Aug 1, 2025

Nourishing the Sacred Work of Pregnancy: Why 120g of Protein Matters

Tiffany Wangard
Pregnancy
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Discover why 120g of protein a day can deeply support your pregnancy—body, baby, and beyond. Nourishment is sacred. Let it be intentional.

Pregnancy is a sacred journey—one that asks your body, mind, and spirit to stretch and grow in miraculous ways. You are not just growing a baby. You are growing a placenta, expanding your blood volume, softening your tissues, and laying down the foundation for new life, both inside and out. This transformation requires deep nourishment—nourishment that honors the work your body is doing every single day.

At the heart of this nourishment is protein—the elemental building block of life. Protein is what your body uses to grow your baby’s organs, form the placenta, build new blood, strengthen the uterus, and support the intricate hormonal symphony unfolding within you. It supports the container that is you, as well as the sacred life growing within.

While conventional guidelines suggest around 70 grams of protein per day during pregnancy, emerging research tells a fuller story. In reality, your needs—especially in the second and third trimesters—may be significantly higher. For many women, 120 grams per day becomes a wise and supportive threshold. Not out of fear, but out of reverence for what your body is doing.

This post is here to guide you. We’ll explore how protein:

Nourishes your body and baby at every level
Helps prevent complications like low birth weight and preeclampsia
Can be understood not just through science, but through a lens of intuition and care
And how you can meet your needs with whole, grounding foods

Let’s walk together through the science, the sacredness, and the simplicity of nourishment. You deserve it.

How Much Protein Is Enough?

Just as every pregnancy is unique, so too are the nutritional needs of each woman. But one truth holds steady: your body is weaving miracles, and it needs steady, abundant nourishment to do so.

For decades, the official recommendation for protein in pregnancy has hovered around 70 grams per day. While this may be enough to prevent deficiency, it’s becoming clear that it may not be enough to fully support the deep physiological changes of pregnancy—especially in the second and third trimesters, when your baby is growing rapidly, your blood volume is expanding, and your body is building the placenta that will sustain life until birth.

Newer research—honoring both data and the lived experience of mothers—suggests that many pregnant women may thrive with 100 to 120 grams of protein daily, especially as pregnancy progresses. This isn’t about numbers for numbers’ sake. It’s about giving your body the raw materials it needs to create, repair, and sustain.

In scientific terms, researchers have begun using more accurate tools (like the “indicator amino acid oxidation method”) to assess how much protein a pregnant body actually uses. These studies suggest that:

In early pregnancy, needs are closer to 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
In late pregnancy, needs may rise to 1.5 grams per kilogram.

For a woman weighing around 150–160 pounds (68–73 kg), this translates to 100–120 grams per day—not as a hard rule, but as a deeply supportive goal.

This doesn’t mean you have to obsessively count. It simply means we can trust that your pregnant body may need more than you’ve been told. Listening to your hunger, cravings, and energy can be just as wise as following a chart. But if you’ve been feeling tired, foggy, or like your body is missing something—it may be a call to lean into deeper nourishment.

In the next section, we’ll explore how this nourishment supports not just your baby’s growth, but your own vitality, peace, and preparation for birth.

How Protein Supports Both Mother and Baby

When you nourish yourself deeply, you are not only feeding your baby—you are feeding your future. Every bite of protein-rich food becomes part of the sacred architecture of this pregnancy: shaping your baby’s organs, laying down the layers of the placenta, supporting your strength, and preparing your body for birth and postpartum.

This is the quiet magic of protein. It may not have the flash of a superfood, but it is quietly, continuously, building life.

✨ For Your Baby:

Protein is essential for fetal growth and development. Every cell your baby creates—bones, skin, brain, lungs, heart—relies on amino acids, the building blocks of protein. When your intake is sufficient:

Your baby is more likely to reach a healthy birth weight.
There is a lower risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) outcomes.
The placenta develops more robustly, improving oxygen and nutrient flow throughout pregnancy.

One study even found that just a 3% increase in energy from protein was linked to 20g higher birth weight and a 24% reduction in the risk of IUGR. These are not just numbers—they are quiet whispers of protection and vitality passed from your body to your baby.

✨ For You, the Mother:

Protein is also about sustaining you—your energy, your immunity, your emotional resilience. It supports:

The expansion of your blood volume, helping reduce dizziness and fatigue.
The strengthening of your uterus, preparing it for the sacred work of labor.
The health of your muscles, bones, and tissues, minimizing injury and speeding postpartum recovery.
The regulation of your blood sugar and mood, promoting steady energy and reducing cravings or crashes.

A mother’s needs are not secondary—they are central. Your body knows this. It will always prioritize your baby first, pulling from your reserves if necessary. But when you meet your own needs with love and attention, you’re not just “fueling pregnancy”—you’re laying a foundation for lifelong wellness.

This is nourishment as preparation. Nourishment as embodiment. Nourishment as devotion.

