I was listening to good old Radio Two the other day and on popped K D Lang. Obviously she wasn’t singing about a weird and wonderful pregnancy craving but it got me thinking. Is the whole thing about craving gherkins and ice cream a reality or a myth? Today we thought we would share the rather varied pregnancy cravings of the team with you.
I never really had cravings as such when I was pregnant with the girls. Mine seemed to be more about a bit of stodge. In the early months I would often sit dreaming about a big bowl of creamy mashed potato or a large slice of squishy white bread. It seemed to be the only thing I fancied and helped keep the mild queasy feelings at bay. The mash could be on its own or sitting atop a nice cottage pie. I didn’t really mind as long as mash was involved. I tried to resist but nothing tasted quite as good. The longings for mash did end by about four months though and then it was back to normal. I did obviously want cake and biscuits, and lots of them, but I tried very hard to push those to the back of my mind.
Lolly
I had a penchant for anything potato based although my favourite were roasties served with lashings of mayo. Ignorantly, pre-pregnancy, I thought cravings were just an excuse to indulge but actually the need is real! I remember sending Ste out to get some pre-roasted potatoes one night I was that obsessed! Then it was smoked salmon on toast on a daily basis for the rest of the pregnancy. Coupled with a bar of Green & Blacks. Not together obviously although if smoked salmon and Green and Blacks is your thing then that’s fine!
Lorna
I had gherkin and pickled onions cravings (and actually drinking the pickle juice from the jar!) when I was pregnant with Elliott. Although I preferred them straight from the jar rather than with a side of Häagen-Dazs. That and salt and vinegar stick crisps. With Joseph it was all about really cold grapes and crunching ice cubes. When I was pregnant with Anabelle Hobnob biscuits were the order of the day. I used to have to carry them around everywhere as I’d always feel faint and it would take the edge off, so I’m not actually sure if that was a craving or a necessity?!
Fern
I could only drink iced water; it had to be freezing cold otherwise it would make me feel queasy. And also, bit of a weird one, falafel (!). I once had a full of break down in the supermarket because all the falafel had sold out (there are quite a lot of vegans in Newquay hence the falafel shortage)….
Becky
With Leo I ate SO many apples. And tomatoes. All the acidic things really.
But this time… pass the sweets! Wham bars, skittles, fruit pastels. I just want all the sweet really chewy stuff. I’m doing my best to replace these with actual fruit where I can but it’s hard. Also, I might end up looking like a tiger roll by the end. Why is the bread SO flippin’ good?! I could eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner at the moment.
So did you have, or are you still having, any cravings? Any weird and wonderful food combos out there?
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Mine is salt and vinegar crisps. I think because it cuts through the nausea.
Although yesterday I had a bowl of strawberry Haagen-Daz ice cream and it was so wonderful I cried (wept) at the perfection of the situation. My husband didn’t really know what to do with that one.
I’m trying to stay away to avoid repeat hysteria- hormones hey?!
I’d hate to see what Ben & Jerrys cookie dough core ice cream would do to you! Ice cream is exceptional though so I’d say you are forgiven for the hysteria xx
I was all about the stodge too. Mash, bread, pasta. But especially mash. That was the early days which was winter. As it got warmer all I wanted was banana milkshake. I couldn’t get enough of it towards the end of my pregnancy. I saw a sign for milkshake on my way to a midwife appointment and I had to go and get some then run (waddle) really fast the rest of the way. What an addict.
Love that you had to stop for milkshakes on the way Anna! x
With Silvia I just wanted cold wet things. Sushi (cue frantic googling and discovering it’s fine as long as the fish has been frozen) and the really creamy fresh mozzarella cheeses- the expensive posh buffalo ones!! I would literally drink the mozzarella water. Disgusting!
You had very sophisticated cravings Lucy (except perhaps drinking the mozzarella water!) xxx
Stodge in the early days to quell the queasiness! A packet of sun bites always hit the spot – but only the sour cream ones. The other flavours were just no good! Plus gallons of full fat organic milk – with the cream on top. It was the only thing that helped with the heartburn, and it tasted soooo good!
Sweets and lots of them. I’d walk to the shop round the corner to buy wine gums and eat the whole pack before I got home. And there were starburst wrappers everywhere for 9 months. And I’m a dentist. Do as I say and all that :s oops
I could definitely eat a whole pack of wine gums anytime. And promise we won’t follow your advice! x
I’m glad I’m not the only one Kat! I got a (big) bag of fruit pastels on a trip to the supermarket this morning… I was going for water. I popped them on the passenger seat on the nursery run. By the time I got back there was 3 left. Dear. Me.
