I am a vegetarian and currently am trying to get pregnant. I have lived this lifestyle for quite some time and am very familiar with the steps that need to be taken for a healthy pregnancy. A big debate between me and the father is whether to raise our child as a vegetarian (or pescatarian) or feed him meat. Any opinions?

I'm a Vegan and planning to raise LO as a vegetarian. Mainly because if she chooses to eat meat later in life she will always be able to pick it up but dairy would be tough to introduce in to her diet when she is older. Plus I worry that she will be the wierdo kid that can't eat anything at the kids bday parties and this way I don't have to worry about her eating anything by accident and being ill. I always cope if there is nothing I can't eat at events but I can't make a toddler do that.

I really don't like the idea of feeding my kid something that I think isn't suitable for my own body but I think it's too much of a lifestyle choice to inflict on someone else. My DH is a meateater.

Pescatarianism isn't really going to be that tough on a kid but I wouldn't feed them an absurd amount of fish because of the mercury factor.
Just my two cents.

I agree with Charlotte. I would absolutely introduce dairy and eggs, but its perfectly okay to skip the meat. I have been a vegetarian and even vegan on and off in my life. I really don't eat much meat anyways- I stick with fish and seafood. When I'm pregnant I crave chicken fingers and chicken nuggets. (I think thats because my husbands baby in me!)

Since you have lived this most of your life, you know how to maintain proper nutrition, I'm sure and balance out your meals to make complete proteins.

There is a baby food out there "Earths Best" that is completely organic and offers vegan and vegetarian combinations. There is a rice and lentil dinner- with carrots and apples that is a complete protein, a summer vegetable dinner with chickpeas, and many fun veggie combos.
You can make your own too! Babies under one year can eat mashed up cooked egg yolk, avocados, mashed chickpeas, mashed beans, and pureed veggies and fruits. You can combine rice cereal and mashed beans, avocados and pureed apples or peas, the combinations are endless!

My son, who is almost 11 months old, seems to prefer meat to non meat, unfortunately, and I'm not going to stop him. His father really does not want to raise him vegetarian, he is against it. He can now eat wafer thin turkey and ground beef, both of which he loves. He also likes strained chicken soup. But I made sure to add veggies and fruit and good carbohydrates- to make complete meals for him.

I'm sure you know that when you are pregnant that you need additional calcium and protein- just make sure you are monitoring that. And that you need to get your 300 extra calories a day! (which is fun!)

Good luck!

I have been craving KFC and it looks like absolute garbage but I want to eat it so bad. Nothing else that's not in my diet really.

Great advice - It will be hard not to push my lifestyle on my child, but if he or she chooses to eat meat I would prefer it to be organic. I'm sure the father wouldn't mind that - it's meat after all. :]]

Yeah it's tough when we make life decisions for them. I always think along of the lines of if I put my bunny and an apple in the babies crib.. how many babies will eat the bunny and play with the apple? I like teaching them compassion and to be a concious consumer.

I think its perfectly okay for us to push what we believe on our children. It is quite a thing to wrestle with- what to influence them with and what not. But its where we come from, what we know about life, and in most cases- our only choice! I'm not religious, so how could I push a religion on my child when I don't know extensively about any one religion? Its the same for morals, politics, and lifestyle.
I feel it is our right as parents to teach our children everything we know about life, from our perspective.
Mommy and Daddy may not agree on the same things, but if a healthy compromise can be reached- then its alright! As long as its healthy and not a danger to the child, its alright to bring them up the way you want them to be.
Its okay to let them know their options out there as well. I plan on not teaching my son religion, but I will let him know that it is okay if he wants to believe deeply in something.
As far as the food thing goes, if what you prepare for dinner every night is vegetarian, and this is the life you are accustomed to, then this is what your child should eat along with you for dinner. Because it is what the family does! If they request meat, than its okay to make it for them- but you are allowed to let them know that you don't prefer it and the reasons why you think its unhealthy. they can make the choice themselves.
*plus- they might not like any meat you prepare for them if you don't really know how to cook it...lol

A friend of mine in a vegan. Her parents were vegans, and I think the way they brought her up was interesting, and a good way to go about it. When she was home, she ate what they ate--simple as, "this is the food that's in the house because it's what we buy". They didn't make meat for her, but she could choose to eat meat when she went to friend's houses.

They pre-disposed her to their own lifestyle, but did not make the choice for her. Providing her with all of the information they had, and telling her how they felt about it and why they felt that way, they left the decision up to her. She chose to be a vegetarian when she was 7 years old, and chose to become vegan when she was 11.

I think that was a very good way of going about it. Though: I do also agree with Mrose, that it is our job as parents to raise our children the way we see fit. We choose what we think is most right , and we raise our children according to those choices we make for ourselves about morality, politics, religion. We just have to remember that our kids are their own person, and that we have to remain open-minded in case they end up disagreeing with us....