Why Babies Appreciate Their Vegan Mamas

It's no news that people question my dietary choices. People accused me of caring only for myself and not for my unborn baby and now my baby. I'm not providing enough calcium, iron, protein, and so on. Now of course, being vegan the right way is hard enough on it's own. Yes, it becomes a lot harder when a child is involved  but if it's done responsibly, I believe vegan mamas can raise healthy, environmentally friendly people.

The Benefits of Having a Vegan Mama

1. Baby doesn't have to find out if dairy makes him gassy and/or colicky: How many mothers do you hear have to give up dairy because it makes their baby gassy or colicky? Plenty. That says a lot about the "benefits" of dairy doesn't it. ;)
2. Baby's mom is more energetic: being vegan allows your body to be more efficient. It spends less energy on digesting foods it was never meant to digest and leaves more energy for you. Logically, this helps out considering sleep becomes a luxury. 
3. Baby wont be exposed to hormones and antibiotics: Livestock, whether eaten or milked, are pumped full of hormones to grow or lactate faster. Then, they are pumped full of antibiotics because they live in poor conditions so that disease is rampant. Everything is left behind in the meat and meat products that are consumed. All this gets passed along to us.
4. Baby has a nutritionally conscious mom: Being vegan doesn't equal being healthy. Being vegan and not getting sick requires diligence and responsibility, forcing you to make better food choices. McDonald's french fries are vegan right? Because two major food groups have been cut you do need to make the most out of your food. This knowledge and habit get's passed along to your child.
5. Baby's mom is more environmentally friendly: I could write a book about the environmental benefits, but this is a blog, not book. In general, livestock are bread to massive, unnatural numbers. This affects soil from grazing, more water is used, more emissions are created, forests are cut down, and the list goes on. (Maybe I'll write a post dedicated to the environmental benefits sometime in the near future.) Baby can be proud of having a smaller carbon footprint.
6. Baby is a better start in life: This sort of ties in with baby learning to make better food choices. Breast is Best! as it gives children a good start. How about we continue that thought on through toddlerhood. By avoiding meat and meat products, baby's digestive system will be able to continue on its efficient way. Baby will consume less cancerous foods and food that hinders the body's efficiency.

It's always great to raise a vegan but remember, it is not a joke when cutting out two major food groups society has relied heavily on. A child's body is still growing and developing so it is important to make sure he/she get's everything he/she needs from green sources and to supplement for vitamins and nutrients you can't get in a plant based diet.

Side Note: If you haven't read my earlier posts or didn't get the hint from my name :P, I do still eat fish and other seafood. It is the only non-vegan food I consume. Here's WHY, if you're interested. Based on my research (my general finding are in the post I've linked), fish is a healthy choice to use as a source of protein, iron, and the omegas. It's a great food to keep in your diet IMHO ;).