Do Pregnancy Cravings Go Away? 6 Easy Ways to Control Food Cravings During Pregnancy

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Food cravings and food aversion are arguably one of the most common early signs of pregnancy. Most mothers go all the way to delivery, and even a few weeks after as the hormones gradually wear off. As it goes, too much of anything is poisonous, and pregnancy cravings are not an exception. Here’s how to control food cravings during pregnancy for a healthy baby and mama.

Food cravings are an urgent and strong urge to eat a particular food. While having food cravings during pregnancy is normal, they need to be controlled, which is easier said than done. It’s all right to say ‘Yes’ to your cravings, especially if they are healthy. It’s also perfectly normal not to have any food cravings in pregnancy.

However, you need a ‘sometimes’ or an outright ‘no’ to some cravings. How do you do this when your body is screaming for the 10^th bar of chocolate or the third bottle of Coke in a day? Read on to find out how to handle pregnancy food cravings.

Why Do You Crave Foods When Pregnant?

You’ve never had a Brussels all your life; you actually can’t stand them. Then you get pregnant, and you can’t have enough Brussels sprouts; you’re one second away from making Brussels juice, maybe some Brussels cake! What changed? Here are five reasons why you get food cravings during pregnancy.

#1 Hormones

Hormones are to blame for almost every change in the body during pregnancy, food cravings included. Your body is now swimming with hormones that have changed your taste buds and given you new taste favorites.

#2 Changed nutritional needs

The body’s nutritional needs have also changed as the baby takes nutrients from you, causing you to crave foods with the nutrients you need.

#3 Heightened sense of smell and taste

Certain foods whose smell and taste you barely noticed are now screaming at you miles away. You may crave the smells that appeal more to you and be averted to the ones that your nose and tongue don’t seem to like that much.

#4 Increased blood levels

Your blood levels increase in pregnancy, sometimes by up to 50%. This increase in blood requires more calories to maintain, making a pregnant woman hungrier and craving certain foods. You’ll notice that most pregnant women crave either very salty or very sweet foods that give them a burst of energy.

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#5 For comfort

There are enough discomforts in pregnancy to fill up a silo, with nausea and food aversion topping the list. Therefore, some pregnant women have a craving for a particular food that they presume will ameliorate the bad feelings in the gut. If pickles make nausea and spitting go away, you’re most likely going to be craving pickles most of the day.

Related article: 11 Pregnancy Symptoms You Should Never Ignore

6 Ways to Cope with Food Cravings During Pregnancy

Some cravings can lead a pregnant woman down an unhealthy slippery slope. Sometimes you may wonder, is it bad to ignore pregnancy cravings? During pregnancy, food cravings are not harmful; they may even be a pointer to a nutrient that your body needs. If you’re feeling like your food cravings are overpowering you, here are a few tips on how to control food cravings during pregnancy.

#1 Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach

It’ll be tough to keep away from cookies, chocolate, and sugar-coated donuts of you’re walking down an aisle of candy on an empty stomach. To keep yourself from overindulging, ensure that you have had a filling breakfast or lunch before running errands.

You may not know when the craving will strike with pregnancy, but if you’re out running on empty while growing a baby, you can be sure the urge will strike. Drink water and take heavy food to keep you feeling full until you can get to a place where you can have a proper meal. This is one way to deal with cravings during pregnancy that also works post-partum when you need to shed that baby weight.

Related article: Post-partum Fitness Routine

#2 Eat healthier foods regularly

When you consume healthy foods frequently, your body will have the nutrition it needs in all the right portions. In case your craving was due to specific nutrients missing in your body such as calcium or iron, eating healthy will help provide these nutrients via healthy alternatives.

If your food cravings during pregnancy are healthy such as vegetables and healthy nuts, feel free to indulge in those even if it means eating the same thing every day. Craving meat during pregnancy is also not too bad for a craving choice but you should eat lean meats and safe fish species. Avoid Tuna and King mackerel family as they may contain high levels of mercury.

Cravings change, and what you have a yen for today may be repulsive to you the following week. Take advantage of the days when your cravings are healthy and keep stock for the day you’ll be feeling like eating potato chips the whole day.

Instead of candy, confectionery, or fizzy drinks, take whole grains and nuts. If you have the stomach for it, take dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. Substitute soda and processed juices with sparkling water, lemon, ginger water, or any infused water you prefer.

Make sure that you have already made plans for your snacks before the craving strikes. This is one of the most useful answers to how to control food cravings during pregnancy. When the urge strikes, you may end up reaching for whatever is available, and in most instances, it might not be the healthiest item in your kitchen.

Exchange your regular white bread with brown bread or bread made with fruits and nuts. Banana bread, Zucchini, and strawberry bread will give you a better alternative. If you feel like you can’t live without fried potatoes, use sweet potatoes and carrots instead.

When you have filled your quota of healthy foods, a little indulgence won’t hurt.

#3 Reduce Your portions and the frequency

One of the best methods of controlling food cravings during pregnancy is making your portions smaller. There may be nothing wrong with eating ice cream, but you will be in nutritional and weight trouble if you consume a whole 500 grams jar every day.

You will gain lots of weight, and your baby will not get all the sufficient nutrients they need. Take a scoop at a time and reduce how many times you will allow yourself to indulge in an unhealthy snack. Fill up the rest of the space with something healthy and filling to keep you from needing more of the less healthy food items.

