Protien Shakes?

I read a couple of places online that some twin moms to be drank a protien shake everyday of their pregnancy. They swear that it made the babies birth weights higher. After talking w/ my OB she said I could try it and see. These things taste horrible! Anyone else know anything about this? I know that the body uses protien to grow tissue, but also know that Too Much protien is hard on the kidneys. Just wondering if the outcome is worth the awful taste.

Angie
14w 1day- ?/? twins
mother of Zane 8, Megan 6, Madalynn 2

 

I read a couple of places online that some twin moms to be drank a protien shake everyday of their pregnancy. They swear that it made the babies birth weights higher. After talking w/ my OB she said I could try it and see. These things taste horrible! Anyone else know anything about this? I know that the body uses protien to grow tissue, but also know that Too Much protien is hard on the kidneys. Just wondering if the outcome is worth the awful taste.

Angie
14w 1day- ?/? twins
mother of Zane 8, Megan 6, Madalynn 2

 

Try the Boost or Ensure High Protein shakes...they taste alright. I drank 3 a day from 28 weeks til delivery. I think it helps, especially when you get towards the end, and either don't feel like eating, or just can't...

 

I've been having a Boost a day since about week 7 - they're nasty. There's no getting around it. BUT I was very petite to begin with, and in the first trimester, i was also pretty nauseous with no appetite, so sucking one or two of those things down everyday made me feel like i was giving the babies SOMETHING. My doc eventually said I didn't have to continue drinking them, but now I'm too nervous to stop. If it helps, I'm still small, but the babies are growing quite nicely.

Try them super cold and very well shaken - that seems to help a little.

 

I drink boost b/c I am just to lazy to make my own right now, but you can try making your own instead.
Someone posted about this awhile back, I think they used milk, yogurt, favorite fruit, whey powder, etc. mixed in a blender
you can experiment with your ingredients, I used to make one using a little soft tofu which doesn't really taste like anything but makes the shake thicker and gives it an added boost of protein.

HTH

Alyson

 

I drank the protein shakes at the beginning too, especially when I couldn't stand to eat anything at all. You really have to experiment with which ones you like. But, since I read up on the potential dangers of soy to fetuses and to newborns, my DH and I decided not to risk it and I've stopped drinking them. I just added more protein to my diet. My babies have measured ahead of the curve the whole time.

Here is a link to a series of articles about soy. I don't necessarily share the author's political viewpoints, but he has real references to back up the scientific info in the articles. The trouble with soy For me, it seems we just don't know yet enough about the long term effects for me to feed it to my babies.

HTH! Laura

Oh, and here's another page that has some good info on soy and babies.

 

I've been eating 2 protein BARS a day at the recommendation of the doctor...when I came close to failing the 3 hour glucose, he said 6 small high protein meals a day, and when I asked if protein shakes would be good, he said protein bars are a good alternative. I found some at Costco that have 16 grams of protein, and taste more like a candy bar, so it's a nice mid-morning and mid-afternoon treat!

 

I hope y'all don't mind me popping in. I've not been on this board in a while.

I never did any protein shakes or anything like that. I did however drink a TON of water daily and I religiously had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast every day with my prenatal vitamins!

I did try to eat lots of protein any time I could, so if you feel like your not getting enough in your normal diet, definitely do the shake! Or something like that. If you are getting plenty of protein in your diet, you don't need to feel pressured to do more unless there's a problem with your babies' growth.

My girls were 7.2 and 9.1 at 37w4d, I never had even one shake.

 

My dr. recmd. "Bioplex Nutrition Pure WPI Whey Protein Isolate". I had to get it at a health food store. I WOULD NOT have survived w/o it b/c I could barely eat anything in the beg. of pregnancy. It comes in natural, chocolate and strawberry. I did the choc. mixed in a blender w/ milk and icecream to make it like a shake. It was pretty good.

 

Thanks all, I've been using whey protein powder from gnc, vanilla kind. It is just soooo gross! I'm a smallish mom, only about 5'1" and skinny. I have a harder time gaining weight. yes, this can be a blessing, but not during pregnancy.
Angie
14w 1day- ?/? twins
mother of Zane 8, Megan 6, Madalynn 2

 

Try Protein Delight. I buy it online and love it!!!

 

I also eat protein bars, there are some that have up to 20g of protein and not too much sugar.

 

Ensure Chocolate is the only one that I think taste good!

 

Like someone else already stated, I highly suggest the "Bioplex 100% Whey Protein". My perinatologist put me on it at about week 15 because I wasn't gaining much weight and my babies had dropped in their weight percentile. I still use it twice a day and have gained weight since. I make a fruit smoothie in the morning with it adding fruit, orange juice, and yogurt and make milkshakes in the evening with it adding fruit. It was recommended over the Boost or Ensure because it doesn't have all the other stuff in it.

 

Every protein powder I've ever tried had an off taste, but mixing it with some frozen fruit and/or bananas and/or juice makes a big difference. My daily recipe is half a cup of frozen berries, half a cup of yogurt, the powder, and as much liquid - either skim milk or juice - as the powder recommends. The berries keep it cold, which really helps with the taste. I avoid soy and stick to whey for now, although my favorite of all time was something called Spirutein.

Also, besides keeping the Boost or Ensure cold, add ice. I kind of liked what it did to the texture.

