You’re pregnant, and you have cravings. Or maybe you don’t. While some women claim to have never had a single pregnancy craving, these cravings are very common among pregnant women. When do pregnancy cravings start? We answer this most common question included in the 23 most frequently asked questions about pregnancy cravings.

23 FAQs about pregnancy cravings

When do pregnancy cravings start?

Pregnancy cravings can start at any time during pregnancy, but most commonly begin in the second half of the first trimester.

The reason for this is because morning sickness is so prevalent in the beginnings of the first trimester, and it is difficult to have food cravings when you feel so sick. Food aversion may also subside toward the end of the first trimester.

What is a pregnancy craving?

A pregnancy craving is an intense desire to consume very specific food or non-food items that may include a combination of many types of food.

Here’s how to make the difference between a normal craving and a pregnancy craving:

• A craving is a desire to eat a specific food or type of food that you have enjoyed before. A pregnancy craving is a desire for something that you may or may not have enjoyed or even tried before.
• A craving can be easier to stop thinking about, while a pregnancy craving may cause you to not be able to stop thinking about it until you have it.
• A craving can be resisted if it would take too much time or effort to get what you want. A pregnancy craving can cause you to go great lengths until your craving is satisfied.

Why do pregnancy cravings happen?

Pregnancy cravings can be most highly attributed to the immense hormone changes that occur. Your sense of smell, which contributes to taste, can increase during pregnancy, causing some of your favorite foods to become even more desirable.

A different theory contributes pregnancy cravings to the act of a woman’s body telling her what nutrients she needs. However, there are many cravings that pregnant women can have that contain little to no nutrients at all.

Can I determine my baby’s gender based on my cravings?

While this pregnancy myth has many supporters, there is no scientific data that concludes this claim. The myth states that pregnant women who crave more sweet food items have a higher chance of having a baby girl, while more cravings for salty food items present a higher chance of having a baby boy.

There is yet to be any scientific data on this hypothesis.

What food do pregnant women crave most?

While the most commonly craved food is different depending on the area that the pregnant woman lives, A study shows that the most common craving is sweets, usually in the form of chocolate and candy.

What are other common cravings pregnant women get?

According to the same study that found the most common craving, here are the top ten most common pregnancy cravings:

1. Chocolate and candy, among other sweets
2. Pizza and chips, among other high-calorie foods with lots of carbohydrates
3. Steak and chicken, among other animal protein
4. Fruit
5. Cheese and sour cream, among other dairy
6. Pretzels and cereal, among other foods with carbohydrates
7. Fast food, most commonly Chinese and Mexican food
8. Ice cream and slushies, among other cold foods
9. Vegetables
10. Ice cream and milkshakes, among other sweet dairy

Will my cravings get worse as my pregnancy progresses?

While every pregnancy is different, cravings seem to be the most prevalent in the second trimester.

Because morning sickness and food aversion are more common in the first trimester, cravings begin toward the end of the first trimester and the beginning of the second trimester. Cravings can get better or worse during the second trimester, and more commonly subside in the third trimester.

Will I crave weird combinations of food?

While not all women experience the craving for wild food combinations, pregnant women find that they crave quite interesting combinations of food. Take a look at some of these peculiar combos:

• French fries dipped in honey
• Avocado with jelly
• Pickles and sour cream
• Doughnut with popcorn sprinkles
• Ice cream topped with pork

Do you find these combinations weird? Tell us your crazy craving combinations!

Do pregnant women crave non-food items?

Unfortunately, yes. Pregnant women who crave non-food or toxic items suffer from a condition called “pica.” While this doesn’t occur in every pregnancy, you may develop a craving for dish detergent, soap, soil, paint, and other non-food items.

A variety of reasons can cause this psychological disorder. Most commonly, pica is caused by anemia, usually caused by an iron deficiency or another nutrient deficiency.

Should I ask my doctor about my pregnancy cravings?

If you find that you can’t control your cravings or crave non-food related items, you should consult your doctor about what steps you can take to curb your cravings.

Your doctor will be able to ask the right questions, take tests if needed, and come to a conclusion, while also being able to suggest possible solutions.

Is craving ice chips or ice cubes normal for pregnant women?

Some women crave ice chips and ice cubes during their pregnancy. Because ice is technically not a food-related item, it can be worthwhile to ask your doctor about your ice craving, because an ice chip craving can be the sign of an iron deficiency, anemia, or another underlying problem.

Could my baby develop nutritional deficiencies from my cravings?

Your baby could develop nutritional deficiencies not from your craving on its own, but how you decide to act on your desires. If your cravings lead you to overeat food that doesn’t have any nutrients, and you replace nutrient-dense food with these cravings, you and your child can develop a deficiency in one or more nutrients.

While it can be okay

Is there a way to stop my pregnancy cravings?

A pregnancy craving is the result of hormones and a psychological desire, so while cravings can’t necessarily be stopped, you can control them by resisting the urge to eat food that you crave.

