Everything You Need to Know About Pregnancy Cravings

Medically reviewed by Monique Rainford, MD

Your body experiences many changes during pregnancy to help nourish and support your growing baby. With these changes, you may experience intense food cravings.

Pregnancy cravings are harmless and temporary. You may find yourself nauseated at the sight of foods you used to love while craving foods you disliked. However, if you're experiencing intense cravings for nonfood substances, such as dirt or chalk, you may have a condition called pica.

This article discusses everything you need to know about pregnancy cravings, including causes, common food cravings, and when to see a healthcare provider.

What Are Pregnancy Cravings?

Pregnancy cravings are intense desires to eat a specific type of food or different food combinations, such as pickles and peanut butter. Food cravings differ from hunger as they are generally not caused by an empty stomach.

Contrary to what some may think, pregnancy cravings are natural and more common than you realize. Studies suggest 50% to 90% of pregnant women in the United States experience food cravings.

What Causes Pregnancy Cravings?

The exact cause of pregnancy cravings is not known. However, they may be caused by several factors, including hormonal changes, nutrient deficiencies, and sensory changes.

Like premenstrual syndrome (PMS) cravings, pregnancy cravings are believed to be related to hormonal changes. For example, some researchers suggest that during midpregnancy, an increase in gestational hormones, which control the flow of blood sugar to the unborn baby, may trigger cravings for sweets.

Studies also suggest that malnourished pregnant people are more likely to experience food cravings than well-nourished people. Similarly, pregnant people who do not have a balanced diet or who skip meals may be more likely to crave junk food.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the increased demand for calories and certain nutrients during pregnancy can affect your sense of smell and taste, causing cravings. However, there is no solid evidence confirming this.

When Do Pregnancy Cravings Start?

Pregnancy cravings can start at any time during pregnancy. However, they are most likely to begin in the first trimester, peak in the second trimester, and decline in the third trimester.

What Foods Do Pregnant People Crave?

While everyone has different cravings when they're expecting, a few are more common than others. Studies suggest that the most popular foods craved by pregnant women in Western cultures include:

• Chocolate

• Fruits and fruit juices

• Ice cream

• Sweets

• Milk and dairy products

Other popular pregnancy cravings include:

• Steak, chicken, and fish

• Carbohydrates like pasta, bread, and potatoes

• Salty snacks

• Pickles

• Fast food

Craving strange combinations like candy bars and cured meat, or apples and ketchup, is also relatively common.

What Happens If You Ignore Pregnancy Cravings?

If you're consuming a well-balanced diet and eating the right amount of calories, ignoring cravings is unlikely to be harmful. Some studies suggest that frequently giving in to cravings, especially for fast foods and sweets, can lead to excess weight gain during pregnancy. However, there's nothing wrong with occasionally giving in and enjoying the foods you desire.

What Is Pregnancy Food Aversion?

In pregnancy, there is a high prevalence of food aversion. Opposite to food cravings, aversions are characterized by the avoidance or extreme dislike of specific foods.

Although the exact cause of food aversions remains unknown, they're thought to be caused by hormonal changes and nausea, among other reasons.

Pregnancy food aversions may also be the body's way of protecting the mother and unborn baby from foods that carry toxins or harmful bacteria. This may explain why some pregnant people have food aversions to caffeinated beverages, alcohol, and certain meat and fish.

Additionally, cultural beliefs can play a role in food aversions. For example, women of India tend to avoid foods like bananas, papaya, leafy greens, meat, and eggs. In some cultures, these so-called hot foods are believed to heat the mother's body, leading to miscarriage.

Signs of Pica in Pregnancy

If you suddenly urge to consume nonfood items like toothpaste or dirt, you may have a condition called pica. Pica is more common in young children, affecting up to one-third of children under 6. However, it can also happen during pregnancy.

People with pica may eat:

• Dirt, clay, sand

• Stones

• Ice

• Paint, chalk

• Laundry starch, baking soda

• Coffee grounds

• Toothpaste, soap

To meet the criteria for a pica diagnosis, symptoms must last for at least one month.

While the exact cause of pica in pregnancy is not well understood, it's believed to be caused by a deficiency in specific nutrients, such as iron and zinc. If you are craving ice, you may have a type of pica called pagophagia, commonly associated with iron deficiency.

An underlying mental or physical illness may also cause pica cravings.

Risks of Pica in Pregnancy

While some nonood substances, such as ice, may be harmless, others may contain toxins like lead and bacteria that can harm you and your developing baby. Furthermore, eating nonfood items may interfere with nutrient absorption, leading to deficiencies. Consistently eating nonfood substances may lead to the following:

• Lead poisoning from paint chips or soil that contains lead

• An intestinal blockage caused by eating rocks or other hard objects

• Infections from parasites found in nonfood items

• Tooth injuries

When to See a Healthcare Provider About Your Pregnancy Cravings

You should contact your healthcare provider if you find yourself craving nonfood substances during pregnancy, even if it's just ice.

A healthcare provider can review your medical history and perform testing to determine if certain mineral deficiencies are present. Treating mineral deficiencies such as iron deficiency anemia with supplements may resolve pica.

Your healthcare provider may also teach replacement behaviors, such as chewing sugarless gum, taking a short walk, or chewing fruit juice cubes instead of ice when a craving strikes.

Summary

Intense food cravings during pregnancy are very common. The desired foods can vary and range from fruit to strange combinations like peanut butter and pickles. For the most part, it's OK to give into pregnancy cravings occasionally and treat yourself as long as you eat a balanced diet and avoid bingeing on foods. If you find yourself craving nonood items like dirt or ice, contact your healthcare provider, as it may be a sign of a mineral deficiency or another underlying health condition.