During pregnancy, craving delicious foods is common. In fact, pregnancy cravings can make you try the weirdest food combinations, such as pickles and ice cream. You can find various weird food combinations that pregnant women crave on the internet. Women most commonly crave sweets during their pregnancy, followed by spicy and tangy foods.
What do the cravings mean? Well, there is no specific reason for any specific cravings, but there are a few guesses. You can fulfill your cravings as long as you maintain a balanced diet. The article will explain your cravings for sweets, the possible reasons for your cravings, and other types of foods that you might crave. Let’s take a look at them.
What Does Sweet Craving Mean During Pregnancy?
Craving sweets during pregnancy means the reference to craving desserts during pregnancy. Most women crave sweets and desserts during pregnancy, but what might be the reason? While you might also be wondering about the same question, nobody knows the exact answer to it, though there are a few hypotheses as to what might be the reason. These cravings could be due to:
- Hormonal changes during pregnancy
- Body’s requirement for specific nutrients, hence the craving
- Environmental and cultural factors
- Body’s requirement or reaction to the specific compound found in the food.
During pregnancy, women generally become sensitive to bitter taste; in this case, sweets might taste better. Pregnancy requires extra energy for both your and your baby’s health and it may lead to cravings.
Another possible meaning of such cravings could be low blood sugar levels. If you miss a meal or generally have a low blood sugar level, which is common during pregnancy, anything might look good to you as you’re hungry and your body requires sugars and energy. Sweets are basically carbohydrates that break down into simple sugars providing instant energy hence the craving when you’re low on sugar.
After a meal, you can feel full but would still have a little space to satisfy the sweet tooth with a nice dessert. There may not be any specific reason for it, but it would just feel good to have some sweets after a meal, and you shouldn’t be embarrassed about it. Go for it!
Are Having Cravings Normal?
Studies show that craving sweets like fruits and desserts is the most common pregnancy craving. Women who tend to have specific cravings or sweet cravings before pregnancy, such as PMS cravings (premenstrual syndrome), show an increased level of cravings during their pregnancy.
It would only be right to say that it is not just common but a normal part of the process of pregnancy. if you crave sweets, you should treat yourself and satisfy your craving but do remember to keep a balanced diet and fulfill all the requirements of your body. You can also contact a pre-natal dietician to have a balanced diet and keep yourself and your baby healthy.
The Gender Myths:
The myths in the previous times that are still believed today say that if you crave sweets, you are more likely to be pregnant with a baby girl. However, there is very little to no scientific evidence to prove this. Many parents might want to know the gender of their baby ahead of time, which can make them guess what kind of food the mother is craving, but these are not accurate at all. Taking an ultrasound is the best way to find the baby’s gender, as cravings have no link to it. There’s an equal probability of your baby being a boy or a girl.
Other Food Cravings During Pregnancy:
There are many other kinds of foods that you may crave during pregnancy and not just sweets. You may crave spicy or fatty foods, but there are many other common cravings during pregnancy apart from sweets and desserts. These are as follows:
Fast Foods:
The two most commonly craved fatty foods or junk foods are chips and pizza. With all the sweets, its okay to indulge yourself in other cravings every now and then but remind yourself that you need to keep your diet healthy. You can go for healthier alternatives, such as adding lots of nutrient-rich veggies to your pizza topping or baking sweet potatoes for yourself.
Spice Cravings:
The second most commonly craved foods during pregnancy are spicy foods. If you have recently noticed that you’re just craving a lot of spicy foods, then there is a good chance that you’re just experiencing pregnancy cravings. It is okay to order yourself something spicy. If you weren’t really a spice person before you got pregnant, you should start off with something mildly spicy to avoid any gastric problems as the sudden consumption may cause uncomfortableness such as heartburn.
Dairy Products:
We would say that craving dairy during pregnancy would be healthy as it contains milk, yogurt, and other dairy products. Dairy products are rich in calcium which keeps your bones healthy and help in the development of your baby’s bones and teeth.
You should be careful about always getting yourself pasteurized milk and pasteurized milk products such as cheese and other items to avoid any medical problems. Unpasteurized milk can potentially lead to infections that prove to be harmful to the mother and the baby, hence should be avoided.
Craving Pickles:
It is generally okay to indulge in pickle cravings too, which are common during pregnancy. You can satisfy your sour food or pickle cravings but be careful that you don’t overconsume it as consumption of too much salt can result in having negative results on your health. This can result in increased water retention and possibly preeclampsia, which can be harmful to your baby.
Meat Cravings:
Meat is rich in iron and is also considered one of the best sources of iron. Hence the craving could indicate that you may be suffering from anemia. Anemia is pretty common during pregnancy and occurs in about 20-80% of women. During pregnancy, more blood is required in the body for the mother as well as the baby, and hence there is a higher chance of having anemia. In such cases, iron-rich foods should be consumed, and consumed meat can be a very good source.
Cold Food:
Cravings towards ice creams and popsicles are also commonly seen during pregnancy hence the cravings towards cold foods. You might want to have a glass of a chilled milkshake or a chilled smoothie. These are not really harmful but can be made healthy by having frozen yogurt and homemade smoothies.
A Healthy Diet:
You can satisfy your cravings however you like but don’t make them a major part of your daily diet, go for healthier options. Carry out healthy activities such as pregnancy-friendly exercises to keep yourself physically active. Have a variety of food so you receive every bit of nutrition that your body needs. Consume proteins and fiber regularly as a part of your daily diet.
The Bottomline:
Having pregnancy cravings is completely normal, you could crave sweets or spice or something tangy. It’s okay to indulge them all but have them in a healthy portion. These cravings have no link to the gender of the baby, and the myths that you hear are just myths with no medical evidence. Talk to your pre-natal dietician for the best advice regarding your diet that would be the best for you and your little one.
