Anyone else out there experience some serious meat aversions during their pregnancy?? I used to eat meat with almost every meal, but I could not even look at a piece of chicken without getting nauseous. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with chicken throughout my entire pregnancy and there were also times that any sort of red meat was off limits as well.

With such strong aversions I was hardly getting enough protein, so I knew I really had to be mindful of getting my protein elsewhere. This is where my smoothie comes into play.

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A post shared by Dr. Mae Hughes, pelvic floorPT (@dr.maehughes)

Whether it was after a workout or for breakfast, I made this exact smoothie almost daily throughout my entire pregnancy, and to be honest, I am still drinking it now postpartum! Turns out even though my aversions are gone, it is still difficult to get enough nutrient dense food while breastfeeding. Plus, the more one handed meal options you have postpartum the better because the opportunity to sit down for a real meal in those early months is quite rare.

What type of protein powder is safe during pregnancy?

Anytime I mention this smoothie I am always asked this question of what protein powder is safe? Luckily I stumbled across a brand called Needed that specializes in providing research-backed, women-specific supplements with a whole line of products for pregnancy. It can be so difficult to sift through all of the products and information out there about what one should and should not do during pregnancy, and Needed is a company I fully trust with my supplements. Not only do I add their collagen protein to my smoothies, but I also add their prenatal powder as well! The prenatal comes in both a powder and capsule form which I love because sometimes it’s nice to have on less pill to take and just toss the powder into my smoothie, oatmeal or coffee.

Needed discount codes:

drmaehughes for 20% off first orders or first three months subscription
drmaehughes100 for $100 total off the first three months of the Complete Plan
drmaehughessample for $10 off Sample Packs

Let’s talk about dates!

In addition to my protein powder and prenatal, I started adding 3 Medjool dates to my smoothie starting around the 36th week of pregnancy. Why you ask? Because there is a growing body of research supporting the consumption of dates to increase cervical dilation (cervix opening), reduce gestation duration and reduce duration of the first stage of labor (Nassiri et al., 2019). The research shows that consuming 6 smaller dates or 3 larger dates (70-100 grams) per day starting by at least week 36 or 37 will produce the above mentioned benefits. It is important to note that the research looked at low-risk pregnancies and did not include women with diabetes or gestational diabetes due to the large glucose levels of dates.

I found it best to chop up the 3 dates prior to putting them in the blender with the rest of the smoothie ingredients to help them blend smoother otherwise they can remain chunky.

As always, if you have more specific questions or concerns regarding this more natural method of labor induction please consult with your birth provider!

Recipe

1. 1/2 cup frozen blueberries (I get mine at Costco)
2. 2/3 frozen banana (I buy them in bulk, wait till they are ripe, divide them into thirds and then freeze)
3. 2/3 cup of water
4. handful of greens (we buy a mixed bag)
5. 1 tbsp of peanut butter or any nut butter of your choice
6. 1 serving of Needed collagen protein powder
7. 1 serving of Needed prenatal multi powder
8. Optional: 3 Medjool dates starting at week 36 of pregnancy
   
   

I am still drinking this same smoothie at 5 weeks postpartum (just without the dates) and I’m pretty sure I’ll be hooked for life!