Rarely is a woman more concerned with what her body needs than when she’s pregnant. We start to question and research everything, right? From swearing off turkey sandwiches to diving down the rabbit hole of prenatal supplements that make up what we lack, the stress of overthinking is real, mama.

That’s why we knew we had to introduce mamas-to-be to the science-backed and expertly-formulated protein collagen for pregnancy from Needed.

Launched by Stanford MBAs, mamas and self-professed “wellness and nutrition nerds,” Ryan Woodbury and Julie Sawaya, Needed is on a mission to provide real nutritional support for mamas and mamas-to-be. During their own pregnancies, they learned most women aren’t meeting their protein needs during pregnancy and postpartum. Not a surprise, really. According to their research, 97% of mamas-to-be take a prenatal supplement, yet 95% are deficient in key nutrients. Among them, protein.

Protein is key for the important jobs of blood sugar management, minimizing nausea, and growing baby’s cells and the placenta, and you need more of it throughout pregnancy. Pretty important, right?

Even so, chasing down protein-based foods can get exhausting. Enter: Needed Collagen Protein. The tasteless, ethically sourced and easy-to-use collagen protein powder not only provides the necessary protein but the added benefits of collagen as well, supporting joints, pelvic floor tissue and healthy skin stretching and may even help prevent tearing. Made up of hydrolyzed bovine collagen, it’s most similar to the natural collagen in our bodies making it easy to digest and absorb. It slips, completely unnoticed, into smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal—even soup so you barely even have to think about what’s on the menu for the day.

As an added bonus, you might even notice improvements in your hair and nails which, as nearly every mama knows, can really be put through the wringer throughout pregnancy. (And, as always, be sure to talk to your doctor before adding supplements to your diet during pregnancy.)