As your pregnancy progresses and your stomach gets squashed underneath, you will find it easier to eat smaller portions frequently. Do the same for all your meals to prevent heartburn and constipation in the later stages of pregnancy. Divide your meals into six filling but little portions as opposed to three large meals in a day.

Related article: 11 Pregnancy Hacks for First Time Moms

#4 Don’t miss your breakfast

Breakfast is undoubtedly the most important meal of the day. If you’re seeking to control food cravings, it’s highly recommended that you don’t miss this important meal. Your sugar levels are lowest in the morning, and if you don’t compensate for that, you’ll be trying to fill that up with less healthy options during the day.

To keep the cravings away, have a heavy breakfast with more emphasis on high proteins and complex carbohydrates. These will help you feel fuller for longer and keep your hand from the cookies and candy jar. Knock off the sugar craving with fruit jam spread or healthy sweet fruits such as bananas.

If you’re not able to sit and finish your breakfast all at once, pack it up and eat it on the go. You can take little biting for the whole morning to keep you well-fed and curb unhealthy food cravings.

Related Article: 1 5 Best Foods for Pregnancy

#5 Choose healthier snack options

Cravings don’t acre of nutritional benefits statistics, but you should. If you’re looking for answers on how to cope with cravings during pregnancy, you should try substituting unhealthy snacks with healthy ones.

Consume more baked foods and eat less fried foods. Eating potato chips during pregnancy and other kinds of deep-fried foods should not be done more than twice a week. The excess fat in fried foods is harmful to you and your baby. Besides, it only makes for more baby fat to get rid of once the baby has arrived. Make your pastry with whole-grain wheat flour instead of refined flour.

One of the best answers on how to curb sugar cravings during pregnancy when your body needs a sugar rush to settle down is eating a banana or any other sweet fruit to meet that want. Choose healthier and wholesome snacks such as popcorn and groundnuts, as opposed to potato chips and waffles.

Chocolate may be bad for you, but dark chocolate isn’t. This a little secret to how to control food craving in pregnancy – nibble on some dark chocolate. If you’re craving sweets, which are high on the pregnancy cravings list – substitute regular chocolate with darker chocolate.

Dark chocolate of perfect for boosting your moods, and who wants a pregnant momzilla anyways? It’s also rumored to reduce your chances of developing pre-eclampsia, which is a win-win for both mom and baby. Ensure that you read the labels and that the dark chocolate brand you choose doesn’t have sugar as the first ingredient. This is one of the healthy ways to control pregnancy cravings. Remember, moderation is key; take the chocolate with caution as it’s high in calories, and you may end up gaining unnecessary weight.

Related article: Common pregnancy problems and solutions

#6 Give it a minute

What happens if you ignore pregnancy cravings? Well, it may just go away! If you have a passion for unhealthy foods more frequently than you’d like to admit, try ignoring it when it strikes.

Do something to take your mind off it, such as a walk or chatting with a fellow preggo mom, or just taking a cup of water. After 10 minutes, you’ll probably have moved on from the craving for another scoop of ice cream to nesting and doing other pregnant mom things.

If the craving is triggered by being in the presence of a non-desirable food item, walk away from it. Once the smells and sights are removed, you might be surprised that you actually didn’t want to eat it. Out-of-sight will work well for the craving to get out of your mind.

When Not to Give in to Pregnancy Cravings

Sometimes, pregnancy cravings can be strange and outrageous – such as a craving for soap or a piece of rock. This craving for unnatural things that are not food is called Pica. Pica can shock you and those around you and is unhealthy for you and your child.

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These non-food cravings can have dire consequences on your pregnancy and your body. The side effects of eating soap during pregnancy are pain and swelling in your throat and gastrointestinal problems that may cause severe vomiting.

Pica is a sign of a severe nutritional deficiency such as a lack of iron or calcium or any other trace elements vital for your baby’s development. If images of soap are beginning to cause you to drool and salivate, talk to your doctor about it. He can recommend supplements to raise the mineral levels and keep the unnatural cravings away.

FAQs

Do pregnancy cravings go away?

Pregnancy cravings do go away in the third trimester or immediately after giving birth. Most women first experience cravings in the first trimester while some start in the second trimester.

How long do cravings last after giving birth?

Doctors say that most women stop cravings right after giving birth but some may continue after delivery for a few weeks. That means you may continue to eat strange things for a few more days.

What happens if you ignore pregnancy cravings?

It is okay to ignore pregnancy cravings as long as you are eating a healthy diet and taking prenatal vitamins. It is not advisable to give in to unhealthy cravings for sugary or fast foods all the time as they can make you gain unhealthy weight during pregnancy.

What is the most common pregnancy craving?

Some of the most common pregnancy cravings include ice cream, cheese, spicy food, chocolate, cake, pickles, and peanut butter.

Is it OK to drink cold water when pregnant?

It is okay to drink cold water when pregnant if you’re thirsty because it doesn’t pose any danger to the baby and the body adjusts the temperature once it gets to the stomach. However, take it in moderation, especially in chilly weather for your sake.

Conclusion

Cravings start at the onset of the second trimester and wane in the third trimester. Some women may experience these cravings earlier and much later in the pregnancy. Regardless of which week the craving strikes, these pointers on how to control food cravings in pregnancy will come in handy.

The goal is to grow a healthy baby, and that starts on your plate. Be conscious about what you’re eating and make healthy eating a very deliberate effort. Pregnancy cravings take a lot of self-control, which is a virtue needed in motherhood in general.

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