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ArchivesPregnancy anemia = me eating red meat for the first time since Clinton was in office
Ariel's Updates
By
on October 05, 2009
47
Tags: anemia, pregnancy, vegetarian
Isn't Andreas sweet for cooking me steak? Although clearly, dude does not waste time with presentation. HERE BE FLESH ON A PLATE
But I've been struggling with pretty significant pregnancy anemia for the last couple months. I tried everything I could to get on top of it (more dark green leafy veggies! liquid iron supplements! taken with citrus juice! then double doses!) and my iron levels only got worse and worse.
It got to the point where I looked at a photo of myself and wondered "GAH! Why do my lips look so grey?" before realizing that pale lips are a classic symptom of amenia. My midwives warned me that if my levels dropped too low, they wouldn't be able to continue working with me. I upped my iron supplements to triple doses. No avail.
After a couple months of narcoleptic anemia naps, struggling to get up the one flight of steps to our house, and lovely corpse lips, and I finally admitted defeat and asked Dre if he would cook me a steak.
FUCKING STEAK! I think I've eaten steak maybe three times in my life, although I can't even really remember. Since my parents raised me mostly vegetarian, I have no steak "nom nom" receptors — it doesn't even really sound good to me. It's not like bacon, which seems to hit some sort of weird magic taste zone.
But red meat has the most easily digestible iron, and steak is extreme red meat, so I figured it was worth a shot.
Dre agreed to cook it for me. One friend observed, "Aww, he must really love you if he's willing to cook you meat," to which I replied, "It's not me — it's the fetus he loves." Dre nodded in confirmation.
Since Andreas grew up eating meat, he totally enjoyed the process of preparing it — the smell, especially. Meanwhile, I was sort of grossed out by the aroma.
"Our house smells like a blind cow wandered into a grass fire," I thought to myself as I opened all the windows and doors.
Dre served up a plate of meat, and I stared at it. It was brown. It smelled like meat. I said my thanks to the cow, and started eating its flesh. I found eating it rather clinical … Chew, chew, chew. Swallow? It was like weird umami medicine.
But, like any good medicine, it worked. The next day I woke up feeling less wan.
Of course there are ethical issues for me. The steak came from the local co-op, and is supposedly from a good meat place full of happy cows. But I can't help but think about how the dead cow flesh I ate died. What kind of institutionalized factory farming was involved? I'm far from a food activist (far, far faaaaaar) but eating meat can bring up complex issues for even the most casual of thoughtful eaters.
I've spoken to several friends who've made compromises in their diets while pregnant, so I know I'm not the only one. I know it's completely possible to have a vegetarian pregnancy, but evidently my body didn't want to play along. I've continued to eat meat a couple times a week and mostly get through it by being deeply appreciative of the animal and thinking of it as brown, cooked medicine.
…chew, chew, swallow?
Rocknmotomama said
Good for you! Remember the american indians used to give thanks to the animals before eating them to thank them for the sacrifice the animals made to nourish the indians' bodies. It's kind of the same thing, that cow may have died but it's helping your little baby live and grow strong!! I can't think of a better reason than that…
Stevie said
::sympathy:: I was a long time vegatarian when I got pregnant the first time. Know what the little bugger made me crave (ALL the time)? freakin' cheese burgers. If I didn't get my daily cheeseburger someone was absolutely going to DIE. It was a VERY bizzare feeling.
@Hunnydu said
youre more fortuitous than I. Dr. told me to eat bananas *loathe* for my leg cramps, but 1 bite in and I couldnt do it.
ashby said
Haha same here. And normally I like bananas but now, ugh. And the leg cramps persist…..
Annelise said
That's too bad, that you had to eat something that compromised your ideals. I wouldn't feel guilty about it though. You do what you have to do to protect your child. I would just be thankful to the animals, continue thinking about it as medicine, and being grateful to the animal for it's hand in keeping you and your child healthy.
I used to be dangerously anemic, when I was vegetarian, and it was similar. Nothing worked, except meat. I don't love it, but it keeps me healthy, and you do what you need to do.
dayment said
I just went through this, although I already was eating meat again (stopped being vegetarian in 2003 when I had no pigment left in my body – all I ate was sugar and cheese and caffeine anyway) and was STILL anemic. It's tough trying to figure out the right kind of iron to take and it's not exactly easy on the rest of your body while you are dosing up!
