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It opens the dark passage of Grace.

Jalal al-Din Rumi

Dec 2 What to eat when eating for two: Protein

Krystina Friedlander
Food, Pregnancy We are rarely counseled on diet and nutrition, whether pregnant or not. Partly this is a consequence of having very little face time with medical care providers--about 15 minutes on average according to one study--but also diet and nutrition counseling isn't necessarily part of the care we receive from doctors or nurse practitioners. I've seen both medical doctors and alternative care providers, and what I didn't learn from the doctors but did hear an earful about first from my herbalist, and then later from my own herbalism and midwifery studies, is that diet and nutrition are at the foundation of wellness (or as the old Hippocratic adage goes, "let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food").

This is so incredibly important for pregnant women, from the preconception period all the way through breastfeeding. Once pregnant, a healthy diet protects mother and baby from a variety of risks, from gestational diabetes to preeclampsia.

I'll be looking at a variety of different aspects of our diets, but I figured I'd start with a big one. Protein provides the building blocks of making a baby, a placenta, and breastmilk. All of our body tissues are made up of protein, and it's an important component to so many processes in our bodies.

How much protein?

There are various recommendations for protein intake. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences recommends 74 grams of daily protein. The Brewer's Diet, which is recommended by the HypnoBirthing Institute, calls for 90 grams of daily protein, which specifically addresses the risk of preeclampsia, a dangerous and potentially lethal condition. Ultimately, each of us is different, our bodies are different, and our protein needs are different. We do know, however, that we need more protein in pregnancy. Aiming for 15-20 grams more than what we normally eat is a good goal, provided that you're already getting sufficient dietary protein, or 75-100 grams daily, which can come either from meat or vegetarian sources.

However, getting that much protein is kind of a challenge. It means being sure to eat protein with every meal, and snacking on protein-rich foods between meals. The benefits aren't just a nice growing baby, expanding blood volume, building a placenta, and keeping healthy, but it also helps with morning (ha! ALL DAY!) sickness.

Some of my favorite sources of protein include:

So, some awesome protein-rich meals off the top of my head:


Did you up your protein intake while pregnant? Did your doctor or midwife go into detail about how much protein you're getting, and where it should come from? Did you notice any difference? I'd love to hear!


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