Preventing Complications with Protein

Pregnancy is not only a time of growth—it is a time of protection. Your body, in its wisdom, is constantly working to create a safe and stable environment for your baby to thrive. And one of the most powerful tools it has to do that… is nourishment.

Adequate protein intake is about more than building tissue—it’s about reducing risk. It’s about shielding both you and your baby from common complications that can arise when the body is under-resourced.

🌿 Protein and Low Birth Weight

Low birth weight and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births have been linked to a lack of protein-rich foods during pregnancy—especially in the second and third trimesters, when growth accelerates. Without enough protein, the body simply doesn’t have what it needs to build a healthy placenta or ensure optimal fetal development.

One 2022 study found that mothers who increased their protein intake—especially from animal and whole-food sources—had a significantly reduced risk of low birth weight and intrauterine growth restriction. Just a small increase in the percentage of calories from protein made a measurable difference.

This is the quiet power of nourishment: not loud or flashy, but foundational.

🌿 Protein and Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a condition marked by high blood pressure and signs of organ stress during pregnancy. While it can’t be fully predicted, emerging research suggests that nutritional support—especially with adequate protein and minerals like calcium and magnesium—may reduce the risk.

Protein plays a key role in maintaining healthy blood vessels and fluid balance, both of which are crucial in avoiding high blood pressure complications. Some researchers have even proposed that low dietary protein may impact the liver’s ability to produce certain proteins that regulate vascular tone and immune function—adding another layer to the connection between nourishment and prevention.

While more research is still being done, what we do know is this: giving your body what it needs before problems arise is one of the most empowered steps you can take.

🌿 Protein and Gestational Diabetes

Blood sugar balance is a delicate dance during pregnancy. Many women notice that they feel more sensitive to sugar, experience stronger cravings, or feel energy crashes between meals. These can all be signs that the body is asking for more stability—and protein can help provide it.

When eaten consistently throughout the day, protein helps:

Stabilize blood sugar levels
Slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream
Increase feelings of fullness, reducing overeating or crashes

Some studies have even found that pregnant women who consume more protein—especially at breakfast—may have a lower risk of developing gestational diabetes. That said, it’s not about obsessing over macronutrients. It’s about learning to eat in a way that feels grounding, balanced, and truly sustaining.

In the next section, we’ll explore what a day of eating might look like when aiming for 100–120 grams of protein—not to overwhelm, but to inspire and offer gentle direction.

What 120 Grams of Protein Can Look Like

Numbers can feel heavy. Rigid. But nourishment is not about perfection—it’s about rhythm, presence, and trust.

If your intention is to welcome more protein into your days, it can be helpful to have a gentle picture of what that might look like. Not as a rulebook, but as a guidepost—a way to root yourself in care without falling into overwhelm.

Here’s a sample day that adds up to around 110–120 grams of protein, using whole, nourishing foods that many women already enjoy.

✨ Sample Day of Intuitive, High-Protein Eating

🌞 Morning Nourishment

3 eggs scrambled with spinach and olive oil (18g)
1 slice sprouted grain toast with butter
½ cup cottage cheese with berries and chia seeds (12g)
→ Approx. 30g

🌤 Mid-Morning Grounding

Smoothie with Greek yogurt, almond butter, banana, flax, and collagen (25g)
→ Approx. 25g

🌸 Midday Meal

Grilled chicken thigh or tempeh over a quinoa and roasted veggie bowl (25g)
→ Approx. 25g

🌿 Afternoon Snack

Hummus with seeded crackers and a hard-boiled egg (10g)
→ Approx. 10g

🌙 Evening Meal

Baked salmon or lentil stew with sweet potato and greens (25–30g)
→ Approx. 25–30g

Optional Evening Sip

Warm milk or plant-based drink with cinnamon, honey, and added collagen or hemp seeds (10g)
→ Optional 10g boost

Even plant-based eaters can reach these levels with a bit of intention: lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, edamame, nut butters, and protein-rich grains like quinoa are all beautiful allies. Seeds—like hemp, chia, and flax—add small, powerful bursts of amino acids to your meals.

This isn’t about eating perfectly. It’s about stacking small moments of care, so that over the course of the day, your body receives the steady nourishment it needs to thrive.

There may be days when you don’t hit your goal—and that’s okay. There is grace in ebb and flow. But if you begin to notice how alive and grounded you feel when your protein is steady, you’ll begin to crave that feeling of strength and centeredness—not from a place of control, but from reverence.

Choosing the Right Sources of Protein

Protein doesn’t need to come from powders or meal plans to be powerful. In fact, the most nourishing proteins often come from simple, whole foods—foods our grandmothers and great-grandmothers might have recognized. Foods that feel warm, grounding, and connected to the earth.

When choosing protein-rich foods during pregnancy, it’s less about strict categories and more about asking:
Does this food feel nourishing, balancing, and supportive to the life growing within me?

Here are some protein sources that can be woven gently and intuitively into your daily rhythm:

🌿 Whole Food Proteins

Animal-Based (complete proteins):
These foods contain all nine essential amino acids your body—and your baby—need for growth.

