Protein is the building block of cells. If you are pregnant, your baby's cells are replicating at a dizzying speed every day! Just think, your babe is going from one fertilized egg cell to nearly two trillion (that's 2,000,000,000,000) cells by the time of birth! And protein is necessary in this process!
The recommended daily allowance of protein for a non-pregnant female is 80-100 grams per day. But when you are pregnant, this jumps to 100-150 grams per day! Your rapidly developing baby is the primary reason.
What happens if you don't get enough protein? Babies are not partial to where they get their protein from. Adequate protein is necessary to their development and since you are their host, they are going to borrow (or take) whatever they need. If you are not regularly consuming enough protein to support their development, they will strip it from your body. Do you know where your protein is stored? It's in your muscles!
How can you amp up your protein power? It can seem daunting! (especially if you don't have much of an appetite).
Meat is the highest protein source per ounce, so including meat in each of your meals can help. Eggs are a fantastic source of protein as well.
Smaller amounts of protein can be found in dairy products, nuts and seeds.
If you're unable to eat large amounts of protein from animal sources due to appetite, preference or dietary restriction, you can combine grains and legumes (the amino acids that make up complete proteins can be combined in these to make a whole protein source).
Protein supplements can also be a fantastic source of protein in your diet - powders added to smoothies, cereal, baking, etc. can help supplement where you may be unable to otherwise reach your goals. Powder options include: Whey, Soy, Rice, Quinoa, and Pea and can be found at most grocery and health food stores.
Keeping track of how many grams you get in each item can also be a challenge. You can find a protein content counter at https://www.todaysdietitian.com/.../ProteinContentofFoods...
With adequate protein intake, you are providing the building blocks needed for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby!