As far as I am aware, the protein needs for a mother who is pregnant are +30 grams per day. For breastfeeding, the needs are +20 grams per day. That is a whopping 50 grams per day, easily consumed by eating an additional 7 ounces of lean meat, fish or other protein. Of course that assumes that she is only eating the required 44 gm protein per day for an adult woman. When I plan 1200 cal diets, most people get at least 60-70 grams protein per day and that is not even trying to boost it. 90 grams protein, total, is very easy to get in the American diet. Furthermore, since roughly 50% of protein needs are met daily from shed cells inside the GI tract, a mother would have to be very deficient to fail to meet her needs. The most important thing in meeting protein needs is to get adequate non-protein calories so that protein can be used for anabolism rather than burned as fuel. The "adequate diet" that WIC uses as a measuring stick (4 servings milk, 6 oz meat, 6 servings grain, 5 servings fruit & veg) provides 100 grams of protein!! Sounds like one more case of "When in doubt, make it up." Martha Brower RD LD IBCLC (queen of nutrition trivia)