I just want to say keep plugging away – I remember very well the exhaustion. It's tough to be pregnant – to add anemia makes it a double-whammy!
Kara said
I was a pregnant veggie and ate bbq chicken. Mmmm…. You have such a good man making you the steak (or making the baby some steak) – maybe this is a sign that the wee one will be a ravenous carnivore. Get ready!
Baxter said
I've been pretty lucky so far that I haven't had to dig in to a steak. I've been a vegetarian for 17 years and, though I love soy and gluten-based "meats", the thought of chomping on actual flesh repulses me. Moreso now than ever before. In fact, the smell of pork, which never bothered me before, is one of the worst smells I've encountered since becoming pregnant. Too bad, too, because my husband loves him some pulled pork. I HAVE given in to the fish oil, since my midwife said flax seed can't be absorbed by the placenta. Sorry, fishies. I really hope I don't have to eat a cow before this is all over. But I will if I have to. As you mentioned, that's really the thing year. We give up alcohol or other recreational intoxicants because it's bad for the baby. Likewise, we eat what the baby needs. It's not about us right now.
b.rodrigues said
Hope you're feeling better- anemia sucks. I'm anemic to begin with, and pregnancy drains me of the little resources I had in the first place. And yep- I don't absorb iron from supplements, at all… I've been on liquid iron and not had my hemoglobin go up a single point! And although I'm not a strict vegetarian, with both my pregnancies the look/smell/thought of meat has made me super nauseous. I would have thought my body would be psyched about meat in that "the body knows what it needs way"- but, no, its about as appetizing as picking up a fresh sea slug and taking a bite. Hopefully you'll be feeling better when its all said and done, good luck!!
Claire said
You could try grassfed bison! It's available at the Ralphs where I live, and also at the farmers market. This farm, in particular, seems particularly ethical in its strategies and they always sell out at our weekly market. http://www.lindnerbison.com/
OffbeatAriel said
I had a bison burger on Friday! My midwife suggested both venison and bison, neither of which I'd ever eaten before.
sarkovi said
Bison is soooo yummy. I would probably be a pescetarian except I have always loved steak (only if it is from Alberta, where I live…. steak from anywhere else tastes weird because they feed their cows differently) and bison. Bison is much healthier than cowsteak anyways, but cooks a bit differently. I guess anemia won't be a problem for me most likely since the only meat i like is the red meat variety lol!
ashby said
I was a veggie for about 8 years, and the first meat I re-introduced was venison, because I agree with hunting (responsible, ethical hunting) much more than I agree with animal farming. It's better for the environment, the animal lives a more natural life, etc. Plus, venison is super high in iron and low in fat, so it's win-win.
Sandy said
I'm vegetarian… well, I guess pescatarian because I eat salmon a few times a month for health reasons. Anyway, I've found it incredibly helpful to say a little prayer of thanks to the fish, much like the first commenter mentioned.
nancy romalov said
How about liver of bison, beef or venison?
OffbeatAriel said
I just can't do liver — the texture is too icky! But I am eating bison, and have my eyes peeled for venison.
Kitty said
Liver is high in iron, but it's also got an astronomical amount of vitamin A in it, which can cause serious problems for your unborn baby. It doesn't really matter where the liver comes from, be it fish or mammal (or reptile, I guess, but never heard of anyone eating reptile liver!) they've all got lots of vitamin A in.
Emira said
Wow. I so feel you on this — though I'm hoping to not to have to experience it. I've done the same with fish during this pregnancy and had my partner stare at me wild eyed from across the table while I ate it. I've been a veggie (not vegan, but no fishes) pretty much my whole life. But the need for increased protein and the benefits of fish oils convinced me to give the fishes a try. Same experience though. Really wasn't "enjoyable" to eat, it felt like participating in some kind of weird lab experiment. "chew, chew… still staying down? yup… ok, chew, chew…" I've been feeling zonked for the past week and bought some floradix on the weekend, but have a sinking feeling I'm headed into anemia zone myself… I can not even begin to imagine eating beef though. Finger's crossed that the floradix does the trick for me.