Mine was creme eggs…good job I was pregnant over Easter both times! Although I’m not sure if I was just using being pregnant as a handy excuse ?
Perfectly acceptable whether pregnant or not I say x
I was big on stodgy carbs at the beginning of my first pregnancy, chip sarnies on white bread with a bit of butter and plenty of vinegar was the only thing that didn’t make me feel sick! I also loved rice pudding with golden syrup…I was pregnant during winter so I think that may have just been a comfort thing!
Second time around I didn’t really have any cravings although I think I was more into savoury things (anything with vinegar) pickled beetroot was a big hit!
This time around it’s been all about the sweets, chocolate and fudge, haribo (especially the sour ones) and anything coated in sugar…yup, I should be the size of a house and have no teeth! I really enjoyed banana sandwiches at the beginning too…I think writing this has made me hungry!
Mmmm, chip sandwiches. Yum. Oh and banana sandwiches. Double yum x
Icecream/ice lollies all the way for me! Even now at nearly eight months (how did that happen so quickly??) I still have to have one per day. And iced water. I’ve also had a penchant for fruit throughout, apples, grapes, bananas, pineapple – preferably with natural yogurt! And before I sound too healthy, stodgy food was all that stayed down for the first 5 1/2 months for me, too (although it wasn’t so much a craving, more a matter of ‘I need to eat something and anything else will come right up again’….)
I was also a bit dubious about actual cravings and how much of that is made up (instead of eating healthy….) Boy did I learn my lesson…
I think ice lollys and ice cream are perfectly acceptable cravings whether you are pregnant or not! x
For me I’ve gone through phases including cravings for Calipo ice lollies, anything really salty…my favourite is golden wonder salt and vinegar as they provide the kind of salt I’m looking for and also Olives. Weird. But also, if someone so much as talks about something that takes my fancy…I can’t get it out of my head. Last week it was tomato crisps. There’s nothing better than satisfying that craving!!
Gosh, very varied cravings from you. Mind you, I’m not pregnant and if someone mentions chocolate I want it!! x
I had cravings for a particular supermarkets own brand indigestion tablets. There was something about that particular brand and the level of mintiness combined with the crunch. No other brand could compare. I would crunch my way through the daily recommended levels even if I didn’t need them. I just had to have them. Another craving was crunching ice. Crunching was my thing I guess?
Loving the weird and wonderful crunching cravings! x
I’m 6 weeks pregnant with my first and am currently living on digestive biscuits, the odd banana on toast ‘meal’ and as of today, MANY bags of salt and vinegar crisps!! My poor diet at present is based upon a necessity to eat SOMETHING to keep sickness at bay (and to get some fuel on board) rather than a craving. Unfortunately these foods (along with a few other less sinful things) are pretty much the only things I can stomach. I wanted to be so healthy in my pregnancy and continue to eat well but it’s just not happening at the moment. I’m worried my baby is not getting the vitamins it needs to develop (even though I am taking the advised supplements) as I cannot stomach nourishing foods. There is so much information online about what you should eat when pregnant…none of which includes Mcvities or Walkers, so I do feel terribly guilty.
Thank you to everyone who has posted their experiences and to Lottie for starting off this conversation at the perfect time when I needed it – it has made me realise I should ease off being hard on myself and get the good foods down me as and when I can x
Don’t feel bad Cat, it’s the same for so many women! You just have to eat what you can stomach in the early stages, when your sickness goes you’ll be able to eat more normally again! Until then you just have to get through it as best you can, it’s been like that with both my pregnancies. I’m sure I’ve read a few different places that baby takes all the nutrients it needs from your reserves anyway and it’s you that suffers more than them! It’s only temporary! Good luck with your pregnancy ? x
Owwww thanks Sarah- baby is definitely taking my nutrients!! I’m constantly exhausted! Glad to hear it got better for you x
Mine was Wotsits, bags and bags of luminous finger staining Wotsits, I could easily get through one of those giant family sized bags from M&S in one sitting!
I also totally went off vegetables, the thought of broccoli or asparagus made me queasy- I could just about stomach peas on a good day. Basically if it was yellow or orange and came out of the freezer it was good!!