Food cravings during pregnancy

Food cravings during pregnancy
Cravings! They’re a huge part of pregnancy and everyone loves hearing what crazy concoctions people come up with to fulfil their pregnancy urges.
 
Although many people may tell you in their first trimester they had more aversions than cravings!
 
A study of cravings published by Annabel Karmel recorded the foods that pregnant women craved on a daily basis:
  1. Ice cream/lollies/ice pops (23%)
  2. Chocolate (17%)
  3. Crisps (15%)
  4. Cheese (11%)
  5. Pork pies (9%
  6. Fish pie (7%)
  7. Chinese takeaway (6%)
  8. Baked potatoes (5%)
  9. Cakes (4%)
  10. Pickles/chutneys (3%)
There are a lot of superstitions and theories surrounding what those cravings might mean. Here are just a few of them I’ve heard over the years.
 
1. Cravings can predict your babies gender
 
I think the most popular one, that most of us will have heard, is that cravings can predict your babies gender. Sweet cravings indicate a girl, savoury cravings indicate a boy. This didn’t really work for me as I craved sour foods, and the thought of chocolate made me sick!
 
But where did this idea come from and is there any truth behind it? Well according to health professions there is no evidence to show any correlation between the 2, and the origin of this tale seems to be a mystery. Its still fun to guess!
 
2. Your body is craving nutrients
 
Some studies have shown that cravings could indicate a lacking in some sort of nutrient in your diet. For example, some women may find themselves sending their significant other out, at various hours of the night, because the baby wants chocolate. Some scientists believe this could suggest a magnesium deficiency, a drop-in blood sugar, or simply that your body needs more calories. However, while many professionals support this theory, others disagree, stating that if cravings where a result of what the body needs, we would be eating more broccoli and less chocolate.
 
3. Hormonal changes
Another idea is that cravings are a result of hormones, which is supported by the fact that some women experience cravings in other stages of life such a menopause, or even during their regular monthly cycle.
 
So, what did we all take from this? Simply that no one really know why we have cravings, or what they mean, if anything. Pregnancy is a strange and confusing time. But whether it be ice pops, pickles or popcorn, the baby wants what the baby wants.

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