How to Find the Best Postpartum Protein Powder

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Dietitian’s guide on how to find the best postpartum protein powder.

Discover how to safely supplement postpartum protein intake.

Last Updated
Jan 22, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Kayla Kamen, MS, RD

Kayla Kamen is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Fossett, PA-C

Jennifer Fossett is a Physician Assistant with a BA in Nutritional Sciences.

Protein Powder for Postpartum

Is Protein Powder Good for the Postpartum Period?

Postpartum is the time after childbirth.

During this period, daily activities include breastfeeding and caring for a newborn.

It follows that eating a balance of healthy, nutrient-rich foods is important as nutrients are transferred from the mother to the infant through breast milk.

For many new mothers, however, the desire to lose the baby weight can take precedence over eating foods that support milk production.

A low carb diet is usually the go-to weight loss strategy, but it is not recommended, not just for milk production, but also for recovery and hormone regulation.

Modestly reducing calorie intake, on the other hand, can be a great way to jumpstart weight loss efforts without compromising your or your baby’s health.

And increasing the percentage of your calories that come from protein can help with this process because:

• Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, meaning it can curb cravings and overeating (Am J Clin Nutr, 2008).
• Eating protein increases thermogenesis, or your energy expenditure (J Am Coll Nutr, 2004).
• When strength training, eating protein helps you build muscle, and people with more muscle have faster metabolisms (Nutrients, 2019).

Basically, a high protein diet can help you lose weight at a safe rate.

And if you struggle to get enough protein from foods like eggs and meat, adding a protein powder to your diet might be a great idea.

How Much Protein Do I Need in the Postpartum Period?

Breastfeeding moms need extra nutrients to support postpartum recovery and milk production.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, most moms should consume about 71 grams of protein per day while breastfeeding (Annu Rev Nutr, 1997), which is about 30% more protein than what they would normally need.

Again, if you are struggling to eat this extra protein, adding protein powder to smoothies, oatmeal, and other recipes can help you bridge the gap.

That said, not all protein powders are created equal.

What Is the Best Postpartum Protein Powder?

Many protein powders contain ingredients known to cause painful side effects for moms and possibly long-term health problems for infants.

Among these ingredients are food additives, dairy-based proteins, protein concentrates and isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, and other additives can not only upset your stomach, but also alter the composition of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in gut bacteria, which is associated with poor infant gut health (Microorganisms, 2022; Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol, 2021).

Poor infant gut health, in turn, is linked to increased risk of metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes (Diabetologia, 2016).

⚠️ Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein supplements:

• acacia fiber
• acacia gum
• acesulfame potassium
• artificial flavors
• ascorbic acid
• aspartame
• calcium carbonate
• carrageenan
• cellulose gum
• dextrin
• dicalcium phosphate
• dipotassium phosphate
• erythritol
• gellan gum
• guar gum
• gum arabic
• inulin
• locust bean gum
• maltitol
• maltodextrin
• mono- and diglycerides
• ‘natural’ flavors
• rice bran extract
• rice dextrin
• rice hulls
• rosemary extract
• silica
• silicon dioxide
• sodium alginate
• soluble corn fiber
• sorbitol
• soy lecithin
• sucralose
• sunflower lecithin
• tocopherols
• tricalcium phosphate
• xanthan gum
• xylitol
• zinc oxide

As a rule of thumb, if you cannot find it in nature or make it at home, it is probably a food additive.

🚫 Avoid Dairy-Based Proteins

Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, although not an issue for everyone, can cause digestive issues.

This is usually because they contain lactose, a sugar many individuals with sensitive stomachs cannot fully digest.

But you might be sensitive to dairy-based proteins even if you are not lactose intolerant.

This is particularly true for casein protein, which forms a gel-like substance in your stomach that slows down digestion.

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

You might also want to avoid ultra-processed protein concentrates and isolates.

Most protein supplements are made from one or both of these ultra-processed protein sources, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein.

This includes the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help your gut break them down.

You therefore do not digest them in the same way that you do whole foods, which could affect your gut health.

Studies show that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Nutrients, 2018; Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

You should thus look for protein supplements made from whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds, which are easier to digest and absorb.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Sources

1. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr). Protein, weight management, and satiety. 2008.
2. Journal of the American College of Nutrition (J Am Coll Nutr). The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review. 2004.
3. Nutrients (Nutrients). Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit. 2019.
4. Annual Review of Nutrition (Annu Rev Nutr). Energy and protein requirements during lactation. 1997.
5. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
6. Microorganisms (Microorganisms). Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis: Triggers, Consequences, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options. 2022.
7. The Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases & Medical Microbiology = Journal Canadien des Maladies Infectieuses et de la Microbiologie Médicale (Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol). The Intestinal Dysbiosis of Mothers with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) and Its Impact on the Gut Microbiota of Their Newborns. 2021.
8. Diabetologia (Diabetologia). Microbial transmission from mothers with obesity or diabetes to infants: an innovative opportunity to interrupt a vicious cycle. 2016.
9. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
10. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (Mol Nutr Food Res). In Vitro Fermentation of Animal and Plant Protein Isolates by the Human Gut Microbiota Under High and Low Carbohydrate Conditions. 2024.

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This article was written by a Registered Dietitian and reviewed by a Physician Assistant. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.