When to start protein powder during pregnancy

According to UCSF Beninoff Children’s hospital, proteins should comprise 20-25% of your total calorie intake during pregnancy. However, it varies depending on your pre-pregnancy weight, with underweight women requiring more protein than women who fall in the normal weight category. Protein intake may also increase linearly during your pregnancy journey. An article published in the journal Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, an average increase of 0.9g/Kg body weight/day and about 1.0g/ Kg body weight/day is needed during the second and third trimester of pregnancy.
Though if you are a vegetarian or a vegan, it is hard to obtain all of this protein from dietary sources alone, instead, it is compensated for, through a protein powder.
Your gynecologists may recommend up to 2 teaspoons of protein powder to be taken once or twice a day with milk if you are underweight or have an otherwise poor dietary protein intake. If you don’t like the taste of protein powder you can put it in smoothies or shakes. If it's your first pregnancy, make sure to discuss with your doctor if you need protein powder supplementation.

Protein powder consumption is completely safe during pregnancy if your doctor has recommended you so. However, it is important to keep in mind the following points regarding it:

• Check labels before buying any kind of supplement. Consumption of artificial protein may not prove to be a good decision. Instead, look for  plant or animal-based protein powders
• Make sure to check for all the ingredients in the protein powder. It should not have added sugars or preservatives
• Also, verify with your doctor before having any protein supplements to avoid consumption of any wrong ingredient
• Do not take protein powder in a higher dose or for longer than what your doctor recommended for
• Also, make sure that any ingredient you are allergic to is not present in the protein powder 

This is another important question that most pregnant mothers have. Well, there is no exact time to start having protein supplements during pregnancy. In fact, if you are underweight, you need to start taking a protein-rich diet or protein supplements even before conceiving. Ideally, before conceiving, it is important to take 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight. This means if your weight is 60 kg, you need to take 60*0.8= 48 grams of protein daily. Irrespective of body weight, you should consume at least 40 grams of protein per day at least. This intake is then increased during pregnancy as per the doctor’s recommendation.
Moreover, you should also have some dose of protein even after delivery during your lactation period. This will not just provide nourishment to the child during breastfeeding but also will help you to recover fast after delivery.