Weird Food and Non-Food Pregnancy Craving

Pregnancy is a roller coaster journey with lots of hormonal brouhahas. Women crave a lot of things during this overwhelming ride, thanks to her hormones in action. They experience at least one food aversion or a new sense of repulsion at the very thought of a snack they previously enjoyed. With each pregnancy, stage come different cravings that each woman responds to. Studies show that a very small percentage of ‘preggers do not experience this craving or can subdue them; the rest has stories to tell about having both weird food and non-food cravings throughout the pregnancy journey. Non-food craving is a condition called Pica where one craves non-food items like clay, paper chalk, soil, and plaster.
If you are wondering why your pregnant friend requests a burnt pot of Jollof rice, native chalk, or even the smell of dirt, 🤔 we have gist for you. Let's laugh over those weird cravings’ women yearn for during pregnancy. 

Ice cubes 
The intense urge to eat ice cubes during pregnancy is considered to be a form of Pica. Studies show that about 20% of pregnant women regularly report craving ice cubes which put it at one of the most common cravings. They can’t resist chewing ice cubes no matter how hard they try to control the urge irrespective of the temperature of the day, night inclusive. We don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news but munching on ice cubes have been seldomly associated with a chance for teeth damage, premature delivery, poor growth (babies born too small and/or with a small head size), and low birth weight. You don’t want that to happen, right?

Burnt Food
While some women don't have an appetite for food, others crave a burnt pot of food; burnt jollof rice, beans, fish etc. There has been no explanation for why your body would be craving carbon at all. It may just be a learned taste preference or a liking of crunchy foods. The downside of eating a lot of burned food is that it may be carcinogenic (causes cancer). Eating more fresh fruit is a recommendation to knock off that craving. Try it and see if it changes your cravings.

 Nzu (Calabash Chalk)
Spitting and nausea usually come at the early stage of pregnancy and in the bid to reduce these to the barest minimum, many women lick Nzu. It is a popular traditional remedy for morning sickness at that pregnancy stage. Some women enjoy the taste of native calabash chalk and take as much as 8 balls daily. Sadly, research says Nzu contain heavy lead. We bet you are lucky if you or your partner did not crave it. 

Bitter kola: 
Bitter kola craving is very common mostly in the early stages of pregnancy and especially with women who spit a lot. When ‘preggers' find this to be a remedy to spitting, they go all in and won’t be seen anywhere without them. We are curious, did you or your partner eat bitter kola? Was it helpful?

Extra spicy food:
Some pregnant women love would load up on pepper to make hot spicy meals every single time. While some say it could be as a result of having a boy, others wonder if it’s some sort of natural instinct to cool down (since eating spicy food makes you sweat, and sweating lowers your body temp). Either way, your taste buds often change during and after pregnancy, so don’t worry if you’re suddenly craving five-alarm chilli. It probably isn’t a “sign” of anything worth noting.

Alcohol: 
Okay now, we are judging you..lol Let’s start by saying that there is no safe level of alcohol that you can have during your pregnancy. Whether you are planning a pregnancy, already pregnant or breastfeeding, avoiding alcohol is the safest option for your unborn baby. While many pregnant women reported having this craving from time to time, it strongly advised that they stay away from it.

Other Non-food cravings: 
Other non-food cravings that pregnant women developed were the urge to eat chalk, charcoal, clay; to smell of soil, stinky toilets, laundry starch and soap. These women described the feeling they got afterwards as “euphoric”. When you hear that craving voice, our only advice is 'DON’T DO IT.' 

The list is endless. Pregnancy is a mysterious but fascinating journey so if you are part of those whose tastebuds have gone haywire, we are not judging you. We just recommend that you keep it healthy and speak to your doctor about them.

So, tell us what weird food did you crave while pregnant? 

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