Vegan nutrition during pregnancy

Vegan and pregnant - do they even go together?

That was your first vegan pregnancy. With your first son, you were still omnivorous and ate everything. Now, of course, I and the audience are interested to know what the difference was between the two pregnancies?

Carmen Hercegfi: Well, interestingly, there was almost no difference. Which is a very positive thing, because the vegan diet is always portrayed as "it doesn't work and it's all negative". In terms of my body feeling and weight gain, there were actually no major differences. Well, I had the nausea, it was completely the same.

Well, I had the feeling that it was a bit worse in the first pregnancy, but there is a ten and a half year difference between the two children. That may have been a bit more. Basically, of course, I was much more relaxed. I don't know if the vegan thing has anything to do with it. I'm a bit older and I've been through it before. I think that was more the background.

Verena: How did those around you react to the vegan pregnancy? Were there any critical voices and how did you deal with them?

Carmen Hercegfi: Interestingly, I personally had hardly any difficulties in this regard. I hear a lot in my vegan mummy groups, also on Facebook or on my blog, that this is a huge topic for many people.

I had already made the switch a few years ago. I think I had already been on a vegan diet for six years. And I'd already been through crises with those around me before that.

I had two or three people who remarked: "But the vegan diet doesn't work like that when you're pregnant." And then I just calmly replied: "Yes, it does. You just have to pay attention to a few things." And then it was no longer an issue. I said I'd already dealt with it - and then it was fine.

"Basically, I think you shouldn't stress yourself. Stress is also poison for the body."

Verena: You must have had some culinary cravings during your pregnancy. What did you crave? Did you crave non-vegan food and what tips do you have for mums-to-be who crave currywurst fries from time to time?

Carmen Hercegfi: Basically, I think you shouldn't stress yourself. Stress is also poison for the body. I had cravings. I called them wandering cravings, because one day it was this and the next day it was that. Sometimes it lasted for a few days.

It was last year in the summer, I had an extreme strawberry season. I could have eaten peaches without end. And I also had a day of nausea, so I got up, felt sick and the longer I didn't eat, the worse the nausea got.

You have to do something for your circulation and blood sugar very quickly and I didn't know what. And I thought that no matter what I ate, I was going to feel really sick. Porridge always helped me quite well. A small portion of porridge, no sweetener, nothing, just made with water.

"Chocolate muffins are great for vegans, but if you're so hungry and think you can't eat anything else. Then he had to rush round the corner and get a chocolate muffin from the bakery somewhere. And then it wasn't vegan."

I've also had days when my boyfriend says to me: "Now you have to eat something" and I say "Yes, but I don't know what". And he says "Now tell me what you want" and I'm like "OK, chocolate muffin and strawberries".

I've also had days when my boyfriend says to me: "Now you have to eat something" and I say "Yes, but I don't know what". And he'd say "Now tell me what you want" and I'd say "OK, chocolate muffin and strawberries".

Chocolate muffins are great in vegan, but if you're so hungry now and think you can't eat anything else. Then he had to rush round the corner and get a chocolate muffin from the bakery somewhere. And it wasn't vegan. But I couldn't have eaten anything, I was on the verge of passing out, on the verge of throwing up.

That was the case in those first three months. And then I said to myself, well, that's the way it is now. If it turns out to be a currywurst, everyone has to decide for themselves whether they can handle it. Because if you get more stressed afterwards, that's also stupid. But if you're totally stressed now, if you're really only in the mood for currywurst for a week and deny yourself it, that's not really cool either.

The only thing you can do is think, what is in this currywurst that my body needs? Because it is often the case, and I experienced this during pregnancy, that the body gives much stronger signals as to what is or isn't needed.

You can often simply override this by saying, what nutrients do I have in there, what is my body craving? Is it just fat or is it iron? And can I then increase my intake of something else with the nutrients in vegan so that my body really rests? That helped me quite well when I had a cheese janker.