Sara B said
::; disclaimer: I'm a long winded omnivore that eats meat 3-4 times a week. :::
Venison is tasty and doesn't give off as much of a sweaty smell as beef does while it's cooking.
You might want to try cooking ground beef into pasta sauce, it's my favorite way to have it, and less visceral like cutting into a hunk of flesh. Chop an onion and some garlic, saute in olive oil until onions are translucent, throw in lean ground beef, saute until it is all brown, add a big tin of crushed tomatoes and some basil if you have it, let it simmer while you make some pasta. Put the pasta in a big bowl, top with a bunch of sauce and sprinkle on some parmesan. The mouth-feel is similar to tvp/soy crumble and the tomatoes and garlic will help disguise the beefiness.
I agree on the previous statements that a moment of thanks to the animal you are eating does make things feel better, as does buying local.
Jordan said
So thoughtful of you to give cooking instructions on the principle that long-term veggies might not know what to do with mincemeat!
Nice work!
Tan'a said
Oh man. I feel so grateful that my iron levels have been actually quite normal throughout this pregnancy. However, I know i should be getting about 56g of protein daily, and I'm just not. SO i tried my aunts famous chicken corn noodle soup and it was my first time eating meat in about a year and a half. I'm not sure if sub conciously did this to myself because what happened was exactly what i had expected to happen, i got SO sick the next day. A disgustingly painful belly ache that lasted all day. It's nice to hear that other women have gone outside their boundaries for baby's sake as well.
sarkovi said
It is quite possibly it WAS the meat and not your mental influence causing you to get sick. The vegetarians in my family can't eat meat now or else they get the worst stomach aches. Everyone is different I suppose! Sorta like how some people can't eat chocolate ever, and I can eat chocolate when I have the stomach flu…. it is the only thing I can ALWAYS keep down lol!
Stephanie said
Oh wow! I'm proud of you for doing it, and I understand. I didn't have to go as far as a red meat, but I totally had chicken cravings for about 3 weeks of my pregnancy. We've been vegetarian for a few years now, so it was odd, but I was sooooooooooo happy when I finally gave in and had the chicken.
Claire said
I recommend Kangaroo, I know this sounds totally creepy and weird, and I don't even know if you can get it in the states but it is high, incredibly lean AND good for the environment. My friend was a pescatarian but now she is a roo-pescatarian because she can eat Roo-meat without feeling stink. Unlike beef which is known to ravage the environment, Roo meat is environmentally friendly because the earth in Australia was made to house Kangaroos. As an added bonus most Kangaroo meat comes from wild Roos, so you know that up until the minute they died they were happy bouncing 'institutionalized factory farming'-free animals.
Jess said
I only eat Roo meat… I'm an aussie too and its really cheap here because people don't want to eat our 'national mascot' which is ridiculous.
A lot of kangaroos get culled here every year because they overbreed and they have no predators. Usually the meat either ends up being fed to pets or left to rot wherever the creature was shot so your eating it isn't causing extra animals to die, its just making use of a resource that would otherwise have been wasted. The meat is incredibly lean (it needs to be for all that hopping around!) organic and has the highest concentration of CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) in any meat. And its really high in iron. The meat is quite 'gamey' in flavour and has a strong smell, but it doesn't give you that heavy fatty feeling that beef or even veal does.
I really recommend trying it!
sarkovi said
I have never even heard of eating kangaroos lol, and at first I was like, "WHAT, NOT KANGAROO!", but now I really wanna try it. As far as I know it isn't readily available where I am in Canada, but maybe on the trip to Aussie-land.
ashilleong said
Go to a resturant that has it as it is a beast to cook. If you are cooking it yourself the best way is to pan-fry then put it in the oven for a bit.
Claire said
*high in iron*
@Hunnydu said
goat is not bad and its much leaner than beef!
dana bos said
For me, it wasn't so much about the pregnancy as the nursing–after a year of nursing my wee one, I began to crave steak, intensely. I hadn't had it for nearly 8 years, but finally gave in and had some and OHMYGOD it hit the spot. Nursing definitely can deplete your resources in a way pregnancy never did for me.
anna_garny said
Hey ya feel it! I'm in Aus too Jess and have become a Local-atarian.
