Vegan outraged after a midwife ‘refuses to deliver her child until she returns to a “classic” diet”

A pregnant vegan mother has been left outraged after a midwife allegedly refused to deliver her child unless she returned to a ‘classic diet’.  

Brittany Davis, 30, from Central Iowa, was mortified when she met with a potential home-birthing midwife who said vegans she had previously worked with ‘just didn’t cut it’. 

The following day Ms Davis claims she received a text message from the prospective midwife where she suggested the expectant mother return to ‘classic’ diets before sending her a photograph of a book labelled ‘Real Food for Pregnancy’.

Brittany, who is 13 weeks pregnant with her second child, said: ‘Within half-an-hour of meeting I was flooded with questions about my diet and the midwife told us that I’d have to eat ”tonnes and tonnes” of my usual diet to ”meet the nutritional needs of a pregnant woman”.

‘I quickly shut the conversation down and told her I didn’t have any more questions, to which she replied ”I’ll really have to think about working with you, I’ve worked with vegans before and they just didn’t cut it”.

‘The next day I got a text from her basically saying that she wouldn’t work with me due to my choice of being vegan and would only consider me if I chose to return to a ”classic” diet.

Brittany, who is 13 weeks pregnant with her second child, said: ‘Within half-an-hour of meeting I was flooded with questions about my diet and the midwife told us that I’d have to eat ”tonnes and tonnes” of my usual diet to ”meet the nutritional needs of a pregnant woman”

‘At first I felt defeated, then relieved that I knew she wasn’t the one.

‘I’ve been vegan for over two years, so how could I have lived this long and become pregnant again if we were so deficient in these important things needed for development?

‘All I’d say is that she should have researched more before shooting down the idea of working with a vegan entirely to try and get a better understanding of it.’

Despite this being the first midwife who has turned her down due to her dietary requirements, Brittany, an independent consultant, claims that many other people have given her backlash for her choices.

Despite this being the first midwife who has turned her down due to her dietary requirements, Brittany, an independent consultant, claims that many other people have given her backlash for her choices. Pictured is Ms Davis’s ultrasound

She said: ‘I became vegan just before my two-year-old son started solids, so when he is also fully vegan.

‘For the first six-months, at least once a week, I was explaining to people that it is possible to raise a child vegan and not have them be malnourished.

‘I would keep track on an app what I’d feed him everyday and if someone brought it up I would show them the app – it happens a lot less often now.

‘I also track my own nutrients and take prenatal vitamins and supplements to keep myself and my baby healthy.’

Ms Davis claims she works hard to ensure that her and her family receive all the nutrients they need while maintaining a vegan lifestyle

The text message reads: ‘Hi Brittany. Thought carefully about us working together. Thinking we might stress each other with “veganism!”. 

‘If you could find will to return to classic – maybe paleo diet even – it might work.

‘I’m of the mind that you are building an “animal of sorts” and need animal protein – especially during pregnancy!

‘And you starting off with “weak blood” by my standards. Blood is the river of life!’  

Ms Davis politely replied and declined to work any further with the midwife.