Cravings during pregnancy

Most pregnant women find they crave certain foods or tastes. It’s likely that some cravings are associated with your dietary needs at this time. For example, a desire for chocolate could be reflective of your slightly increased calorie requirements, although it is fairly obvious that chocolate isn’t the best way to get them!

Common cravings include fruit, pickled vegetables, potato chips and dairy products. But some women develop more off-the-wall cravings, such as lemons, chili, lobster, blue cheese, and even soap. If you are experiencing unusual cravings it may be a sign that you’re lacking important minerals or nutrients in your diet so run it by your OB-GYN or nurse-midwife. They’ve likely herd it all before but will at least be able to narrow down any nutrients you might be low on.

Thanks to all those pregnancy hormones your appetite at this time may change dramatically. Your sense of smell and taste are heightened and you can experience extreme hunger pangs one day and aversion to any number of different foods and drinks the next. In fact a common early sign of pregnancy is a sudden intolerance for a food you normally chow down on quite happily!

This is all perfectly normal, and it’s only if your appetite impacts on your nutritional intake that you might need to worry. If you’re famished and gorge on unhealthy ‘quick-fix’ energy foods, such as pizza, fries and doughnuts because you’ve gone right off healthy fruit and veg, then you need to rethink your diet. Likewise, if your appetite is affected to the point where you can’t bring yourself to eat at all, your growing baby might miss out on vital nourishment.

Check out diet for a healthy pregnancy for more advice, and if you’re concerned about your appetite speak to your OB-GYN or nurse-midwife.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

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Last Modified: 05/07/2007

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