Having a healthy vegetarian baby.

So, after the hassle of arranging a vegetarian wedding we have a new challenge to face - a vegetarian pregnancy! I have to say that after the comments I get day - to -day, I was expecting to get a lot more grief about this but I have only really received one comment, and that was from my dad! When I told him I was pregnant he said "So, you're going to start eating meat now then, are you?", to which I replied with a simple "No", and that was that. Maybe people are too scared to mess with a hormonal woman!
I'll admit that I was a bit worried about getting all the nutrients that myself and my baby needed, but this was more because I have a history of borderline iron deficiency anaemia (this was BEFORE I stopped eating meat) and that fact that I couldn't face eating a lot of things for the first couple of months, than that fact that I am a vegetarian. I took vitamins for first few months, which I think most pregnant women do, veggie or not, but I really haven't changed my diet. It's pretty easy to get everything you need, but if you need any help, do what I did and stick this poster, available from Viva!,up in your kitchen. I am pleased to say that my bloods have all been fine, my weight gain has been normal and despite being in a high risk group for gestational diabetes, my glucose tolerance is completely normal too.
So, the moral of the story is that, regardless of what the "Where are you going to get your protein / calcium / iron from?" scaremongers might say, a vegetarian diet is perfectly healthy for expectant mothers, and their growing babies!

Our Vegetarian Wedding

I know it's been a while since my last post, but I've had a busy year! As you may remember, I was planning my (vegetarian) wedding last time. You might also remember that the idea of a meat-free weekend was met with some hostility by some of the guests, as well as a few people who had nothing to do with the wedding but felt the need to object anyway! Well, I'm pleased to say that it went without a hitch and there were no complaints about the food. In fact, lots of the guests told us how delicious it was and that they hadn't missed having meat at all. The venue, Buckland Hall, was beautiful, the staff were attentive yet unobtrusive, and the food was amazing!

 Buckland Hall is an entirely vegetarian and egg-free venue, and if you're planning a veggie event, I can heartily recommend it! The cake was made locally Jo Wright at Secret Cinderella Cakes and also went down very well, despite being dairy free! 

The hand knitted owl cake toppers were a clue to our "surprise entertainment". Our wedding rings were delivered to the best man during the ceremony my Olivia the barn owl, and after the drinks and canapes, we all moved outside into the crisp November air for a falconry display provided by Hawksdrift Falconry, who you might have seen on Dragon's Den. 

All the guests had a chance to fly the birds, including my favourite and star of the show, Olivia.After the falconry display, we moved back indoors for our fantastic wedding breakfast, followed by a relaxing break then a disco and more veggie treats in the evening. 

All in all, the day couldn't have gone better, and I think the whole experience goes to show that you should do what you think is right and what makes you happy, especially when it comes to your wedding. You will never be able to please everyone anyway, and you never know, you might even change some people's minds - if only temporarily!