in a dumpster.

That is why eggs and dairy are bad for babies.

Please, sign the pledge to go veg for one week, and consider making it a lifelong change.

It's Veg Week!

So it seems appropriate to talk about why veganism is the best decision a mother can make.

There are tons of resources out there about the health benefits of veganism, but I'd like to share the health aspect from my perspective.

I was a fat kid. I was not only inactive, but I established unhealthy eating habits early on. Even though my dad is a vegetarian, like many families, veg or not, we had a lot of meals based around carbs and dairy.

13 years old and approx. 180 lbs

I know that when I went vegetarian I lost weight. When I went vegan, I lost weight again. You don't have to worry about the temptation of the chocolate bars in the checkout lane. McDonald's isn't an option on the way home from work. Those are good things! Without the ethical objection to these things, it's too easy to cave in when your will power is low, and no one needs them! When my step-children come to visit, the two things they can identify as we drive around are McDonald's and Burger King, and I don't want that for them or my little vegtababies.

I think veganism is a great way to set my children up for success. They'll eat tons of veggies. They'll grow up eating ethnic food (my son's poop currently smells super garlicky). Don't get me wrong, you can totally eat junky as a vegan, but it's not quite as convenient as it is as an omnivore. If my children inherit any of my tendencies to overeat, I think veganism will be helpful to curb that.

So that's my take on the health benefits of veganism. A diet backed by ethics, which we'll get into later in the week.

Don't forget to go to my Deals and Contests page to sign the pledge to go veg for one week and be entered to win prizes! Be sure to check out their Events tab to see if there are any veg-friendly events near you.

Ultimate Blog Party 2012

Welcome to my blog!

I'm a 26 year old new mama to Baby Jonah.

I blog about various aspects of motherhood, but I often emphasize our vegan lifestyle and other crunchy parenting topics like babywearing, cloth diapering, and so forth.

I love discovering other like-minded bloggers, so let me know you're there with a comment or a like!

Back in Action!

Well, I got the all-clear from the doctor, and last night, Vegta Bully finally made her return to roller derby.

It was awkward to say the least. New skates, 15 extra lbs, seven months off wheels, and general out-of-shapedness made it a challenge, but I had such a good time. Even if my feet need to be reconditioned, it is great to have skates that fit.

The R3's are one of the cheap Riedell models, BUT they're all man-made materials. When I upgrade to better skates some day, they can also replace any of their leather models with clarino. I also grabbed a set of vegan toe guards from Sin City Skates. It sucked to pay as much as I did in shipping, but no one seems to carry the vegan ones in stock. Oh well, at least they make them! I fancied up the package with Heartless wheels and Gumball toe stops. It was a great deal from Roller Girl Skates, and I got 10% off!

I fell a lot, but that's derby. I was able to get one hit in. I'm sure she fell just to make me feel good about myself. You can judge for yourself in this video from Leigh Armstrong.

Deadly Rival Roller Derby Promo Short

(Hopefully that works.)

I'm really hoping that I can lose the baby weight and then some. My current goal is 20 lbs by the end of June. Whatever happens, though, I'm so happy to be back!

First Month of Mommyhood

I've been trying to decide what I wanted to write about next. I've also been looking for the time. For now, I think I'll just do a sort of review of being a mommy so far. Unlike other blog reviews, however, I do not have a baby to giveaway to a lucky winner (not yet anyway).

For the first week, everything was pretty grand. I had a beautiful baby doing baby things. Eating, sleeping, and so on. Weeks two and three started to wear on me though. As someone who's breastfeeding exclusively, I started to despair at night, thinking about how I would never sleep through the night again. Particularly around the two week growth spurt, he would just eat continually for hours and scream if there wasn't a boob in his mouth for 5 minutes. My nipples stopped aching after about a week thankfully. I couldn't imagine how I would ever be able to have another baby and do this with another child. I can honestly say that for those two weeks or so, I did not like being a mom.

