Whey protein for breastfeeding & more: how to maximize supply

Everyone’s been talking about whey protein in the fitness and bodybuilding world. But could it also help breastfeeding moms? A great milk supply helps for a happy, healthy mom and baby. Let’s dig in and discover how whey protein can help boost your supply.

Disclaimer: I am not a dietician, and I do not claim to be one. I simply know how to read articles from people who are. 🙂 You will find links to these articles scattered all throughout this post.

Can eating enough protein boost my milk supply?

Yes! Because you are producing high-protein milk for your baby, you need to have protein in your diet. Experts recommend 17-25 extra grams of protein per day for breastfeeding moms. Eating protein can significantly boost your milk productions very quickly. I’ve personally noticed a big difference in my milk production when I’ve been intentional about getting enough protein.

Also, if you are freshly postpartum, your body needs to have enough protein to heal. Eating adequate amounts of protein can speed up wound healing and muscle recovery. After birth, your body is healing that wound in your uterus and healing strained muscles all over your body. You need protein.

What is whey protein?

Cow’s milk contains two proteins, casein and whey. Both types of proteins can be isolated and made into protein powder, but whey is much more commonly used because it’s lower in lactose. Whey is also a complete protein, which makes it ideal for repairing and building muscle.

You can read this article for more in-depth information.

Whey protein powder is an easy way to add protein to your diet if you are struggling to get enough protein in your diet.

Is whey protein dangerous?

Like many things, if whey protein is taken in high doses, yes, it can be dangerous. This article states that if you have a crazy high protein intake, protein can damage your kidneys and cause abdominal pain, nausea, headaches, and fatigue. But that’s only if you’re taking super, super high doses.

In my experience, most American women, especially breastfeeding moms, have a hard time getting enough protein in their diets. So supplementing protein can be really helpful.

Also, protein powders aren’t regulated by the FDA. So they’re not subject to the same level of testing as other supplements. Testing has found heavy metals in some protein powder. However, researchers from this 2020 study determined that the levels of heavy metals found in protein powder are not high enough to be harmful.

It’s still something to be aware of, though. Make sure you’re buying your protein powder from a source you can trust, or make your own!

I also want to mention that many people use protein powder as a meal replacement when they’re losing weight. Yes, using whey protein in place of a meal cuts calories and helps with weight loss. That’s not what I’m recommending here. As a breastfeeding mama, you do need calories to keep your milk supply up. Whey protein can be helpful as a supplement to your regular diet, or as a replacement for some snacks. It should never be used to replace meals if you’re breastfeeding.

Finally, some people are allergic to whey protein or may be sensitive to the small amount of lactose in whey protein. If that’s you, please don’t take it. 🙂

How do I know if I need to supplement with protein powder?

Calculate your daily protein intake!

Recommended protein intake for me, as a postpartum, breastfeeding mom, is 80-100 grams/day. The USDA has a handy calculator where you can plug in your height, weight, breastfeeding/pregnancy status, etc. to see how much protein you need, among other nutrients. This is a great reference point.

Then, track how much you’re eating during the day. I will often google something like “how much protein in greek yogurt” to get a rough estimate of how much protein I’m getting. Here’s what today looked like for me:

So, today, I’m getting 88g protein in without needing any supplementation. But if we were having a meatless dinner tonight, I’d probably need to have some extra protein. If I had accidentally skipped breakfast, I’d need to add in some protein.

You’ll probably only need to track what you eat for a couple of days, and then you’ll have a good idea of what an appropriate protein diet looks like for you. It can be overwhelming at first, but it gets easier.

Easy ways to add protein to your diet

If you decide that you would like to add protein to your diet, there are several easy ways to do that. You can buy protein powder almost anywhere. Just make sure that you’ve done your research, like we mentioned earlier.

Alternatively, you can make your own protein powder! Protein powder can get really expensive. If you aren’t able to spend the money, you can easily make your own a fraction of the price. Here’s my recipe for homemade protein powder.

Finally, focus on protein-rich snacks. For example, 1 cup of almonds has 30 g of protein. That’s almost as much as a serving of meat! Greek yogurt, tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and beef jerky are other easy, quick ways to add protein to your diet if you’re on-the-go.

Also, eating enough protein can get expensive if you’re on a tight budget. It’s good to remember that if you’re able to keep your milk supply up, you are saving so much money just by not having to supplement with formula. And it’s so much better for your baby!

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out my easy recipe for protein powder! Let me know if you tried this in the comments.