Many times, you can resist a craving by eating enough nutrient-rich food. If you plan your meals and ensure you are consuming enough calories that are also rich in nutrients, you may find that your cravings won’t be as hard to resist.

Should I avoid my pregnancy cravings?

While you can’t avoid a psychological or hormonal desire, you should do your best to resist pregnancy cravings if you commonly crave food that doesn’t have any nutrients or vitamins. Becoming nutrient deficient is a problem that comes from overeating unhealthy food, not eating enough healthy food, or eating non-food items like ice cubes.

How do I control the urge to eat unhealthy food?

Here are a few ways you can control the urge to eat unhealthy food:

• Eat regularly throughout the day to stabilize your blood sugar.
• Focus on eating healthy instead of not eating unhealthily.
• Eat breakfast every day so you don’t become hungry mid-day.
• Envision your baby receiving all the food you are consuming.
• Find healthy alternatives to your unhealthy food choices.

What are healthy alternatives to my pregnancy cravings?

Here are some common pregnancy cravings and healthy alternatives:

• Ice cream: Try a low-fat yogurt or low-sugar, low-fat ice cream
• Ice cream toppings: Try sliced fruit or chopped nuts
• Cake: Try banana bread, zucchini bread, or pumpkin bread
• Sugary cereal: Try oatmeal topped with berries or whole-grain cereal
• Fried chicken: Try baked chicken coated with breadcrumbs
• Doughnut: Try toast or a bagel
• Potato chips: Try pretzels or whole-grain crackers.

Make sure you have a lot of them at your baby shower 🙂

Can too many cravings lead to being overweight after my baby’s birth?

If you give in to your cravings and eat a lot of food with high sugar, high fat, and high carbohydrate content, you can gain extra weight that stays with you after your pregnancy.

An average-weight woman gains, on average, 25 to 35 pounds during her pregnancy. In the same respect, underweight women gain 30 to 40 pounds, while overweight women gain 15 to 25 pounds. Any extra weight beyond these average amounts can stay with you after you give birth.

Can pregnancy cravings lead to gestational diabetes?

Resisting the urge of pregnancy cravings often can lead to gestational diabetes. Eating unhealthy foods that deregulate your sugar levels leads to affecting how your cells use glucose. Gestational diabetes can affect the health of both you and your baby by causing high blood sugar.

Once your baby is born, having gestational diabetes makes you at high risk for type II diabetes. Eating healthy foods throughout your pregnancy can protect the health of your baby as well as yourself.

Can meal planning help with my cravings?

While pregnancy cravings are more challenging to manage than the normal cravings of an average person, meal planning can help.

Research shows that following a regular eating pattern throughout the day decreases the frequency of binge eating. If you don’t eat enough throughout the day, your blood sugar can spike, which can signal to your body that you need sugar and food, which results in giving in to your cravings.

Do cravings make pregnant women eat more or less?

Pregnancy cravings can make women eat either more or less based on how often they give in to their cravings and how much they eat while not craving anything. Here’s the reasoning for each:

• Eat more: A pregnant woman will find that she eats more if she has skipped meals due to not being hungry. The body responds by telling your brain that you are hungry. The craving kicks in, and you tend to eat much more than you would typically have.
• Eat less: A pregnant woman will find that she eats less if she eats enough nutrient-rich food throughout the day. Having a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and healthy snacks in between each meal can instantly curb your cravings. Your body will more often tell your brain that you are satisfied. That’s not to say that cravings won’t happen, but you will find that the cravings occur less and aren’t as desirable as before.

Each pregnancy is different. You should worry less about how much you eat and focus more on how often you eat as well as how healthy your meals are.

Are my cravings telling me what nutrients I need?

A theory states that cravings for specific foods happen when you have a low intake of the particular nutrients that are in those foods.

However, there isn’t enough evidence to deem this a scientific fact. Hormones and psychological desires cause cravings. However, there is some evidence that if you have been restricting yourself from a necessary food or nutrient, you can develop a desire for that food.

Is it possible to not have any cravings while being pregnant?

It is possible never to have a craving while being pregnant, but you would be among a small percentage of women. Between 50-90% of women claim to have had cravings during their pregnancy, and that doesn’t include women who may have had a craving but didn’t see it as one.

What if I’m averse to healthy foods while pregnant?

Food aversion happens more often during the first trimester. If you are opposed to certain healthy foods, consider an alternative that contains the same kinds of nutrients and vitamins. For example, a woman who is opposed to chicken can still receive their protein from fish, eggs, dairy, seeds, nuts, beans, and legumes.

You might find during your pregnancy that you are averse to certain foods that you used to love. This commonly gets better throughout the pregnancy and after birth.

Conclusion

After all this talk of cravings, I’m sure you’re craving something right now. We hope we answered all of your questions about pregnancy cravings and different ways to resist the urge, or at the very least, supplement your cravings with beneficial nutrients. Don’t beat yourself up over being tempted by a particular craving, and enjoy your pregnancy and everything that comes with it.