The best, bump-safe protein powder on the market for pregnant women. Protein shakes are important tools when it comes to getting enough protein during pregnancy. As baby grows, and so does your bump, the grams of protein you need will also increase. Until recently, protein supplements weren't formulated for prenatal mamas. Protein shakes and powders were typically for the non-pregnant, non-breastfeeding fitness gurus, working hard build lean muscle mass. But, pregnancy and lactation do no mean you can't build or maintain your lean muscle mass with the help of clean and safe protein powders.
Milk Dust started as a lactation protein powder brand, and soon launched Bump Dust, the sister product specifically formulated to take the place of your prenatal vitamin, while also providing essential nutrients like protein to help meet daily protein requirements, curb cravings and help pregnant mamas stay fit and healthy all pregnancy. Bump Dust offers very important nutrients like Folate (L-methylated Folate!), Omega 3 DHA from Algae, Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 (to help with iron levels and low energy!).
These are the important nutrients that are found in a prenatal vitamin, BUT Bump Dust offers these nutrients in the highest quality possible. Many prenatal vitamins only give folic acid, which is the synthetic form of Folate, and there are many women that unkowingly can not absorb folic acid at all. The methylated folate means that the folate is activated for easier absorption. The same is with the Vitamin B12, it is methylated for easier absorption in the body, so the vitamin isn't gone to waste. You can find more details on the ingredients list below, but Bump Dust also has chromium (chelated for the highest absorption levels) which curbs carb and sugar cravings, super foods like spirulina and chlorella, as well as uterus-strengthening herbs like red raspberry leaf.
Every ingredient has been hand-picked and studied for Bump Dust, as well as sourced from the highest quality vendors, making thie the best protein powder for pregnant mamas on the market. It is a plant-based protein powder, meaning the protein source comes from various plants like chia seeds, brown rice, peas, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds. Most importantly, pea protein is the only plant-based protein that offers all the essential amino acids that animal protein offers as well. Bump Dust is a vegan protein powder comprised of whole foods, natural ingredients, tested for heavy metals, and a great way to meet your protein needs every day.
Can you take any protein powder during pregnancy?
There are many protein powders on the market, but non of them are formulated as a prenatal vitamin and protein supplement at the same time. You can easily find basic protien powders marketed to pregnant mothers, but if you look further into their nutrition facts and formulas, you may find that they offer very little for pregnancy.
As mentioned Bump Dust is formulated with very specific ingredients to nourish your bump through every trimester. Many protein powders offer a very basic nutritional profile on top of the protein blend, if any extra nutrients at all. For example, many animal-based protein powders offer very little extra vitamins and minerals because you won't find the additional vitamins in animal proteins that you will in plants. It is easier to add additional plant-based ingredients to plant-based protein blends.
When looking for a good protein powder, make sure to read the full ingredient list and nutrition facts to see what additional nutrients are included besides the minimum protien requirements.
Can protein shakes help with morning sickness?
Actually, protein shakes can help with morning sickness because often times a smoothie is easy to drink and sip on when nauseas. You can mix your Bump Dust with milk or blend with a frozen banana, and because it is sweet, it tastes like a nice milk shake, but you are getting a lot of nutrition in. Protein shakes can also be very helpful if you are having trouble eating at all. By drinking a Bump Dust shake, even if you drink it fast with a few ounces of water, you are getting all the essential folate needed in the first trimester for baby's development. Many of the prenatal vitamins with the synthetic folic acid actually make morning sickness worse because they are hard to digest.
Prenatal protein powders can be super helpful to stay nourished during pregnancy, as well as maintain your weight gain. Our founder and creator used protein powders to help her achieve a belly-only pregnancy, or basically keep from gaining lots of weight everywhere.
Benefits to taking a prenatal protein powder:
- Quick and easy way to consume protein and healthy carbohydrates in one snack or meal
- Additional vitamins and minerals are consumed
- Protein amino acids are essential for growing baby
- Pregnant mamas need lots of protein to support their body
- Protein shakes are easy on digestion for mamas who struggle with constipation, bloating or gas during pregnancy
- An affordable meal replacement option for pregnant mamas on the go, or busy with other children.
Your first step is going to be choosing a prenatal protein powder that is safe, nourishing and free of chemicals, artificial sweeteners and fillers.
Finding a quality prenatal protein powder has gotten easier as the market has expanded and more wholesome ingredients are available. Depending on your dietary needs or restriction, the biggest choice is going to be deciding between whey/casein or plant-based.
A whey protein powder is a great option if you are not sensitive to dairy. Many people are more sensitive to dairy products than they realize, so it is important to know your body really well. Also, you want to look for grass-fed whey, so you know the protein comes from healthy cows who are not fed a grain-based diet. Otherwise, you will be consuming grain-based whey. If you know you aren't sensitive to dairy, and your blood sugar is very stable, then you can look into the animal protein powders as an option. They will probaby not offer the additional nutrients, so you will need to still take your prenatal vitamin. The benefit of the animal proteins is that they often have a higher amount of protein per serving, but offer less on the full nutritional needs. All animal proteins alos offer a complete amino acid profile, which is only found in pea plant protein. Whey/Casein proteins can cause blood sugar to spike more, which isn't good if you are predisposed to or have gestational diabetes.
Bump Dust is a plant-based protein powder, free of any added sugars, made from real food sources, and also free of any artificial flavors. As a plant-based protein, most of the ingredients are organic, and because of the additional vitamins and minerals, and even phytonutrients, it is the best choice for a safe prenatal protein powder.
The founder of Milk Dust created Bump Dust while pregnant with her 4th baby, wanting the Milk Dust lactation protein powder to fit in as a prenatal vitamin and protein powder all in one. She created it with the highest quality, researched ingredients, and drank it all through her 4th pregnancy. She was able to maintain a healthy weight gain during Covid, and also lose the weight quickly after, while keeping up a healthy milk supply with Milk Dust.
Here at Milk Dust, we are proponents of plant-based prenatal protein powders. Specifically, our protein powder mostly comes from pea protein. There is a lot of research on the benefits of pea protein compared to whey protein. For example, "Pea Protein is derived from yellow peas, providing a highly digestible and bioavailable protein powder. It is 80% protein by weight, a very high ratio similar to brown rice protein. This makes it more concentrated than other vegan sources of protein such as hemp and sacha inchi. This also means it has a higher amount of amino acids than other protein sources." (source.)
Pea protein also provides Lysine, which has been shown to balance blood glucose levels, increase strength and even reduce anxiety (source). Pea protein also provides Lysine, which has been shown to balance blood glucose levels, increase strength and even reduce anxiety (source).
