Preggy moms: do you monitor your protein intake?

Question

So last night my dear husband and I got into a fight about this. Of course he is a big bodybuilder and lives on protein. I am 9 weeks preg, and I am struggling because certain foods make me nauseous. Plus I am mostly vegetarian (raw vegan at one point) but am eating more meat for the sake of the baby. I actually feel better nausea wise but I know this is going to make for constipation h**l. Of course also with all these hormones going through my body, I started bawling my eyes out when he said I need more protein than the average woman because I'm heavier!! heh Any tips moms and moms to be?

Answer 1

I haven't monitired my protein intake at all and I'm on my 4th pregnancy. All babies have been born healthy. But being a vegetarian your needs may differ then someone who's not. I'd talk to your Dr about it and see what he says over your husband.

Answer 2

Debbie is right.  All pregnant ladies do need that much protein.  Several doctors think that not getting enough protein can cause toxemia.  I always monitored my protein with all of my pregnancies.

Answer 3

I don't. I've made an effort to get more because my doctor told me to. I'm not much of a meat eater (I'm not vegetarian) so I'm not getting tons.

You actually need more protein than the average woman because you are pregnant not because you are heavier!

I am taking a protein supplement which my doctor okay'd.

Answer 4

I don't really monitor anything food-wise.  I simply eat what I want, try to include a decent number of fruits/veggies, and take my prenatal and DHA supplement daily.  Some days I don't eat any meat, not planned, that's just how it turns out.  I eat a LOT of cheese, though, and that's got protein too.  I'm 25 wks pregnant and my baby's measuring fine and I've had no complications.  Obviously we all want healthy babies but I feel like nowadays we stress too much over every little thing.

Answer 5

I try to eat more high protein snacks while pregnant. The ones I prefer are cheese and crackers (with salami or pepperoni if the thought doesn't make me nauseous), cashews, trail mix, almonds, and yogurt. Lately I have had strong cravings for jerky, which is high in protein but also has a higher than recommended sodium content.

You are not necessarily heavier, your body is nurturing another being- a sweet baby that requires certain nutrients. Talk to your Doctor to see what they recommend and take care :).

Answer 6

My midwife told me I should be getting 85-100 grams(!) of protein while pregnant, but she brings it up because I'm so skinny not because I'm heavy. Having been a small boned person my entire life, I will tell you that protein is recommended to GAIN weight in general... non-pregnant wise. I'm a vegetarian (not a vegan though so I do dairy) and I don't count how much protein I get in a day but I make sure I'm getting good protein sources. Since about 14 weeks when I started feeling better from the nausea and such I started eating Kashi granola bars first thing when I wake up, I get lots of whole grains, legumes, and I usually have cheese every day too. I have some mini-sized Luna bars that I usually have in the late afternoon and I like some real ice cream (made with cream not skim milk) after dinner. But this is 2nd trimester. First trimester I just ate whatever seemed the least likely to make me sick at that moment so there was really no way I could handle getting a perfect diet in then.

It's true that you need more protein than before when you are pregnant but it really doesn't have anything to do with your size. So tell your husband to go fly a kite!