Thankfully, as I've mentioned before, I have a wonderful, supportive husband. I started pumping, and that gave me the freedom to get out of the house for a couple hours. I felt a little bad when I was out at the Tampa Bay Men's Roller Derby bout with my mom and wife, but it wasn't because I felt bad for leaving him. I felt bad that I didn't feel bad about leaving him. I felt bad that I wasn't worried about him. I needed the break. I needed to have some fun without someone latched on to my chest, and I did! I had so much fun! (By the way, have you ever tried to find a private outlet to pump at a roller skating rink? Next to impossible. I wound up hanging the cord over the edge of the skate rental desk and sitting on the floor behind it between games).

It's getting better, though. I am incredibly lucky to have a baby who will sleep anywhere from 3-5 hour stretches at night. I even have to wake him up sometimes (which is particularly hard for me). The current struggle is day time naps. He can fall asleep, but staying asleep is another story. Even our daily walk didn't keep him down for more than 20 minutes.

I can now say that I would do it again. I've developed some amnesia over the birth, and I can see that it does get better. I'm going back to work in just over a week, and I'm confident that he will be fine with his Nana. This mommy thing isn't so bad after all.

4 Weeks Old - 10 lbs 7 oz

In other news, I was nominated for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award by a blog that makes my mouth water with every new post. Thank you Luminous Vegans! You inspire me to get back in the kitchen!

So I'm supposed to share seven things about myself. I don't know if I can come up with seven new things...

1. I'm so obsessed with cloth diapers right now, I dream about them.
2. I'm also obsessed with babywearing, and even though I have two fully functional carriers, I'm plotting my next purchase (either a Mei Tai or Bali Breeze woven wrap... or maybe a water wrap...)
3. I'm ordering new skates today!
4. I wish I was craftier than I am.
5. I just saw Melancholia. I give it two stars for being super boring.
6. I'm only on 6? Umm...
7. My reading has slowed way down. I want to get a couple more books in before I go back to school though.

I also get to nominate blogs I love, so:

1.  Bella Blogs - I worked with this mama in high school. It's amazing to read her blog because she has changed so much. She's still crazy funny though, and her little boy is adorable.
2.  Vegan Derby Girl - I love vegan derby girls (and boys)!
3. Leslie & Pete - I only met Leslie once to talk about veganism, but I love reading about her pregnancy journey. She also has a pretty cool blog called Salvaged Spaces.

My Husband...

... is the greatest. He's taken great care of us for those all-important two weeks postpartum. He helped Jonah breastfeed the first few times when my arms were too weak from the birth to support him. He prepared or provided every meal (and I'm down 20+ lbs from my heaviest while having been totally satisfied). He fed the dogs the whole time too (which is a bigger chore than in most households). He kept up with laundry and didn't completely destroy the kitchen. He slept on the couch to give us space. When Jonah had a couple of rough nights, and my nipples desperately needed a break, he put up with the crying long enough to get me a few hours of sleep. He was even ready to help however I needed when I started gushing blood one morning.

So if you have a baby, expect nothing less from your significant other. It's going to be interesting learning to get along without him (although he's still planning my meals).

Thank you, Mitch!

(Also thanks to Jim and Mary for helping take care of our dogs while we were at the hospital, my wife Megan and her husband for coming over with chickpea curry and doing a little cleaning, and Mitch's mom for giving Toby some much needed walks!)

What Does Cause Labor...

Jimmy.

We intended to go to Carrabba's for Valentine's, but (as I expected) the wait was over an hour. I was a nine-month pregnant woman, and that wait was not going to work for me. We thought about where we could go and settled on sushi. We'd been to a great little place once before, but we never went back because a different place was always running good deals.

We got there, and while they weren't dead, there were still open tables. We had a delicious spread consisting of (now take notes for when you're ready to pop):

-Edamame
- Asparagus Rolls
- Oshinko Rolls
- Tofu Rolls w/Miso Sauce
- Sweet Potato Tempura & Avocado Rolls (Amazing)
- Avocado Rolls w/Miso Sauce

As you can see, they're very vegan-friendly.

