Protein Needs During Pregnancy — 1.1 g/kg a Day

Pregnancy raises the protein RDA from 0.8 to 1.1 g per kilogram of body weight per day, and the Dietary Reference Intakes publish the same recommendation as an absolute 71 g/day. Enter your weight below with the pregnancy goal selected to see your own figure in grams.

The two numbers, and which one is yours

The DRI tables carry both a per-kilogram RDA and a flat gram figure for pregnancy, which is why searches turn up “1.1 g/kg” and “71 grams” as if they competed. They do not. The 71 g/day line is the per-kilogram RDA applied to a reference body weight, so it describes a specific woman rather than every woman.

Use the flat number as a rule of thumb and the per-kilogram number when your weight is not near that reference. At 150 lb the two nearly coincide; at 200 lb they do not.

Pre-pregnancy weight	In kilograms	At 1.1 g/kg
130 lb	59.0 kg	65 g/day
150 lb	68.0 kg	75 g/day
170 lb	77.1 kg	85 g/day
190 lb	86.2 kg	95 g/day
210 lb	95.3 kg	105 g/day

The conversion is the step to be careful with: pounds ÷ 2.205 = kilograms. A 150 lb reader who multiplies 150 by 1.1 lands on 165 g, which is not a pregnancy recommendation, it is a forgotten unit. If you want the arithmetic laid out in more detail, the protein per kg of body weight page does nothing else.

What the extra protein is paying for

The NASEM review that carries these values shows the requirement built from two parts: 0.66 g/kg/day for maintenance, the amount any adult body needs, plus 0.22 g/kg/day for growth and tissue deposition during pregnancy. Those add to an estimated average requirement of 0.88 g/kg/day, and the RDA of 1.1 g/kg is the figure set above it to cover the variation between individuals.

That deposition term is what makes the second and third trimesters the demanding ones. Fetal tissue, the placenta, the expanding uterus and the increase in maternal blood volume are all protein being laid down, and most of that happens in the second half.

Breastfeeding raises the per-kilogram figure further, to an RDA of 1.3 g/kg/day — the DRI keeps 71 g/day as the absolute value for lactation as well.

Why 1.1 g/kg can look low next to the general advice

A reader who checks the general protein page will notice something odd: the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines set a goal of 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg per day for the population at large, which is above the 1.1 g/kg pregnancy RDA. That is not a contradiction, it is two different kinds of number sitting side by side.

The 1.1 g/kg figure is a requirement — the amount calculated to cover maintenance plus fetal tissue deposition for nearly every pregnancy. The 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg figure is a goal for habitual intake, and the Guidelines do not suspend it during pregnancy; their pregnancy section names iron, folate and iodine as the priorities and does not restate a protein number at all.

The practical reading: 1.1 g/kg is the line you should not fall below, not a ceiling to stop at. Where you land between the requirement and the general goal is a question for your prenatal team, who are also tracking your weight gain and your total calories.

Reaching it without overthinking it

The increase over the pre-pregnancy RDA is around 20 g a day. In practice that is a container of Greek yogurt and an egg, or an extra serving of beans at dinner, not a redesigned diet. Spreading protein across three to five meals is easier on a stomach dealing with nausea or early fullness than trying to eat it all at once.

Food safety carries more weight in pregnancy than protein arithmetic does: cook eggs and meat through, and skip unpasteurized dairy. Those are the rules that change during pregnancy, while the gram target is a straightforward step up.

Your prenatal team sets the real target, adjusting for pre-pregnancy weight, weight gain so far, and any complication. If you also want a weight check, the pregnancy BMI calculator uses pre-pregnancy weight, and the protein calculator covers every other stage of life.

This content is informational and does not replace the medical care of your prenatal team.