Can you take collagen while pregnant?

Yes. In general, collagen is safe during pregnancy when used responsibly and with professional guidance. Collagen is a structural protein that plays a crucial role in skin, joints, bones, and connective tissue. During pregnancy, the skin stretches, ligaments loosen, and protein needs rise so many pregnant women consider a collagen supplement to support skin elasticity and joint comfort. Below is a practical, evidence-informed overview you can review with your OB/GYN or prenatal RD.

Quick answer

Yes, you can take collagen supplements during pregnancy, preferably hydrolyzed collagen peptides, which are generally well tolerated and provide key amino acids (glycine, proline, hydroxyproline). Precautions:

• • Clinician check-in: Personalize use with your OB/GYN or RD to support a healthy pregnancy.
  • Quality matters: Choose third-party-tested products (NSF/USP/Informed Choice) and verify sourcing.
  • Allergens & origin: If you have fish/shellfish or egg allergies, confirm the collagen source and label.
  • Dose & context: Keep servings moderate and treat collagen as a complement to a food-first plan; don’t let it displace complete proteins or your prenatal vitamin.
  • Watch for side effects: Stop and consult your clinician if you notice GI side effects (e.g., nausea, bloating).

What collagen does in pregnancy

• Collagen plays a structural role throughout the body. At the maternal–fetal interface, collagen is abundant in the extracellular matrix and is actively remodeled to support a healthy pregnancy. This basic biology underscores why collagen is essential for tissues adapting to pregnancy, even though supplement trials are scarce.
• Collagen is protein. Pregnancy raises protein needs (about 60–71 g/day depending on the guideline and body size). You can meet this mainly through food; collagen peptides can contribute but remember collagen isn’t a complete protein (it’s low in tryptophan), so it should supplement, not replace, balanced protein sources.
• Amino acids matter. Glycine, abundant in collagen, may become conditionally indispensable in late gestation, which partly explains interest in collagen’s role during pregnancy protein planning.

Potential benefits of collagen in pregnancy (and what we know)

Evidence in pregnant populations is limited; most data are mechanistic or extrapolated from non-pregnant adults.

• Skin & connective tissue: Collagen helps skin resist stretching by supporting elastin and structural proteins. Many people take it hoping it maintains skin elasticity as the abdomen grows. While some adult trials (not specific to pregnancy) show improved skin hydration/elasticity with hydrolyzed collagen peptides, pregnancy-specific RCTs are lacking.
• Joints & comfort: As weight and laxity increase, some expectant parents use peptides for perceived joint support. Observational sources report tolerability, but rigorous trials in pregnancy are minimal.
• Gut health: Collagen provides amino acids (e.g., glycine, glutamine) involved in gut barrier proteins. Claims about gut health improvements remain theoretical in pregnancy—discuss any GI symptoms with your clinician.

Bottom line: Collagen may help some people feel better as skin stretches and tissues adapt, but high-quality pregnancy trials are sparse. Use it as a small part of a food-first plan.

Is collagen safe during pregnancy?

• Supplement regulation & quality: In the U.S., collagen powders are dietary supplements, not drugs. Quality varies. Federal reviews of prenatal supplements found trace heavy metals in some products levels were low, but the finding reinforces choosing third-party-tested brands and avoiding unnecessary additives.
• Allergies & ingredients: If you’re allergic to beef, pork, fish, or eggs, avoid collagen sourced from those animals.
• Common side effects: Mild GI symptoms (nausea, bloating, changes in stool) can occur and may overlap with normal pregnancy symptoms. Stop if you notice reactions and call your provider.
• Medication interactions: Collagen is food-derived protein; direct interactions are unlikely, but flavored/fortified powders may contain sweeteners, botanicals, or added nutrients that could conflict with your prenatal plan review with your OB or RD.

How to choose and use hydrolyzed collagen peptides

If you and your clinician decide to try collagen:

1. Pick the right type: Choose hydrolyzed collagen peptides (smaller fragments that mix easily).
2. Look for testing: Prefer NSF, USP, or Informed Choice–tested products to reduce contamination risk.
3. Keep servings modest: Typical servings are 5–15 g/day. Count this toward your protein goal; it should not displace balanced meals or your prenatal vitamin.
4. Scan the label: Avoid unnecessary botanicals, megadoses of vitamins, or sugar alcohols that can worsen GI symptoms.
5. Monitor symptoms: If you notice side effects, stop and consult your clinician.