Here's the final touch: At the end of the night, Jimmy, the owner, came around with roses for all the ladies. He gave me my rose, touched my belly, and labor started within hours.

Jimmy's Sushi
5731 Seminole Blvd.

Thank you, Jimmy!

The Magic Labor Rose (Which has about an inch of new growth since we've come home).

The birth story will be up soon I hope. It's a long one!

In the Zone

So at 37 weeks, I'm officially allowed to have Jonah at Breath of Life, not that I think he has any intention of showing up early.

I think we're pretty ready. The nursery is mostly done, just need curtains and a rug, but he won't be in there much at first anyway. We have most of the supplies we'll need, and everything we should need immediately. We just have to figure out what food to bring to the birth center. I need good energy foods that I'll actually want to eat, and something nutritious and delicious for afterward. It's a tough one because most people have had their babies in the hospital where they weren't allowed food. The birth center can only be so much help because they aren't used to making recommendations for vegans. Still any suggestions are welcome!

Getting Things Settled

This has been the week of finalizing things. It's kind of crazy to think I could have the baby in a week, or it could take another six (please not another six!). We've taken our childbirth class through Blue Moon Birth. I had another midwife appointment where we got a bunch of paperwork to fill out.

We also toured the pediatrician's office. We decided to go with Ellis Pediatrics. They're less than a mile from our house, and they're comfortable working with someone delivering at a birth center instead of a hospital. We called two offices before them, and they immediately turned us away because we're not having a hospital birth. Oh well. The doctors and office staff seem nice.

I went yard saling the past two weekends and picked up some great deals. A cart cover for $3, My Brest Friend for $2, Bumbo chair for $5, breathable bumper for $.75, and lots of cute clothes. Still hoping to find a good bath, maybe a Boppy, diaper bag, etc.

Some Yard Sale Finds

Cute Towels

We have another meeting with our doula next week and another midwife appointment. I'm starting to pack my bag.

The Bag

I bought a couple sports bras, but I still need to get a couple more things.

Are there things I'm not going to think of that you want to share??

Happy New Year!

Well, we're in week 35. Thankfully, Christmas does not seem to have added too much to the bump.

Week 34 - Post Christmas

Week 35 - Happy New Year!

I can't say that I'm making lots of resolutions, but I would say I have goals for 2012:

- Start a garden

- Maintain a 4.0

- Finish my knitting projects

Like the blankie

- Get into awesome derby shape and kick ass on the track

- Volunteer more

- Compost

- Be the best mom ever

Observations at Week 33

I run out of breath while singing in the shower.

My wedding ring doesn't fit.

Some of my pants don't fit.

I'm almost 15% into my baby blanket.

Jonah's Blanket

I'm this big now.

Week 33

The Baby Shower

Saturday was Jonah's baby shower. My awesome wife did a fantastic job putting it together with the help of my MIL.

I do.

I really love and appreciate everyone who came. It was a bunch of derby girls and my MIL! What a combo! Jonah is going to have such awesome people in his life!

A Giraffe Play Mat

For his safari theme

A hooded monkey blanket!

Zebra in Training (Roller Derby Reference)

There was a ton of delicious vegan food. We are still eating the cupcakes. I am surprised I didn't explode after everything I ate. We also decorated onesies and burp clothes. Everyone seemed to really love that.

The wife, hard at work.

No one decorates a onesie like a derby girl!

For Mitch, a Tardis onesie

So thank you again to everyone who helped make it a special day for us! This weekend, Mitch might put together the crib so I can start nesting :)

Third Tri!

