Pregnancy cravings.

[Bex28]

I know that there are some really, really odd ones, like crayons, coal and limescale, but mine seem to fluctuate between ice lollies, granny smiths apples, pasta and anything with pineapple in it. 

Does anyone know why you have cravings for specific things in pregnancy, and why some are weirder than others?

Also, why is it that certain smells, especially ones that you used to love are now stomach churningly bad?

[spithray]

I might not be the best person to answer this question on account of being a man but here goes anyway.  I was led to believe that some cravings are based on the bodies actual need for something, translated into something where you think you can get it from.  For example, if the body needs carbon you may interpret this as a need for coal, if the body needs sugar, there's your Granny Smiths and pineapple and maybe your temperature is running slightly high, there's your ice lollies.  That kind of thing.  Some of them are just psychological.  I know a girl who got cravings for allsorts when she was only about a month pregnant.  All in the mind I reckon.  And my doctor friend reckons the smell thing is to do with changing hormone levels.  Hope that helps.

[kick3m0n]

The only thing I really craved was ice cubes.  I just loved to crunch them, and went through huge amounts during my pregnancy.  A few folk had said that it might mean this or the other (ie hairy baby, etc) but none of them were true when jnr arrived.   I can see that spithray makes a good point and he's probably right,.  For me the ice wasn't anything I was lacking as such (cos I used to drink loads of water and milk anyway) but all due to the texture and the feeling of the crunch.  Didn't find any smells made me nauseous.

[rachaelersk]

Hormones!!! they do the weirdest of things.Best to go with and not annalyse too much after all not much longer now. Anyway you have got nice cravings xx

Cravings cravings and i dont mean john cravings.he he

[Mrs_Pegasus]

When my mum was pregnant with me she ate ice cubes like kick2m0n and raw potato.  Years later I can be found raiding the ice box for a crunch and picking the raw potato from the pans on a sunday.  So thank you mum for that!

I told everyone I never had cravings when i was carrying DD this was probably while i was in the middle of another bag of Jelly tots or a bottle of milkshake! (take a bottle of milk, sip off the excess and add milk shake powder and drink without a glass!)

[nfn]

I craved chocolate which is bizarre as I couldn't stand the stuff before I was pregnant. Since the birth I can take it or leave it, I usually leave it! The smell of meat cooking, especially bacon had me throwing up for hours. I was a chef at the time - hmmmmmm!!!

[*Red*Queen*]

I craved mashed cabbage with butter with my 1st pregnancy, and crushed ice (tip tops used 2 hit the spot) with baby no's 1, 2 and 3 :)

I went right of tea, taste, smell or thought, and the smell off hot dog stands!!