Food-first strategy (with or without collagen)

Most pregnant women can meet protein and micronutrient needs with a food-first pattern plus a standard prenatal vitamin:

• Protein: Aim near 60–71 g/day, spread across meals (eggs, dairy/yogurt, poultry, fish, legumes, tofu, nuts). Collagen can fill a small gap, but whole-food protein delivers the complete amino acids profile.
• Micronutrients: Follow your provider’s guidance on prenatal vitamins (folate/iron/IOM targets).

Collagen production: what it means in pregnancy

During pregnancy, your body is constantly remodeling connective tissue to support the uterus, placenta, and skin as it expands. That remodeling depends on collagen production, a process where your cells assemble procollagen and then stabilize it steps that require vitamin C–dependent enzymes (prolyl and lysyl hydroxylases)

Adequate vitamin C and overall protein intake help your body synthesize and maintain collagen, which may indirectly support skin elasticity as the skin stretches and tissues adapt to gestation. While this is strong basic biology, clinical trials specifically measuring collagen synthesis outcomes from supplementation in pregnancy are limited, so decisions should still be individualized with your OB/RD.

FAQs

Is there a proven benefit of collagen during pregnancy?

High-quality pregnancy-specific RCTs are still lacking. However, foundational research shows collagen is abundant at the maternal–fetal interface and plays a crucial role in tissue structure and immune tolerance.

In non-pregnant adults, meta-analyses of hydrolyzed collagen peptides report modest improvements in skin hydration and elasticity findings that are biologically plausible for pregnancy but not yet confirmed by pregnancy RCTs. In short, current data suggest that collagen may help some people feel better as tissues stretch, but definitive pregnancy outcomes (e.g., fewer stretch marks, less joint pain) remain unproven.

Which form is best?

Look for hydrolyzed collagen peptides; these smaller peptide fragments mix well and are the form used in most trials showing skin benefits in adults. Choose third-party-tested products (e.g., NSF/USP/Informed Choice) to reduce contamination risk and review ingredients with your prenatal clinician.

Are there side effects?

Most reports note mild GI symptoms (bloating, nausea, stool changes) in a subset of users; serious events are rare. People with fish, bovine, or porcine allergies should avoid those sources. As with any supplement in pregnancy, start low, monitor tolerance, and stop if symptoms occur.

Does collagen help when my skin stretches?

Collagen is a structural protein that maintains skin elasticity and dermal integrity. Adult trials (not in pregnancy) show small but consistent improvements in skin hydration and elasticity with peptide supplements. That said, preventing striae is complex evidence for any intervention (even topical products) so focus on overall nutrition, steady weight gain, and gentle skin care alongside any collagen supplement you and your provider approve.

How does collagen fit my protein goal?

Collagen is protein rich in amino acids like glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, but it’s not a complete protein. Count it toward your daily protein target (set with your clinician), while prioritizing a food-first pattern (eggs, dairy/yogurt, poultry, fish, legumes, tofu, nuts). This balances gut health, micronutrients, and complete amino acid profiles.

Is collagen safe during pregnancy?

Data specific to collagen supplements during pregnancy are limited, but peptides are generally well tolerated. Because supplements vary in quality, select reputable, third-party-tested brands and avoid added herbal blends or megadose vitamins/minerals unless prescribed. Always clear new supplements with your OB/GYN or a prenatal RD as part of a personalized plan for a healthy pregnancy.

Conclusion

Collagen plays a crucial role in skin and connective tissue biology, and early evidence suggests that collagen peptides are generally well tolerated. Still, data on collagen supplements during pregnancy are limited.

If you choose to use a collagen supplement, favor hydrolyzed collagen peptides, verify third-party testing, watch for side effects, and keep your food-first approach and prenatal vitamins at the center of your plan. When in doubt, ask your OB/GYN or a prenatal registered dietitian to personalize the approach for a healthy pregnancy.

References

• ACOG. (n.d.). Nutrition during pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
• Derrow Dermatology. (2024). Can you drink collagen while pregnant?
• GAO. (2024). Prenatal supplements: Amounts of some key nutrients vary; testing found trace heavy metals in selected products (GAO-24-106689).
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. (2025). Dietary supplements and life stages: Pregnancy (health professional fact sheet).
• Perez-Sanchez, A. C., et al. (2020). Safety concerns of skin, hair and nail supplements in pregnancy. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology, 6(5), 326–332.
• Shi, J.-W., et al. (2020). Collagen at the maternal-fetal interface in human pregnancy. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 150, 505–516.
• Verywell Health. (2020). Benefits of hydrolyzed collagen and how to use it.
• Genesis OBGYN. (2025). Can you take collagen while pregnant?