Your Vegetarian Pregnancy : A Month-by-Month Guide to Health and Nutrition (Paperback)

by Holly Roberts (Author) "When you think about having a baby, so many visions will come to your mind..." (more)
Key Phrases: cup enriched cereal, vegetarian pregnancy, toxicity states, United States, Non-Vegetarian Beef, Middle Eastern (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Drawing on 25 years of experience as a vegetarian, mother and osteopathic obstetrician-gynecologist, Roberts strikes an inspirational tone in this handbook, offering practical and spiritual advice to women wondering about the safety of a vegetarian diet during pregnancy. There's nothing to worry about, writes Roberts, who offers nutritional guidance that will, for example, provide a vitamin B1 intake "superior to meat-eaters." She addresses everything from protein requirements to labor pains and nursing positions, with a zeal for the vegetarian diet that can seem almost religious. Roberts weaves spirituality throughout, with poems at the beginning of each chapter and numerous references to "maternal intuition" and "wisdom from a higher source." The volume's question-and-answer format grows a trifle tedious, although a detailed index makes specific information easier to find. Roberts dedicates her useful book to " every woman contemplating pregnancy while striving for the best of health and showing the greatest mercy to others," but readers who aren't already dedicated to vegetarianism and a spiritual approach to wellness may be put off by its sometimes preachy tone.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Neal D. Barnard, M.D. author of Food for Life Dr. Roberts cuts through the myths and worries, demystifying the changes that occur during pregnancy and giving readers the confidence that comes from having the answers they need. I recommend it highly. -- Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Fireside (July 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743224523
• ISBN-13: 978-0743224529
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,706 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #15 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Diets & Weight Loss > Special Conditions > Pregnancy
  #21 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Health & Nutrition
  #100 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Vegetables & Vegetarian > Vegan

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Logically-organized clear information..., July 21, 2004

By	Jenney Chendea (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read the other reviews, but decided to pick up this book anyway, and I'm glad I did. It makes quick reading, because parts of it are in a question-and-answer format, and you can just skip the questions that don't apply to you.

I don't think the topics are so dumb that you don't deserve to be pregnant if you ask them (?), but perhaps that's because I'm a childbirth professional and have been trained to address questions of all sorts nonjudgmentally.

What I like the most about this book is that it presents nutritional information in a way that I've never been able to find it: logically, comprehensively, and specifically for vegetarians and vegans. I was a little suspicious after reading in a review that she claims one cup of tofu has 40 grams of protein (which she does), and a quick check of my fridge shows that a whole package of tofu contains around 35 grams - but who eats a whole package in one meal?

It is bothersome that she doesn't cite her information consistently, sending me to my fridge or online to corroborate her information, but on the other hand we should never be relying on any one source for information about our health.

I especially like her tables and lists: clear, simple RDAs; examples of foods to eat that are rich in each of the vitamins and minerals, and especially her clear breakdown of lipids (fats and fatty-acids), and what foods provide them. Her information on what's in prenatal vitamins and whether they are or are not veg-friendly is great, in a small section that suggests exactly how much of the vitamins it should have and from what sources.

If you can avoid bits of vague misinformation and don't mind the question-and-answer format, this book is a clear distillation of a confusing abundance of nutritional information that vegetarians and pregnant or trying-to-be-pregnant moms need.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good resource for vegetarian moms, September 26, 2005

By	Michelle "mother and booklover" (happy at home) - See all my reviews

I'm so glad there are some great pregnancy books geared just for vegetarians. This book is very helpful, especially for first time moms who are wondering about everything. I like the nutrition part and I found that a great companion to this book is "The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook." Out of all the books I read, these are the two that I will keep and refer to with future pregnancies.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great starting point with a lot of nutrition information, January 31, 2005

By	monbaby - See all my reviews

I enjoyed Dr. Roberts' book as the first book I read when I found out I was pregnant (and newly vegetarian at the same time). I did find the Q&A format a little tiresome, and I wish she would put the chapters in more of a topical order, saving the "what could go wrong" or "what does this uncommon symptom mean" questions for the end. I have too many pregnancy books that require weeding through information to skip the scary stuff and just get the basics. However, I really enjoyed the tone of this book - she writes with a gentle compassion and supports her case well that being vegetarian while pregnant is a beautiful thing for both you and your baby. She does not push her cause, but rather provides the information with great explanation. There is a large amount of nutrition information that illustrates how much vitamins, nutrients, etc. are in plant-based foods. I found this very helpful. This is a good initial resource for pregnant women concerned about their and their baby's nutrition.