Eggs – nourishing, versatile, easy to digest
Greek yogurt, kefir, cheese – rich in protein and probiotics
Chicken, turkey, grass-fed beef, bison – grounding and blood-building
Wild-caught fish – especially salmon, sardines, and mackerel (also high in omega-3s)
Bone broth – deeply restorative, rich in collagen and minerals

Plant-Based (some complete, some complementary):
These are deeply nourishing, especially when combined thoughtfully.

Lentils, chickpeas, black beans – fiber-rich and stabilizing
Tofu, tempeh, edamame – excellent sources of complete plant protein
Quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat – protein-rich grains that ground and energize
Nuts, seeds, nut butters – supportive snacks that nourish the nervous system
Hemp, chia, flax – tiny but mighty, rich in protein and healthy fats

🧡 Honoring Intuition and Balance

You don’t have to choose one “camp.” Many women find that a blend of animal and plant-based proteins feels best—bringing variety, texture, and joy to their meals. Others may eat primarily plant-based for personal or spiritual reasons. With care and intention, both paths can be deeply supportive.

A few gentle guidelines:

Choose quality over perfection. A handful of almonds eaten slowly and with gratitude may serve you better than a processed protein bar eaten in stress.
Favor foods that feel grounding, not heavy. If a protein leaves you bloated or sluggish, explore alternatives—your body is wise and always speaking.
Be mindful of protein powders. While they can help fill gaps—especially during nausea or food aversions—some powders contain additives or sweeteners that may not feel good in your body. If you choose one, opt for clean, third-party tested options, and use them as a supplement—not a staple.

In the next section, we’ll explore the deeper why behind all of this: not just what protein does, but what it makes possible for your body, your birth, and your motherhood.

The Deeper Benefits: Energy, Resilience, and Postpartum Preparation

Sometimes the benefits of nourishment aren’t immediate. They unfold slowly, like a flower opening in its own time. The extra protein you offer your body today may not make itself known right away—but down the line, in labor, in breastfeeding, in postpartum healing—you may find yourself whispering, “Thank you, body. Thank you for carrying me through.”

Because protein doesn’t just grow bones and organs. It builds your resilience. It helps you feel strong, clear, and nourished in a season that asks everything of you.

✨ Energy for the Journey

Growing life is a full-time job. Even when you’re resting, your body is working—expanding your blood supply, building new cells, regulating complex hormonal processes. Protein helps keep your energy stable by:

Slowing the release of sugar into your bloodstream
Reducing the spikes and crashes that lead to exhaustion or anxiety
Supporting thyroid, adrenal, and liver function

When your blood sugar is steady, your mind is clearer. Your emotions feel more rooted. Your body has what it needs to carry the extra weight of creation.

✨ Strength for Birth

Labor is a physical, emotional, and spiritual rite of passage. It requires stamina, surrender, and trust. And while mindset and support are essential, so is physical strength.

Protein supports:

The uterus, a powerful muscle that contracts to bring your baby earthside
Your pelvic floor, which holds and releases during birth
Your tissues and skin, which stretch and open
Your ability to withstand intensity and recover quickly afterward

When you’ve been well nourished throughout pregnancy, your body walks into labor not depleted—but prepared. Not starving—but supported.

✨ Healing After Birth

Whether you birth vaginally or by cesarean, your body will call upon its deepest reserves to repair, restore, and recalibrate after birth.

Protein supports postpartum by:

Rebuilding tissues and healing wounds
Supporting milk production, which relies on amino acids
Preserving muscle mass, especially as hormones shift
Rebalancing hormones and blood sugar, which support emotional well-being

So much emphasis is placed on the baby after birth. But you matter too. The mother must be nourished if the family is to thrive. And protein is part of that mother-centered care—quiet, powerful, and absolutely essential.

Closing Thoughts: This Is Sacred Work

There is a quiet wisdom to the way you nourish yourself in pregnancy. Each meal, each bite, each pause to ask “What do I really need right now?” is a moment of devotion—to your baby, yes, but also to your own becoming.

This is sacred work.

You are not just feeding a body. You are building a nervous system. A placenta. A soul’s first home. And you are tending to yourself—your strength, your softness, your ability to walk through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum as whole and supported as possible.

Protein may seem like a clinical nutrient, just another number to track. But it is so much more than that. It is one of the purest ways to support the unfolding of life. Not in fear, but in reverence.

You don’t need to do this perfectly. You don’t need to count every gram or make every meal from scratch. But when you begin to honor your body’s deeper needs—and respond to them with love—everything begins to shift. Your energy steadies. Your mind clears. Your body begins to whisper: thank you.

So eat. Eat without guilt. Eat with pleasure. Eat with deep trust that your body is wise, that your baby is listening, and that nourishment is one of the most radical forms of self-love you can offer in this sacred season.

You are doing beautifully.

📚 Sources

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