If it's not Aussie grown, made or bred then it doesn't come into my house, a lot of the time I try and keep it within a 100km radius, but some things have to get a 500k buffer purely because of the size of this place.
but yes, Ariel, have a go at some kangaroo if you can get it- I have worked in an abbatoir that dealt with kangaroos and they are always culled humanely (they're vicious and too dangerous to use the methods that other animals are subjected to, so a lot of the time they are sedated before being slaughtered and therefore feel no pain and have no idea what's happening).
But jess I agree- I don't get the lack of enthusiasm about roo meat- it makes great spaghetti and even better chili!
(also, Ariel, perhaps beans? I know that when I was working the abbs I couldn't eat meat having been surrounded by it all day, but red kidney bean burrittos fixed my low iron levels within a few weeks…)
iheartcake01 said
i was vegetarian for about 7 years before becoming pregnant w the first of now 4 little ones and had no interest in changing. i decided to take the plunge without discussing it w anybody and on my lunch break walked myself across the street to Arby's for a beef-n-cheddar! not the most nutritious choice, but i had to start somewhere in the first of many disgusting steps toward doing whats best for baby.
nelle said
I love reading Offbeat Mama as an Offbeat Bride fan… am actually going to be an offbeat Auntie, so I've been reading up about pregnancy and birth in order to help my SIL out as much as possible.
This post, however, has brought about my absolute worst fear about future pregnancy. I've been a strict vegetarian, occasional vegan for nine years and I would cry if I had to eat meat. But I suppose that's just a sign that I'm yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaars away from babyville.
Obviously something changes when you're pregnant. You fall in love with your unborn baby and selfishness disappears. I hope your anemia stays at bay!
Has anyone given any thought about if they'll raise their kids vegetarian?
katem-l said
i suffered from nasty anemia when i was at uni – complete with the pasty yellow complexion. I was told to try oysters, because they are seriously high in iron. You might find them a little less confronting, and you can even pair them with bacon if you're feeling particularly meat-brave!
and as an aussie, i can join chorus for kangaroo. it makes a really good, really rich stew too!
OffbeatAriel said
Eating raw shellfish (like oysters) is discouraged during pregnancy.
Vanesa said
Raw oysters may be out, but you can eat them cooked. And if you're not in to cooked oysters, a lot of shellfish/seafood is high in iron. Clams, shrimp, and even snails all still win the iron lottery. Steamed shellfish with lots of lemon (yay citrus) is my (not pregnant, just always anemic) anemia buster.
Hopium said
Yuk – raw oysters! But then I know an oyster & carrot soup. Carrot so you can see in the dark – oysters so you have something to look at! (I love Pratchett).
Yay for Roo. It's environmentally-friendly too. It prevents massive die-outs (as the roos breed themselves beyond their food source) and their feet son't damage the soil. Unlike hooved animals.
It's also so very very very good for you.
Helen said
Another OBB fan here, loving the new site even if breeding is a few years off for me yet!
Kangaroo is what turned me veggie! I couldn't bear the thought (at 11 years old) of eating skippy, and somehow that made shaun the sheep and ermintrude the cow off-limits too. Childhood logic, eh?
Nonetheless, I think you are brave for doing what has to be done. I did eat venison about 18 months ago, as it was roadkill and fits in with my beleifs, but oh gosh did my stomach know about it the next three days! I hope you aren't having those problems to add to the shock of eating meat again.
Amy said
I was a complete vegan before we moved to a VERY small town in NC (let's call it Mayberry). Mayberry wasn't having the whole vegan thing. No soy, no replacement meat of any kind, and not a whole lot of choice or variety (it's gotten better .. I can see the town transforming). Jonathon cooked meat and the first time he did it. I almost puked. Our place smelled like meat so strongly…. I opened all the doors and windows and EVERYTHING. Finally, after weeks of long naps and feeling like death… Jonathon and his best friend were cooking hamburgers and bacon and it smelled delicious. So, I tried it. I had to force it down.. but I did it. And I felt wonderful.Now, there are times that I just can't eat meat. It makes my stomach turn, but I try very hard to eat a little each week. But fortunately now, our supermarket has tofu! and soy products! and organic! It's incredible. But the best fruits/veggies come form the local produce markets.
But in other words… I feel your pain. No baby, but still anemic.