As the semester comes to an end, I can finally start to think about Jonah. To catch you up, here's a little visual timeline:

18 Weeks

24 Weeks

28 Weeks

29 Weeks

30 Weeks

And here we are! I've also had some time to pick my knitting back up. I abandoned the blanket I originally started for this one: http://www.caron.com/projects/ss/ss_babe_in_woods_blanket.html

Here's where I am so far, about 5% done:

Jonah's Blanket

I had my 28 week labs today. They couldn't get my vein to cooperate, so they had to take out of my hand :(

Yuck :(

But, they let me pick a present off the tree:

Everything looked good at the check up. Butt up, head down, good heartbeat :)

I'm super excited for the baby shower this weekend. I have the best wife in the world for putting it together for me :)

Amen!

My husband has a thing for Natalie Portman. Yes, former vegan, Natalie Portman. It's one thing to crush on someone who never had a soul, but to fantasize about someone who sold hers just seems wrong to me.

In case you weren't aware, NP was a vegan until her devastating pregnancy cravings drew her back to eggs (mostly because she wanted cookies it seems) and eventually even to flesh. Here is an awesome blogger's response:

An Open Letter to Natalie Portman

B-12

When you're pregnant, you have to be twice as diligent about getting all your vitamins and nutrients. A good friend of ours had some serious medical issues arise due to a B-12 deficiency, and he posted this article on Facebook today:

What Every Vegan Should Know About B-12

My pre-natals have B12 in them, but I also take an occasional B-12 supplement by Country Life. They're good to have around if you ever need a little boost.

Thanks for the reminder, Jim!

Baby's First Pictures

Profile

The Goods!

We are so excited to share that it's a boy! I wanted a boy first, so it looks like it all worked out. He was eager to share!

Vegan Pregnancy

I started blogging because I had a lot of trouble finding any blogs on vegan pregnancy.  So, let's talk about it!

First of all, it's not as though my pregnancy is that much different than any other.  But I did notice that nutrients I don't typically worry about for myself are a little harder to come by at the levels I need now.

Let's take protein.  In pregnancy, you need 60-70g of it every day.  There are a lot of options, but they do usually have less protein than a typical serving of "meat."  Beans, nuts, and tofu are all good, but you need more than you may want to eat.  Most vegan meats come just short of what you would reasonably want as well.  We discovered, however, that the Field Roast products are actually full of protein.  Sausages, frankfurters, roasts, etc. all have more than 20g per serving which is great for a vegan source.

How about calcium?  Well, first of all, I hated milk long before I was vegan, so I never would have been drinking that stuff.  Luckily, almost all dairy substitutes are fortified (just like cow's milk).  I used to drink a lot of Silk, but I found out a couple years ago that they are owned by a dairy company.  So what would be the point of that?  Plus, there is some concern over the effects of soy on baby girls.

I switched to Almond Breeze (follow the link, they usually have coupons), and I love it.  I used to love the Vanilla, but the baby doesn't.  I drink Chocolate now, and it only has 3g of fat and 45% of your daily calcium needs.  So Delicious Coconut Yogurt is also fantastic.  It tastes great, and it has 25% of your daily calcium needs!

Luna Bars are another great snack.  They come in a variety of flavors, and they're power-packed.  For example, the Lemon Zest has 9g of protein, 35% of your calcium, 30% of your iron, Vitamin D, B Vitamins, and Folate (plus a lot more).  Steer clear of the protein bars, though, because they are unfortunately not vegan.

My husband has also been increasing our fruit intake by about a billion with delicious smoothies in the morning.  We use bananas, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries in different rotations.  The secret to adding nutrients and flavor?  Vanilla Hemp Milk.  It has great for you things like calcium and B12, but it also has Omegas!  Not to mention, it adds that tang a good smoothie needs (trust me, he tried it with almond milk one day, and I took one sip).

Then, of course, there are the vitamins.  If you're trying to get pregnant you should start taking pre-natals long before there's a baby.  We special-ordered mine from Whole Foods, but you can probably get a vegan version at many natural food stores.

So, that's what I've discovered in my first trimester of vegan pregnancy.  I'm sure I'll learn more over the next six months.  Most importantly, educate yourself because your OB probably does not know much about the topic.  If you know what you're talking about, they'll likely be more confident that veganism is ok for your baby.