Protein's Power ROLE IN PREGNANCY

Protein’s Power Role in Pregnancy

Did you know…

Protein is the macronutrient that most influences birth weight?¹ Currently ⅛ women are not consuming adequate amounts of protein in their second and third trimesters.²

Protein is critical for ensuring proper growth of your babies tissues and organs, including your little ones brain! For you momma, protein plays a role in reducing swelling/fluid retention, supports collagen production, and helps promote healthy weight gain, and to top it off it provides more vitamins/minerals.³

That’s right…protein during pregnancy is important, but exactly how much protein do you need when pregnant? 

Protein intake will vary from each individual, however standard recommendations for the first trimester has a daily recommended protein intake of 38 g, whereas protein intake in the second trimester and third trimester ramp up to 59 g of protein intake per day.⁴

Some great sources of protein include: 

• Lean beef and pork (preferably from naturally-raised animals)
• Chicken and poultry
• Organ Meats (if available from naturally-raised animals)
• Eggs
• Salmon
• White-Flesh Fish
• Plain Greek Yogurt
• Nuts, seeds, nut butters
• Beans, legumes, lentils
  

When you don’t have time to make these protein sources, PowerNatal’s prenatal protein powders are here for you. During life’s busiest moments, our powders provide a convenient choice to help you get the adequate amount of protein needed for you and baby without the hassle and worry of needing to prepare a protein packed meal. 

Footnotes

¹ Grigel, Kaycie Rosen. “Pregnant Women Need More Protein.” Natural Medicine Journal. https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2015-08/pregnant-women-need-more-protein. 

² Murphy, M. M., Higgins, K. A., Bi, X., & Barraj, L. M. (2021). Adequacy and Sources of Protein Intake among Pregnant Women in the United States, NHANES 2003-2012. Nutrients, 13(3), 795. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030795

³ “Integrative OB/GYN: Eat More Protein for a Healthy Pregnancy.” CentreSpringMD, June 3, 2021. https://centrespringmd.com/integrative-ob-gyn-eat-more-protein-for-a-healthy-pregnancy/. 

⁴ Murphy, M. M., Higgins, K. A., Bi, X., & Barraj, L. M. (2021). Adequacy and Sources of Protein Intake among Pregnant Women in the United States, NHANES 2003-2012. Nutrients, 13(3), 795. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030795