Discussion Board

Hello,
I just saw the movie Forks over Knives which had a really strong effect on me. I am in my 4th month of pregnancy and have been drinking milk every day because my mother in law told me that my teeth would be particularly susceptible to damage if I didn't drink milk and get the extra calcium.

What is the general recommendation for pregnant women and diet? I read through this board and see that many people don't take prenatal vitamins. I haven't done the reading (yet), as I just saw the film, but I'm wondering why pregnant women shouldn't take prenatal vitamins (I've been told by doctors, and really everyone, I should be taking them). Additionally, is there harm in drinking milk while pregnant?

Thanks so much for your help

Hi,
I'm reasonably new here But I highly recomend that you get the starch solution book. It really spells everything out very well and makes it easy to understand what you should eat and why. Keep searching the site to gleam information here untill it arrives. Don't make changes in your diet until you have a true understanding of all that is involved.
Maybe one of the STARS will respond soon but I would just like to sugest that making this change now and raising your children from birth up will give you and them a real advantage. Most importantly consider breast feeding through the first year.
Use the SEARCH botton in orange on the top of the page and read read read. I'd be happy to send you some direct links that I found very helpful but I won't be back on here until Sunday.
Good luck!!!!

I am in the middle of packing & moving, but I saw your post. Dr. McDougall has a book written for women, but I cannot remember the name of it off the top of my head. You can probably find it in Amazon, used books section. The cover is purple. Just do a search with his name. I don't see it listed in this website. It is very good & does address pregnancy.

Teeth are lost because of gum disease or caries (tooth decay). If you see a dentist regularly & eat a good McDougall diet, you will more than likely keep your teeth all of your life. Without milk.

Good luck with your pregnancy.

If someone is following this program carefully there is no need to supplement with calcium. This diet will provide the calcium necessary for you and your babies health and removing dairy will be a positve step in creating a healthy environment for your child. The list of issues tied to dairy consumption grows and removing it from ones diet is always a positive step in the march to health. Please read the various medical clips on the medical page regarding bone health and on supplementation. The amount of misinformation circling through the public is staggering. I encourage you to read the data and become comfortable with your decisions regarding dairy.
f1jim

Human Calcium Needs Are Surprisingly Low

A recent study of Inuit (Eskimo) children found their diet, consisting largely of meat (which has almost no calcium), provided about 120 mg of calcium daily, but because of their physiologic adaptations these children were found to be healthy.4 As long ago as 1978 Paterson wrote in the Postgraduate Medical Journal, “Many official bodies give advice on desirable intakes of calcium but no clear evidence of a calcium deficiency disease in otherwise normal people has ever been given. In Western countries the usual calcium intake is of the order of 800-1000 mg/day; in many developing countries figures of 300-500 mg/day are found. There is no evidence that people with such a low intake have any problems with bones or teeth. It seems likely that normal people can adapt to have a normal calcium balance on calcium intakes as low as 150-200 mg/day and that this adaptation is sufficient even in pregnancy and lactation.
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/ ... ndsask.htm


also see this:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2011nl/ ... gnancy.htm

Theres more harm in drinking milk while pregnant then could ever come from not drinking it. There are thousands if not millions of women all over the world who drink no milk and have no issues stemming from it.

I drank no milk with two of my 3 pregnancies. My first pregnancy I drank a gallon of milk per week and ate loads of other dairy because I was worried about the protein as I wasnt able to eat any meat (it came up immediately) I gained 65+ pounds.

My next pregnancy I ate McDougall and gained 10 pounds total.

My third pregnancy I also ate McDougall but I also nursed my second child through the whole pregnancy. I gave birth to a 9lb 4 ounce baby. The RD who came to my room after the birth tried to make me understand that my children would suffer for my lack of milk (she didnt know about my nursing while pregnant and my very large baby girl until after she told me all that could go wrong).

There are no required foods only nutrients. You can get plenty of calcium via a starch based diet. Your body will store more calcium eating a lower protein diet than eating one that contains dairy. You have a better chance of losing calcium because eating dairy/meat leaches calcium from your bones to help make your body more alkaline as it doesnt like to be acidic at all.

My children eat little to no dairy and they are all tall for their ages. And with just normal childhood activity they are all muscular and strong. And with the exception of the first year in public school, they dont get sick like their counterparts who eats loads of meat and dairy. They eat lots of fruits/veggies and whole grains and other starches. And just like any other kid, they complain they dont like veggies, but they eat it all up anyway.

You can always email DR. M if you are really concerned or your questions werent answered well enough. But really, milk is not needed.

I drank milk all my life, but since starting the McDougall low fat vegan plan, I have switched to Almond milk. Almond milk actually has more calcium than regular milk, so that could be an option. I only use the almond milk for breakfast cereal because I really do get enough calcium through the whole grains, vegys and fruit I eat. AnneC