10 week vegetarian CRAVING meat

sylveam

Is anyone else craving meat like CRAZY?! I’m just shy of 11 weeks and all I can think about is chicken strips 😂
I’ve been vegetarian for 4 years now and am nervous to add meat back in but am craving it! 
have any other vegetarians started eating meat during their pregnancy? If so how did your tummy handle it? 

meggyme

Talk to your doctor. You probably need iron or some other vitamin you are deficient in.

sylveam

I do take iron, but maybe there’s something else. 

kdotb

I'm typically vegan but have recently relaxed on that and have been eating cheese some times and not looking too hard at ingredients. I'm 8 weeks 2 days and have lost 5lbs since finding out 10dpo. So I'm more worried about eating what my body wants and fueling myself when I don't feel nauseous. Don't be too hard on yourself if you eat some chicken strips. You can always go back to being vegetarian when you're ready. I've stopped labeling myself as a vegan and it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders when jt comes to food. 

merostomata

That was what happened to me with my first pregnancy, when I was a vegetarian! I'm only 5 weeks now with my second, no significant cravings yet.

I did add meat back in for my first pregnancy. Not too much, just a little bit, and it didn't seem to upset my stomach but everyone's different. I figured my body was lacking some nutrient, and didn't feel guilty about adding it back.

What really helped the cravings was taking iron-- your iron needs go up significantly during pregnancy, so even if you're supplementing now you might need more, along with Vitamin C for absorption. You can request a blood test too for ferritin to see where you're at, or just get one on your own for around $30.

lilbeb

Definitely has to do with a deficiency. I’m pescatarian and craved chicken. I went for it but obviously had an upset stomach because my gut wasn’t used to it. Later I began to crave ice cream, which led me to believe I was deficient in calcium. Just check with your doc and make sure you’re getting the proper nutrients, wether it’s supplementing or including those cravings back into your diet. 

tbern

This happened to me during my first pregnancy. I decided to give in my cravings. I ate what I wanted…lots of chicken nuggets lol and Asian duck dishes. It was delicious and I have no regrets. Do what feels right and good. 

carlinobean2022

It's happening to me as well. I'm 9 weeks. Been vegetarian for 6 years but the last week I've been thinking of chicken non stop. Last night I dreamed of roasting a whole chicken and eating it. I'm assuming it's a need for protein so I'm trying to add more plant based proteins. I'm thinking maybe I'll relax the vegetarian diet in small portions if it continues

sunnyveg

I was vegan for 5 years when I got pregnant with my 1st and craved chicken and chocolate milk. I ended up eating dairy again, but avoided the chicken. I was vegetarian with my 2nd and again craved nothing but chicken! I ended up giving in once and it was repulsive. I continued to crave it but didn't give in anymore lol

Now 10 weeks pregnant and confident I can make it through another pregnancy meat free!

breezybaby1020

@sunnyveg I’m a little late to the game here, but I was vegetarian for 5-6 years (mostly dairy free as well, but not super strict vegan) and when I started trying in earnest to get pregnant, and especially in the winter this past year I was craving smoked fish. I’m 7 weeks today and the first week I gave in and just ate what I craved, and now I am totally repulsed and back to veg. I don’t eat meat for ethical reasons, but I am also O- blood type which is the “hunter gatherer” so I know my blood be lovin it. Not sure if any of this helps, I have always been more flexible with my diet, but now am just leaning into what my body is wanting. 

marcap123

I'm gluten free and was mostly vegan before pregnancy and for the first few weeks. I wouldn't say I started craving animal products, but I had (have) so many food aversions to my typical food. I can't stand a lot of vegetables now. Luckily fruit is still OK. So by process of elimination, I have been eating dairy and eggs, occasionally fish or meat for convenience only. 

I think I might stay vegetarian instead of vegan throughout the pregnancy, and I'm considering fish too. Being gluten free, I have limited options to begin with. Because of the nausea and aversions, I just want something in my stomach I can tolerate! 10 weeks BTW.

tming

I have been primarily plant based with occasionally eating fish for the past 2 1/2 years. I am currently 12 weeks and I believe it was at about week 7 or 8 that I started craving meat (ie chicken, beef). I have had horrible, intense nausea and vomiting since about week 7 as well so I decided to let up a little and try giving a small amount of grilled chicken a try. I figured if it’s something I can keep down then I’m not going to deprive myself of it. I actually felt very satisfied after eating it and had no stomach issues. Honestly at this point and with the symptoms I’ve been having, I’m in “survival mode”. So only you know what is best for your body and don’t feel guilty about it one bit!