 

It might sound strange, but I have been drinking Slimfast low carb shakes. They have 20 grams of protein, not a lot of sugar, a bunch of other vitamins, and don't taste too bad. At my last ultrasound (a few days ago, I was 33 weeks 1 day), the babies measured 5 lb 4 oz and 5 lb 7 oz. The average weight for this week is about 4 lb 10 oz. I'm thinking the last few weeks of shakes has helped up their weights. Of course the real test will be when they are born... the u/s weights aren't always accurate.
Helen

 

I drank the Boost high protein and I liked them. I did not like the Ensure ones though so try different ones to find one you like. I definitely feel they helped my babies grow bigger faster. They were 4 weeks early and were 6lbs and 6lbs 11oz. My singletons were 7lbs 11oz and 7lbs 4oz at 39 weeks. I think these guys would have been close to 9 lbs if I had gone 4 more weeks. I have heard the shakes help maintain the placenta too, especially if you have ID and only 1 placenta.

 

Just a quick note here my dad is a hobby farmer. Five years ago when he bought his farm the soil content was 0 (no trace elements, no vitamins/minerals nothing) At the beginning of last year he had the soil retested and after much expense (because he can) there is finally some nutrition in the soil. So I can just about guarantee that unless you take supplements and protein in supplement form you will not be getting what you're body needs and having twins will be especially taxing on any reserves you do have. Don't stop taking your supplements just because someone got greedy and decided to print a sensational article to sell a few lousy papers. I sell protein shakes/supplements and I have nearly six beautiful healthy children.

BTW homosexuality is a choice...not a gene and most of the time it has to do with upbringing and it can be reversed. I have three sons who all consume soy and they all have different personalities...one is more like his dad (quite and shy) and if he was sent to school, he would most likely be branded as homosexual by other students (he's 3 at the moment.) My husband decided that he didn't want to be a man, because his dad was a tyrant and if that is manhood he wanted no part of it...and he's not the only man I know who has been saved from this perversion. To this you can say what you like we're all entitled to our own opinions.

Hayley xx

 

I am totally speechless...

 

I am certainly not clear on the connection between homosexuality and protein shakes, and how that relates to twin pregnancy.

So back to the topic of the original poster...I could not drink protein shakes. They made me want to gag, which would lead to other things with my sensative stomach! Instead, I was put on a high protein diet and ate lots of protein-rich foods. I gave birth to two healthy babies. Even though they were early, they needed no NICU time. I did everything I could to make them healthy. Protein shakes were not one of them. But they ARE here, and they are HEALTHY.

 

Commenting on the original post only. Even with all the tricks of eating high protein foods (nuts, cheese, meats, cottage cheese, peanut butter) there is no way I'm getting anywhere close to the reccomended 80 g of protein a day. Just look at everything you eat in a day and do the math. My doctor suggested when she saw that my twins share a placenta that I should boost my diet with protein shakes. She suggested I go to a nutrion store and ask for protein powder. I came out with whey based protein powder, low in sugar, chocolate powder. When added to milk, I get 40 grams in a large glass of milk-very tasty and no off taste at all. My doctor made no mention of soy vs whey protein.

Becky
id twin dd 6/2

 

I drink the chocolate or vanilla low sugar boost shakes. I put it in the blender with a banana and a little milk, four ice cubes and a bunch of kale or other greens and mix it up. I don't get enough veggies and you can't even taste them plus the banana makes the shake better!
Jen

 

I gained a total of 21 lbs during this pg and of that, my babies weighed 3 lbs each at 27wks. I drink Boost with the extra Protein, I don't really like the vanilla flavor at all but DS likes it so he drinks those. They are on sale at Target with the addtl 2 free. I also use Nature's Plus Spiru-tein Shake Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, which is better, has no fat and 100% vitamins rather than 25%with Boost. I really like it, so does DS. I add it to the blender with ice, milk and peanut butter. It tastes so great! In the beginning make it with a little less powder than rec to get used to it if you think you may not like it. I just bought a Braun PowerMax Jug Blender, Model MX2050-WH, because I plan on making the twins formula in there......so it was fun to be able to use it for the protein shakes. This blender is the most powerful, I love it!

 

Protein shakes are MOST important for Identical twin pregnancies sharing a placenta to reduce the risks of TTTS.

All pregnancies (including singletons) can benefit from extra protein. (and of course overall good nutrition and suppliments).

 

Safari, that is really good to know, I had no idea.

 

Has anybody tried the Carnation Instant Breakfasts? Says with milk they give 25% of rda of protein? A nurse suggested those to me.

 

They taste really good and have the same about the same amount of protein as Boost and Ensure Protein,,,,,although the Carnation shakes have double the amount of sugar. Althgouh, I am very impressed with Carnation Instant breakfast except for the sugar content.

 

I do the carnation instant breakfasts daily, they taste really good and they do not contain soy. The sugar is a little high but I figure if that is my splurge and it increases my protein it isn't that big of a deal.

 

I had Gastric Bypass surgery a little over a year ago and you have to take protein supplements after you have the surgery. The best tasting drink that I found was Matrix Perfect Chocolate. And the best protien bars are by bionutrition power crunch bars triple chocolate. I have to hide them or my husband and daughter will eat them all!! Rachel

 

It sounds like soy isn't a popular option here, but in case anyone is interested, I have been drinking the Odwalla soy protein drinks - they are 18g protein in one bottle, and it tastes really good - like a chocolate banana shake.

I am avoiding whey (and most dairy products) this pregnancy because my DD has a life threatening allergy to milk, so we don't have dairy in the house. Also hoping to avoid the same allergy in the twins...