How to Create a Birth Plan

If you have a varied and balanced vegetarian, vegan or plant-based diet, you should have all the nutrients you and your baby need during pregnancy.

A varied and balanced vegetarian diet should provide enough nutrients for you and your baby during pregnancy. But you might find it more difficult to get enough iron and vitamin B12.

Talk to a midwife or doctor about how to make sure you’re getting enough of these important nutrients.

If you’re vegan or you follow a restricted diet because of food intolerance (for example, a gluten-free diet for coeliac disease) or for religious reasons, talk to a midwife or GP. Ask to be referred to a dietitian for advice on how to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need for you and your baby.

If you are vegan and eat a plant-based diet, this can be a healthy choice in pregnancy. But it is important to make sure you have a variety of plant-based protein foods and taking some additional supplements is recommended. Good sources of protein for vegans include soya products, beans, peas, nuts and seeds and grains. You should try to eat a variety of these every day. 

Other key nutrients to be aware of are:

• Iron
• Calcium
• Vitamin D 
• Iodine
• Vitamin B12 

You may also want to include fortified foods in your diet. These might include mineral and vitamin-enriched, unsweetened soya milk or other plant milk alternatives and cereals. Many of these include vitamin B12. Sources of vitamin B12 for vegans are limited, so you may need to take a vitamin B12 supplement.

Special diets and allergies 

Some people need special diets, for example, if you:

• Have to avoid certain foods because you have coeliac disease
• Have an allergy that means you cannot eat certain foods or food groups
• Have a medical condition that limits your food choices.

If you have a special diet, ask your GP to be referred to a dietitian. They can advise you on how to make sure you are getting everything you and your baby need during pregnancy. 

If you are diabetic, your healthcare team will help you manage your diet during pregnancy.

How We Can Help

We have a range of live online classes which you can attend from the comfort of your own home where you will get the chance to ask a midwife any questions you have throughout the class making you well-prepared for labour birth and more. You can see our range of available classes by clicking the button below.