Soy While Pregnant
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Anonymous
| I just heard from a well-intentioned coworker that the vanilla soy latte I'm drinking (caffeine aside!!!!!!!) is not a good idea ever (because of the soy), but especially while pregnant. I'm wondering why I've been in the dark about this and wondered if any of you had come across similar research or talked to your doctors about it? |
Anonymous
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I don't think it's really an issue. I've read that too much soy can be problematic for babies, especially boy babies (something about too much estrogen), but I don't remember reading anything about no soy during pregnancy and I read about 50 baby/pregnancy books.
I've also read that women who follow a vegetarian diet (and who probably rely more on soy for protein) are more likely to have female babies. there was at least one study (done in Britain) that showed a definite correlation, if not causality. I imagine if you're limiting your caffeine, you're probably not really getting that much soy. wouldn't worry about it. |
Anonymous
| If the father is the one who determines sex, how does the mother eating soy factor in? Just curious - could it affect the Y sperm somehow? |
sybersus
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See below from the Mayo clinic. I'm a vegetarian who eats soy pretty regularly, and my midwife doesn't seem concerned, as I try to eat it in moderation.
From http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/soy/NS_patient-soy/DSECTION=safety Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Soy as a part of the regular diet is traditionally considered to be safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding, although scientific research is limited in these areas. The effects of high doses of soy or soy isoflavones in humans are not clear, and therefore are not recommended. Recent study demonstrates that isoflavones, which may have estrogen-like properties, are transferred through breast milk from mothers to infants. High doses of isoflavones given to pregnant animals have resulted in tumors and reproductive changes in offspring, although this has not been tested in humans. In one human study, male infants born to women who ingested soymilk or soy products during pregnancy experienced more frequent hypospadias (a birth defect in which the urethral meatus, the opening from which urine passes, is abnormally positioned on the underside of the penis). However, other human and animal studies have examined males or females fed soy formula as infants, and have not found abnormalities in infant growth, head circumference, height, weight, occurrence of puberty, menstruation, or reproductive ability. Research in children during the first year of life has found that the substitution of soy formula for cow's milk may be associated with significantly lower bone mineral density. Parents considering the use of soy formula should speak with qualified healthcare practitioners to make sure the appropriate vitamins and minerals are provided in the formula. |
Anonymous
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Mayo clinic recently released information regarding soy.
Regarding the gender and sperm - I do know that Y sperm has a shorter life (approx 24 hours?) compared to the X (approx 3 days) within the uterus. Not sure what the effect soy would have on that but I was told to limit my soy intake when I was trying to conceive. |
Anonymous
| My OB told me no soy in the 1st trimester and then once a week after that would be the limit. |
Anonymous
| Regarding the gender--I have heard that a vegetarian diet can impact your pH, same as a diet really heavy in meat could. And apparently whether pH is high or low can make you more friendly or less friendly to male vs female sperm, which is how it impacts the gender of the baby you conceive. |
Anonymous
| I'm a vegetarian and I had soy -- in the form of tofu, veggie burgers, edamame, and more -- throughout my pg with DS #1. doing the same with this pg. my doc has voiced no concerns about it. |
Anonymous
No offense, but your OB gave you some very outdated information. Soy, as part of a regular diet, has not been known to create any adverse effects during pregnancy or after. High doses of soy may decrease fertility, and are therefore not recommended. The high doses were equivalent to drinking three 12-ounce glasses of soy milk (60 g soy protein equivalent to 45 mg of isoflavones) for a month. The Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr 1994 Sep;60(3):333-40) Soy is also in almost every single food you eat. So unless you never eat out or buy a single pre-packaged food (and I don't just mean junk food), there's a good chance you consumed soy. |
Anonymous
| Grrrrreat. One more thing to worry about. I'm about 38 weeks pregnant and have eaten tofu throughout my entire pregnancy. Never heard or read that it might be problematic. |
Anonymous
Because it's NOT problematic. Tofu away! |
Anonymous
Sorry, but that's just not true. DH is Asian and even in his home country, people do not eat tofu more than about once per week. Doctors do not recommend it there for pregnant women (though they recommend fermented soy, which is not estrogenic). |
Anonymous
| on a related note, what about soy-based beauty products? does this affect pregnancy and/or breastfeeding? |
Anonymous
But they still eat sushi. I would think that soy is much less of a concern than raw fish... I don't think any said their doctor recommended it, just that many of us (myself included) were not specifically told "do not eat it for than _____ per week." |
Anonymous
+1 
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