Confessions of a Pregnant Vegetarian

Well, more like a Pescetarian. But still... I have a confession.

I am anemic. I'm not just anemic, I am extremely anemic, caused by a severe iron deficiency. So much so, that in my third term of pregnancy, my doctors have sat me down and spilled the beans, so to speak, that my leafy green diet of yes, beans, and other yummy veggie products, are just not cutting it. That I am putting myself at risk, say if hemorrhaging should happen during birth, which it can easily happen, you know, the doctor said... the kind of thing that birthing mothers died from in the olden days.

Within my mind I begin to see and hear 'Live's song Lightning Crashes and it seems to follow me out of the doctors office, loaded with all the other information my caring doctor had bestowed on me. Basically, she told me the reason I have been craving red meat for the entire span of this pregnancy was because that sweet little girl inside me has taken all the iron she needs and has left me with nothing. That when you become pregnant your body creates 20-30 percent more blood and so you need extra iron and other vitamins to create hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to other cells in your body. Sounds normal right?

So why am I so far off, and at a higher risk? Well let's see...where do you get iron from? You get iron from green leafy veggies, red meat, beans, eggs, fortified cereals, and peanuts. Hmmm... so my diet is a bit lopsided when it comes to iron. And all this time I thought that as long as I took my prenatal pills, that this would not be an issue. It wasn't with my son, so I figured it wouldn't be with my daughter.

I am wrong. In the last few weeks I have experienced dizzy spells, fatigue, and general lack of hutzpa, which is very unlike me. Yes I have been pushing myself a bit too much and I know that, but I always push myself so that is really nothing new.

Therein lies my confession. My doctor suggested that I either go out and eat a burger (or some form of red meat for the remainder of my pregnacy) or else I am putting my whole life at risk. My whole life being... my family, my son, my unborn child, my husband, my creativity, career, all of it doing without me on this earth should something go bloody south.

You know what? I ate a fucking burger. It didn't kill me. And you know what else? I'm going to eat some home made meatloaf that one of my dearest friends cooked for me. (after she lovingly called me a selfish fool when I told her what the doctor said)

Because, I realized something as I stared into my almost three year old's beautiful blue eyes last night. I'm not leaving him motherless because I do not believe in the inhumane treatment of animals for mass consumption. Period. I have been a proud vegetarian for over six years now. I can always return to my plight after my daughter is born. But I have to be around to do so.

Much love and meat, 
Tommie Vaughn