Many pregnant individuals experience food cravings. Here, experts break down why pregnancy cravings happen, the most common ones, and whether they are ever something to worry about.
Pregnancy is full of surprises, and one of them is the wild and weird foods you might end up craving. While not all expectant parents crave certain foods, most have an unexpected hunkering or two at some point or another. And for some people, these cravings can be pretty intense and elaborate. Yes, you might crave a specific egg sandwich from a deli across town at 3 in the morning-it happens!
Here, we'll take a look at what pregnancy cravings are, when to expect them to begin, what the most common cravings entail, and whether these food-related urges are ever a health concern.
Related: 22 Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy
Pregnancy cravings are when you have a strong desire for a specific type of food during pregnancy. Cravings aren't just the feeling of wanting to eat something-they are intense bouts of hunger-related desire, and often won't go away until the food is consumed.
Research has found that about 50-90% of pregnant individuals experience food cravings. Most of these folks have had food cravings before pregnancy, as well. In fact, besides pregnancy, premenstrual syndrome is the most frequent time that people experience food cravings.
One interesting fact about pregnancy cravings is that no one knows for sure what causes them. "We aren't sure exactly what causes pregnancy cravings, but we do have two main theories," says Sarah Jordan, M.D., OB-GYN and medical director at Pediatrix Medical Group in Fort Worth, Texas.
The first theory, explains Dr. Jordan, is that pregnancy hormones heighten your sense of smell and taste, increasing both food cravings and aversions. "Another theory is that cravings are the body's way of addressing nutritional deficiency-meaning you crave food with the nutrients that your body needs," she adds.
The hormones of pregnancy might have other effects on what we crave, says Kristin Mallon, C.N.M., R.N., certified nurse-midwife and co-founder and CEO at FemGevity. For example, the hormone progesterone slows down your GI tract, causing bloating and constipation, along with a feeling of being full, which can alter your appetite, including which foods you crave. Pregnant people often crave carbs in early pregnancy to ward off nausea, which is also caused by rising hormones, says Mallon.
Every pregnancy is different, but many people begin noticing cravings during early pregnancy, says Yelena Wheeler, M.P.H., R.D.N., registered dietitian nutritionist at MIDSS. "Since hormones are likely the culprit, the first trimester is usually when one would become aware of certain cravings," she explains. Stephanie Hack, M.D., OB-GYN and founder of Lady Parts Doctor, adds that she typically sees pregnancy cravings start about 8 weeks into pregnancy.
Related: How to Handle Food Poisoning During Pregnancy
The truth is, any food is a possible contender for a pregnancy craving, and hankerings can differ widely from one pregnant person to another-and even from one pregnancy to another. That said, there are some trends that creep up over and over. Here are some of the common cravings our experts noted:
Wheeler says that salty foods are the most common culprits in her experience. "However, I have also seen people with a combination of sweets and salty as their favorite foods to satisfy those cravings," she describes. "Oreos with potato chips, ice cream over pickles, and even salty watermelon."
Carbs are also a winner among Mallon's patients, but some of these cravings can get pretty detailed. "The most common food cravings I see nowadays are carbs like pizza or bread, or a very specific item like the grilled chicken sandwich from a certain restaurant, or a blueberry banana smoothie from Jamba juice," she shares.
Pregnancy cravings are typically most intense within the first three months of pregnancy. For some people, though, they tend to peak in the second trimester of pregnancy, and then slowly die down by the third trimester. But while they tend to be most potent in the first few months, some folks may find that cravings don't go away completely, and may last for the entire pregnancy.
Most pregnancy cravings aren't harmful and as long as you are taking your prenatal vitamins and consuming an overall healthy, balanced diet, you should be fine. However, it's important to know that there are certain cravings that aren't safe.
You should contact an OB-GYN or health care provider if you're craving items that aren't food, says Dr. Jordan. "The most common examples are dirt, Play-Doh, laundry soap, paper and chalk," she describes. If you are craving non-food items, you may have a condition called Pica. "Craving these substances can mean you have a mineral or nutritional deficiency, or anemia," Dr. Jordan says.
If you have any further questions about your pregnancy cravings, or your nutrition or eating habits in general while expecting, don't hesitate to reach out to an OB-GYN, health care provider, or midwife.
Related: Does the Bloody Show During Pregnancy Mean Labor Is Near?
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