Pregnancy

Pregnancy... Where you send your husband to buy something at 11pm, only to have him return home & be rejected.

The most common question I have received during this pregnancy is "what are you craving??" - My only answer, Coca-Cola... A drink that I would NEVER have picked up myself, but the only thing that quenches my thirst. I am both disgusted by my desire for it, but also well-pleased that it has been my only "GET THIS FOR ME OR I WILL DIE" craving.

However... Aversions... GUH. Shall we even go there?

From about a week before we found out that I was pregnant, my tastebuds changed dramatically and I developed some form of hatred towards any & all foods. The smells, the tastes, the textures... oh lawd, the textures... Food was honestly my nemesis well up until the beginning of my 5 month pregnancy mark.

Even the memory of it all, sends chills down my spine. Think of a time where you had really bad food poisoning, now imagine it carrying on for 5 months. Something out of a Stephen King book if you ask me.

Food cravings and aversions are so common in pregnancy and are explained by multiple theories, the first known as "taste aversion learning." This was a study which examined the association between the different levels of cravings & aversions... So basically, it studied the onset of nausea and the triggers thereof.

It is believed that the power of association compels pregnant women to train their mind in thinking that certain tastes/smells will be triggers of nausea and vomiting - causing them/us/me to avoid and feel sick at even the thought of certain foods. Whereas, we crave the foods that we believe won't have us clinging to the toilet bowl.

A second theory, which I was always led to believe, but one which I have recently learned does not have substantial scientific evidence; is that during pregnancy your cravings are linked to dietary deficiencies. For example; you're craving ice-cream due to a lack of calcium. But like I said, there's not enough substantial evidence to back this theory up.

Another common pregnancy condition known as "Pica" is the craving of non-food items (dirt, rocks, clay etc...) This could be a cause of concern, and you should definitely seek medical advice, as giving in to such cravings will not be of benefit to you or your baby, so do your best to resist the urge.

Leave me a comment below if you have had any weird cravings or nasty aversions?

Q. What is the most common pregnancy craving? A. For men to be the ones who get pregnant.

(The truest thing I ever did read.)