Spicy Pickles and PBJ: 15 Women Share Their Weirdest Pregnancy Cravings
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The wonder of pregnancy is transformative, and the profound metamorphosis a woman’s body undergoes to welcome a new life into the world is nothing short of extraordinary.
For many expecting mothers, strange side effects can accompany carrying a child – namely, weird pregnancy cravings! From pickles to ice cream to cheese and beyond (sometimes all at once), pregnant women often have cravings that make us pause and go, “Huh?” or “Gross!”
Pregnancy cravings typically begin in the first trimester around the 4 to 6-week mark. Let’s dive into some of the strongest and strangest cravings that women report having.
1. From Vegetarian to Meat Eater
One mom reports being a vegetarian for 27 years. But the moment she got pregnant, she started eating meat. She says it’s all the baby wants.
While meat can be one of those weird pregnancy cravings, it is typically due to increased nutrition needs, particularly iron; meat is a common craving for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.
2. Hot Pickle PB&J Sandwich
Pickles are a common craving, but what happens when it’s combined with other random food? It makes for some weird pregnancy cravings, such as peanut butter or pickle ice cream. Some women also love drinking pickle juice straight out of the jar.
One mom reports a hilarious realization that she must be pregnant when she made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich right after eating a hot pickle. She found the combination irresistible when she licked her fingers (that she hadn’t washed yet after eating the pickle).
3. Dairy, Please
Many moms report hating milk and other dairy products before pregnancy. And now they can’t get enough of it. One mom says she drank a cup of chocolate milk every day when previously she never drank milk.
I can totally vouch for this one. With my first pregnancy, I went from drinking milk on occasion to feeling like I could drink a gallon of milk per day (it was one of the few things I could stomach in the first trimester). Add some fresh chocolate chip cookies or Oreos to dip and I was in heaven.
4. Canned Fish
One mom reports enjoying a combination of cottage cheese, jarred herring, and potato chips. Other viewers were impressed that she would even come up with such a strange combination.
5. Take me Back to My Childhood
Many pregnant women crave food that they haven’t eaten since their childhood. These foods likely bring some comfort to them from their past. Most moms find it totally random.
For example, one mom says she craved hard shell tacos with ground beef, snack plates (cheese, crackers, lunch meat), and string cheese.
6. From Arch Nemesis to Favorite
While many women develop aversions to some of their favorite foods, some will also be surprised to crave some of the foods that they normally can’t stand.
One mom reports that she usually hates root beer but couldn’t get enough of it during her pregnancy.
7. Mashed Potatoes and Chocolate
One mom is embarrassed to admit that she ate mashed potatoes and chocolate donut holes- together. One commenter asked to clarify how she was combining them, to which she responded, “I get a bowl of mashed potatoes, use the donut holes as a vehicle to eat mashed potatoes like a crazed animal.”
8. Ramen and Waffles
This is quite the combination for a pregnant mom’s nutrition. One mom reports that once she cooked her ramen, she’d eat a waffle with peanut butter and maple syrup along with it. Sometimes she’s put the peanut butter in the ramen, too, just for good measure. “Weird times,” she commented.
9. Turn up the Heat
One woman reports that she only wanted extra hot ramen (so hot she couldn’t even taste it, she says) in her third trimester. Normally, she doesn’t like spicy food much. Many pregnant women agreed, reporting they loved putting hot sauce (or other random sauces) on weird food combinations or indulging in hot Cheetos.
10. Ketchup On Everything
The original poster on this thread recalls reading that Beyonce loved dipping her bananas in ketchup. Ketchup is great on many foods, but bananas would qualify as a weird pregnancy craving.
11. Everything in Excess
Many women report no particularly weird pregnancy cravings but rather strong food cravings. Some say their cravings were so strong that they’d eat ridiculous amounts of one type of food. Examples included chips (particularly salt and vinegar chips are a crowd favorite), oranges, baked goods, sweets, and asparagus.
12. Cheez-Its with Cream Cheese
Women were inspired by this one woman’s pregnancy cravings, reporting dipping cheese crackers in cream cheese, saying they’d try it themselves soon.
13. Ice Chips- Anything Cold
When it comes to weird pregnancy cravings, pregnant women tend to crave cold things, whether it’s iced soda, a milkshake, vanilla ice cream, or ice chips. This can help them stay hydrated and cool at a time when it’s easy to get overheated and experience waves of nausea.
14. Non-Food Cravings
Perhaps the strangest food cravings of all are not related to food, such as clay, laundry starch, chalk, soil, paint chips, and plaster. Ice and nonfood substances are considered to have little nutritional value and are a concern for the pregnant mom.
These kinds of cravings for non-food items are called “Pica” and are typically tied to iron or zinc deficiency. It’s best to talk to your doctor if you’re experiencing these types of cravings.
15. I Don’t Want Any of It
Many pregnant women who normally indulge in various foods were disappointed that they couldn’t eat any of their favorite foods during pregnancy due to strong food aversions and morning sickness. Rather than craving foods, they had a hard time finding anything that sounded good.
How to Indulge While Eating Healthy
Since many women crave extra sweets and salt, they can quickly feel concerned about their diet and whether they’re getting enough nutrients. For some women that are having a hard time eating anything, the goal is often to get any food down that will stay. On the other hand, it can be helpful to be mindful of bizarre cravings and indulge without going overboard.
You can talk to your healthcare provider about any concerns related to nutrition deficiency. They can do a blood test and give recommendations for supplements that may help you and the baby get what they need for optimal health.
What bizarre food combinations did you have while pregnant? My weirdest pregnancy cravings were related to my own childhood favorites, like macaroni and cheese, fruit snacks, milk, apples, potato chips, and chicken pot pies (so nothing too strange).
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