Those Weird, Wonderful Cravings!

By Claire C. McKiernan

                Rare meat, chicken,  nuts, oysters, eggs, gallons of milk and mineral water, pounds of cabbages, apples, peaches, berries, carrots, honey dew, peppers, grapes, cucumbers, pomegranates, raw onions, tomatoes, kale, mustard greens,  and  spinach… and citrus fruit by the truckload. What is this, feeding time at the zoo?

How about if I add Chinese and Indian food, gelato, Coke, root beer, Twizzlers, kim chee, fried food, split pea soup, chunky peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with potato chips smooshed inside, dry, burned toast, yogurt, smoothies, Kashi cereal, frosted shredded wheat, milkshakes, chocolate, pickles,  ice cream, ice, miso soup, Uncrustables, and mouth-watering  grilled cheese with garlic pickles, raw onions, and spicy mustard? And for some, the irresistible smell of dirt?

Whew! Sounding more familiar? Yes, we’re discussing a day in the lives of pregnant women. For some, these foods are just a strong preference, and for others, they are overwhelming desires: If I don’t have a strawberry smoothie in the next 90 seconds I am going to FREAK OUT. Have you tasted this cucumber?!?! This is the BEST cucumber in the world!!!  I bet if I dipped this egg roll in melted chocolate, it would taste like heaven… you get the idea.

With my first pregnancy, I was super-diligent about eating healthfully, but I did find myself wanting cookies and cream flavored ice cream (a flavor I wouldn’t normally buy). Fortunately, pregnant women are very adept at rationalizing; after all, ice cream has calcium and fat, both of which the baby needs to grow properly, right? I made a homemade smoothie of yogurt, OJ, banana, and various frozen berries (blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries) every morning for months, and I ate pounds of peaches that summer. With my next two pregnancies I wanted beef and other protein-rich foods.

My mom said she knew I was pregnant with my second baby when we went out to dinner one night and I ordered fried chicken with gravy, corn, and mashed potatoes with gravy and devoured it without looking up from my plate. I remember that meal; it was FANTASTIC. I also had to have frosted shredded wheat for breakfast for a good two months of that pregnancy.  I was salivating for it--I couldn't wait for that cereal as soon as I woke up--it was the most satisfying part of my day. At the end of my fourth pregnancy, I was eating four oranges every afternoon.

WHY THE CRAVINGS?

Thankfully, when it comes to food cravings, especially those that result in heartburn, they tend to disappear overnight.  So what gives? The short and most accepted answer is: hormones. But that’s not terribly interesting, is it? So let’s consider some more interesting possible reasons.

First, food cravings may be your body’s protective measure to make sure your baby receives necessary nutrients. A desire for citrus or beef might be triggered by a need for vitamin C or protein, respectively. Your body is constantly working to grow that baby, so it could just be a need for extra calories.

Pregnant women also have heightened smell, and since the sense of smell is closely tied to the enjoyment of food, smelling something like fresh baked bread might trigger a strong desire for carbs.           

Since food cravings are a well-known side-effect of pregnancy, psychologically we are less inhibited about fulfilling our food desires. Blame it on hormones, the needs of the baby, or whatever excuse seems to work! Besides, there are enough things you can’t do in pregnancy (fill in the blank here, it’s different for each of us), why not go for what you can do? For instance, maybe you can’t go pole vaulting, but you can jolly well eat that entire bag of kumquats!

Finally, as wonderful as it can be to carry a precious child inside you, it also comes with its share of unexpected aches and pains, both physical and mental/emotional. You need to relax when and where ever you can, and while taking a bath, reading a book, or going for a peaceful walk may often do the trick, sometimes only food will do. You are looking for comfort, and enjoying those moments can give you a much-needed mental boost.            

FOOD SAFETY

              That being said, we should cover some important food issues. The desire to eat non-food items such as dirt, or things that aren’t meant to be eaten on their own like ice, corn starch, or flour is a condition known as pica. This could be a sign that you are anemic and need more iron in your diet. Tell a nurse or midwife if you experience non-food cravings! This should be easily remedied.                                                                  

Additionally, there are foods that are not considered safe during pregnancy. Avoid alcohol, moderate-to-high mercury fish (such as king mackerel, orange roughy, and  swordfish), and foods that could make you sick with the listeria bacteria and endanger the baby (unpasteurized foods including some soft cheeses, undercooked meats, processed deli meats and hot dogs unless they have been cooked to steaming hot). The WBWC provides handouts about fish mercury levels and listeria.

CURBING CRAVINGS

How do you stave off, or at least curb, your cravings? The best way is to avoid getting hungry by snacking healthfully every two hours. Getting moderate exercise or finding other distractions can work, too.

You can also try creating low-fat and nutrition-rich substitutes. Craving cheesecake? Try a bit of cream cheese smeared onto an organic graham cracker and topped with locally grown, fresh, sliced strawberries.

Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Just kidding!  This never works! Theoretically, it might work if you anticipate that you’ve been craving cheesecake every afternoon, and you eat it before the craving comes on, but otherwise, it’s just an unappealing appetizer for a cheesecake entrée.

Let me put it this way: if you can manage to stave off a craving for a malted milkshake with a satisfying ice-cold glass of skim milk, then you have never actually experienced a pregnancy-induced food craving. You are also most likely male (and if so, kindly wipe the bemused smirk off your face).

Remember: everything in moderation. If you get exercise, and eat regularly and healthfully, then don’t worry about the occasional indulgences. Those weird desires will eventually go away.   Sometimes ya just gotta give in. After all, a happy mama is a good mama!