I’ve always thought how strange it was that something as marvelous as carrying a child can cause a woman to crave odd substances. Not only do pregnant women tend to have a strong urge to eat some of the most random concoctions and food combinations, but a few even want to eat inedible items, such as dirt or chalk! Some cravings arise from a lack of a specific vitamin or mineral in the woman’s system, however, a few are caused by the woman’s response to the pregnancy itself. The 8 strangest pregnancy cravings I’ve posted below might not seem like they are all odd, but you have to take into consideration the way some of the cravings are dealt with. Some women go all out and consume massive amounts of their craved foods, while other women create interesting combinations with their cravings.
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8. Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are definitely one of the strangest pregnancy cravings. This craving might arise in women who are lacking enough iron in their diet. A doctor should be consulted to have a test run on your iron level. It’s much better for both mother and baby if an iron supplement is taken, as opposed to munching on coffee grounds.
7. Fruit and Meat Combos
Strawberries and tuna, chicken with grape jelly, or bologna rolled up around a glob of peach jam. Many people eat cranberry sauce with their turkey, but this combination seems to be widely accepted. For some reason these other fruit and meat mixes don’t sound too appealing to most people.
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6. Cream and Other Dairy Products
This is actually a very common craving during the first part of a pregnancy because the embryo is developing and requires a lot of calcium. But, it's one of the strangest pregnancy cravings because it tends to be one that is carried out in large volumes. I remember my mom drinking 2 gallons of milk a day when she was pregnant with my little sister. We had to buy milk in bulk and keep 4 gallons in the freezer at all times. Pouring cream on everything is another dairy craving that can pregnant women give into.
5. Mustard or Another Spicy Sauce on Everything
A craving for spicy food isn’t as common as most other types of cravings, but it’s still out there. Some women don’t stop at adding a spicy condiment to their main meal. A handful of expectant mothers crave spicy food so much that they will frequent a Thai or Mexican restaurant as much as possible. While this craving isn’t harmful to the baby, a few women have noted that the onslaught of spices does take its toll. The women complained of heartburn and the babies were noted to be very keen on kicking and moving about in a more aggressive manner.
4. Anything Sugary
In general, this is a common craving for most women and pregnancy amplifies it. Women have said they would actually pour chocolate sauce over foods they were eating, just so they could enjoy the sweet, chocolaty flavor during their meal. Talk about having a sweet tooth!
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3. Rubber or Foam
Gnawing on either of these inedible items seems to be more of a soothing mechanism. The idea isn’t necessarily to ingest these substances. Sometimes the chewing action has a comforting effect on the mother-to-be.
2. Peanut Butter and Cheese
In addition to being one of the strangest pregnancy cravings I saw, I bet it's also quite binding. Supposedly the craving of nuts and beans means there is a magnesium deficiency. A pound of peanut butter, which is how much the small jars generally include, contains more than 700 mg of magnesium. This total amount is more than the daily percentage of magnesium suggested. Combining peanut butter with cheese will essentially provide pregnant women with plenty of magnesium and calcium.
1. Salty Foods
Not only are salty foods craved by some pregnant women, but plain salt as well. A neighbor of mine would buy large pretzels with rock salt on them so she could lick the salt chunks off. She never ate the pretzel, just the salt.
I’m always curious to find out what women crave when they are pregnant. I only craved cottage cheese. I ate it for every meal! Of course, that wasn’t the only thing I ate, but I did go through quite a few containers of the stuff. Surprisingly, I still enjoy it today. What have you craved in the past; anything on this list of the 8 strangest pregnancy cravings?
Top Photo Credit: jmteeter
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