When should we start eating the 100 grams of protein?

[Satori]

Anyone know? I'm at about 50 per day, dont know if I could handle 100.

[IncaMama]

omg i don't even know how to know how much i'm having. i'm a nutritional wasteland.

[Minnow_]

I'm not sure about the 100 g. I read that amount in the Dr Sears book, but then I found other sources that said 60 to 70 g. I've been hitting about 60 to 65 most days that I've tracked.

If anyone has more info on this topic, I'd appreciate it.

[hvl25]

i know the local midwives here recommend between 100-120g a day. a friend of mine uses www.fitday.com

hth

[Geofizz]

LOL heather. The local midwives actually recommend more like 80-100 g.

I use fitday.com to tally up calories, protein and nutrients. The first several days using fitday are annoying because you have to find all the foods, but once you've used it a fair amount (and you have a repetitive diet like me) it gets to fairly quick to enter the info.

The recommendations for additional protein vary wildly. The high levels (>80 g) come from the Brewer diet, which is supposed to reduce the incidence of pre-eclampsia. It doesn't have very much scientific backing, though, but anecdotally it does seem to have and effect. A recent study (hmmmm, I can dig it up tonight if you're interested) actually shows very high amounts of calcium (1500-2000 mg) reduces pre-eclampsia by 70%.

I think that for the first trimester you should eat what you can choke down. These things start to make a bigger difference in the second and third trimesters.

[philomom]

Yep. I did that. As soon as I felt like eating. The trick for me was to "pad" my diet with protein treats. Peanut butter crackers, cheeses, nuts, etc until I had in my 100.

[littleteapot]

That's a lot of protien. I'd feel wary eating that much for fear of getting too much. If your poop sinks, it's too much. :-P

[Satori]

Originally Posted by Geofizz

LOL heather. The local midwives actually recommend more like 80-100 g.

I use fitday.com to tally up calories, protein and nutrients. The first several days using fitday are annoying because you have to find all the foods, but once you've used it a fair amount (and you have a repetitive diet like me) it gets to fairly quick to enter the info.

The recommendations for additional protein vary wildly. The high levels (>80 g) come from the Brewer diet, which is supposed to reduce the incidence of pre-eclampsia. It doesn't have very much scientific backing, though, but anecdotally it does seem to have and effect. A recent study (hmmmm, I can dig it up tonight if you're interested) actually shows very high amounts of calcium (1500-2000 mg) reduces pre-eclampsia by 70%.

I think that for the first trimester you should eat what you can choke down. These things start to make a bigger difference in the second and third trimesters.

I'll have to check out that site but for the most part I keep a running tally in my head without thinking about it because of monitering dd's diet. I had severe pre-e & HELLP with dd so i'm doing anything I can to help prevent it again. I do take those amounts of calcium daily for bone health, lets hope it helps prevent the pre-e again

[Spark]

For those of you eating around 100 grams + in your last pregnancies... how big were your babies?

I know that early on protein effects the productivity of the placenta, and then later on it goes to the baby. I usually eat a lot of protein in the beginning, because my body naturally craves it. But, then, somewhere during the 2nd trimester it's like the protein signal goes off and I don't want anything to do with it. Or at least, not at the same high levels. I eat protein, but not in huge quanitities anymore.

If I'm eating right now, it's generally a protein shake or some soft food with protein. I have some whole wheat pasta that has 16 g of protein per small serving. I really haven't been able to stomach much in the ways of actual (vegetarian) proteins at the moment. (I'm vegetarian)

ETA: I edited because it sounded like I didn't have any protein after month 4, when actually, I just meant that it fell off drastically.

[philomom]

I got in my 100 most days with both babies. They were 6 lbs 10 oz and 6 lbs 14 oz.

Also, I felt like a million. No serious complaints or problems and energy to walk or swim daily. I had wonderful births and no tearing.

[Spark]

Oh, those are such nice sizes. Sweet newborns!

I felt great through my pregnancies, too. With Jude I walked 2 miles almost every day including the day I went into labor with him. With Cicely, I was quite active. I walked with ease for 3 hours around my neighborhood to bring on labor the day she was born. Wonderful births here with no tear (even with my posterior baby that never turned and was born with his hand against his head). I can't attribute it to protein though.

I've always thought that perhaps we have different need levels for protien. It seems to be true to me that different bodies need different things. Yet, I hear people sing the glories of protein. It MUST work really well for so many. Maybe I should try it?

[kofduke]

Well, I'm not a veg, and I don't think I got nearly enough protein when preg. w/DS. The entire pregnancy, just looking at meat (unless it was cut up in pasta sauce) made me gag, and I typically don't really like tofu or the other soy protiens. However, (and I know I've mentioned this before, sorry for repeating) my BP got dangerously high after my water broke. So, I'd like to try a major protein increase this time but I'm having the same problems with meat. Can anyone suggest some alternatives? The whole-wheat pasta with protein sounds yummers...

ETA: DS was 8 lbs. 9 oz.

[selazenby]

The Bradley Method recommends 80-100 grams per day. I did this with Jake and he was 6 lbs 9 oz (but he also came a little early).

Studies aside (most of which do stress the importance of "adequate" protein intake - although they disagree on what is adequate), the women I've known who have had high protein intake during pregnancy (in the 80-100 range) have had healthier seeming pregnancies - more energy, less swelling, more successful births if they were shooting for "natural."

The important thing to remember, however, is that protein is not the only part of the game. When you're counting protein it's sometimes easy to look over all the other important parts of your pregnancy diet - milk products, veggies, fruits, whole grains, water, etc.

[Geofizz]

DD was 7#7oz born at 38w5d. I easily got 100 g of protein through my pregnancy, but that's because my body wants it.

Exercise is supposed to have a positive effect on the size and vesicularization of the placenta, but hasn't been shown to produce bigger babies.

I'm a very strong believer in listening to your body and feeding it what it asks for. If your body is telling day after day that you need to be eating roast beef with hummus and cheese (something I've done...) then you need the protein.

I generally eat 90-100g of protein even when not pregnant. I bike 30 miles a week, run 20-25 miles a week and walk instead of drive when I can. I find that if I don't eat enough protein then I feel like I'm running through jello. I kept track of this for a while, and my non-pregnant cutoff point is 80g a day, that is, if I have too many days in a row (3 maybe) of less than 80 g in a day I can't run.

I haven't been able to get a clear answer if I should work to up my protein intake to account for both the running and pregnancy, so I'll continue of my regular approach to listening to my jello legs.

[Geofizz]

Originally Posted by selazenby

When you're counting protein it's sometimes easy to look over all the other important parts of your pregnancy diet - milk products, veggies, fruits, whole grains, water, etc.

I do, however, dislike the overwhelming emphasis on drinking milk and consuming dairy products in pregnancy. There are other ways to get calcium and protein.

Ok, enough from the milk hater....

[Geofizz]

Originally Posted by kofduke

Can anyone suggest some alternatives?

Whole grains
Dairy (milk, cheese, eggs -- 1 egg=6g)
Beans
Nuts
Seeds
Fish (--- pick "low on the food chain" fish)

One of my favorite snacks is hummus with TJ's version of wheat thins.

You can hide powdered milk in almost anything

[selazenby]

I do, however, dislike the overwhelming emphasis on drinking milk and consuming dairy products in pregnancy. There are other ways to get calcium and protein.

Actually I hate milk too. I never drink it. I'm just saying aim for as balanced a diet as you can accomplish.

I do love cheese though - and ice cream!