Pregnancy Cravings – Sand, Chalk, Ashes, Ice | Pica Explained

Pregnancy is a beautiful, exciting, and delightful journey. How you gladly wait around expecting the arrival of your little one and how your loved ones shower you with love and care. It’s 9 months of pure undiluted love for someone you have never seen that grows inside you.

But for all of its happiness and joys, a lot of women find pregnancy to be extremely difficult. Pregnancy defines a new stage in a woman’s life and her body will go through changes she has never experienced before – Sometimes change in complexion, body shape, nausea, morning sickness, mood swings, bladder control, and a wide range of others. Some pleasant, some not.

Craving is one of the natural, yet unusual behaviors a pregnant woman can experience and it is a feeling many people ‘blame’ on the hormones. Although it is not proven, a food scientist and nutritionist, Sophie Medlin states that “Fluctuation in hormones during pregnancy means that sometimes we need more of different nutrients”, hence the cravings for certain foods. If you think about this, it makes a lot of sense as the foods most pregnant women crave are the exact opposite of what they loved before pregnancy.

Pregnant women are advised to indulge in their cravings as they are expected to listen to what their bodies want. You did hate or never thought about these types of food for as long as you can remember, and suddenly, pregnancy has made you fall in love with them again. Well, it’s time to get them right back on your plate.

A lot of the cravings are unhealthy so it is advisable to indulge every now and then eating them in moderation but doctors advise to get a healthier substitute replacing what you crave.

Weird Cravings Some Pregnant Women Have.

While a majority of women crave sweet, sour and spicey ranging from chocolates and ice-creams to pickles and tacos, some women find themselves having odder cravings for items such as dirt, ash, chalk or ice. This is a disorder called “pica”, characterized by craving and appetite for non-edible substances. Or better still, an eating disorder of non-food substances.

What Causes Pica?

The reason some women develop pica cravings during pregnancy is not known however, it is believed to be an underlying nutritional deficiency such as iron, zinc, potassium, etc. – says Karen Fleming.

Common Pica Cravings

Some are earthy objects such as sands, dirt, clay, ash, charcoal. Others could be stationery items such as Pencils, paper, glue, and chalks.

Four Pica Cravings And What They Signal

1. Ash: This craving, especially from cigarette ash is more common than we think. This could be your body signaling a need for potassium. You should rather consider foods or fruits that can provide your body with this. You should eat fruits and vegetables such as bananas, cantaloupe, potatoes, prunes, raisins, acorn squash, spinach, orange juice, and tomato juice which are all high in potassium.

2. Chalk: This is also common for many women. Some professionals think this craving has no purpose while others think it might be due to a vitamin deficiency. Try eating a variety of healthy meals more frequently in other not to keep hunger at check before the cravings sneak in.

3. Dirt: Even though the cravings for this might have other unique purposes, others think it might be due to anemia. Items like dirt and clay can act as a filter to block some bad toxins and pathogens but can introduce some nasty bacteria into the body during the process and should not be eaten. Take prenatal vitamins which have a high amount of iron supplements in them and eat iron-rich foods like oatmeal, kidney beans, baked potatoes with skin, roast beef, green peas, broccoli, raspberries, strawberries, etc.

4. Ice: Ice craving is the most common and safest out of the bunch. A lot of pregnant women crave cold drinks and sweets while some take it a step further to actual ice. Ice cravings may be caused by an increase in metabolic rate when pregnant which can lead to swollen blood vessels. This can make pregnant women feel hot with the need to cool down. Other cravings may be from easing morning sickness to heartburns and can also be linked to Anemia. Although it can cause no harm to you or your unborn baby, it can be very harmful to your tooth.

Others Non-Edible Cravings Include:

Charcoal, baking soda, sand, toothpaste, cornstarch, coffee grounds, laundry starch, cotton balls, etc.

Managing Pica

Up to 20% of pregnant women deal with pica at one point or the other. So do not panic if you find yourself craving non-edible items. All you need is some advice from your midwife or doctor to know what your body might be trying to tell you. Also, having a complete understanding of the specific risks associated with your cravings. They will give help you manage this and come up with potential substitutes for the cravings.