Is bovine colostrum safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about bovine colostrum during pregnancy?

1. Bovine colostrum is compositionally different from regular cow's milk, with much higher protein and immunoglobulin content: IgG alone makes up 85 to 90% of its total immunoglobulins, which is the basis for marketing it as an immune-support supplement. 1
2. In healthy adults, colostrum doses of 20 to 40 grams a day for up to 12 weeks didn't raise blood IGF-1 levels, addressing a longstanding theoretical concern about the growth factors colostrum naturally contains. 2
3. A broader review found bovine colostrum products are generally well tolerated and nontoxic, with the most commonly reported side effects being mild digestive symptoms like gas and nausea. 3
4. Bovine colostrum contains the same allergenic milk proteins found in regular cow's milk, including casein, alpha-lactalbumin, and beta-lactoglobulin, so it carries the same cow's-milk-allergy risk that affects an estimated 2 to 3% of infants in developed countries. 4
5. Existing bovine colostrum research, including reviews of its composition and general safety, focuses on healthy adults, athletes, and pediatric or neonatal nutrition, not on pregnant or breastfeeding people specifically. 1

Is bovine colostrum safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. This is often when nausea and appetite changes make new wellness supplements tempting to try for immune support, but bovine colostrum has no dedicated first-trimester safety research to guide whether, or how much, to take.
• Second trimester. If you have a known dairy or milk-protein allergy, bovine colostrum isn't a safer swap: it contains the same casein and whey proteins found in regular cow's milk.
• Third trimester. Some people confuse bovine colostrum supplements with their own body's colostrum production, which naturally begins in the third trimester. That's a separate substance your body makes for your baby, not something a cow-derived supplement replaces or boosts.