The cravings of pregnant women for particular foods are legendary. In reality, although some women do get strong cravings, many do not.

Cravings are usually for sweet foods, or for unusual combinations of foods. Some women experience such strong cravings that they can’t sleep or relax until they have that particular food.

No one knows for sure what causes food cravings. Many women find that their senses of taste and smell are changed by pregnancy. For example, some women experience an odd metallic taste in their mouths very early in pregnancy (maybe the first sign of pregnancy for an 'experienced' mother!), whilst others find that taste and smell are dulled by that nasal stuffiness. It could be that these changes also affect food likes and dislikes.

Some people think that cravings happen in response to temporary deficiency of specific nutrients. There is probably some truth in this, but it is not the whole story. We only need minute quantities of each vitamin and mineral - certainly not enough to justify a continual craving for just one food.

For some women, food cravings may be a conscious or subconscious response to emotion. You may crave a favourite childhood food, or a food that is of special significance to your religion or culture - especially if you are otherwise removed from that background. Craving unusual foods may be your private way of marking the special state of being pregnant.

Rather than develop a food craving, many women find they suddenly go off certain foods or drinks – coffee and alcohol, maybe, or fried foods or very rich foods. This is often related to pregnancy sickness, but may also be the body’s way of ensuring that they eat and drink wisely.

A craving for non-food items – such as soap or toothpaste – is known as 'pica'. Pica is potentially very harmful if indulged.

What do I do about it?

Generally, there’s no harm in giving into food cravings, especially if doing so helps you through a day or three of pregnancy sickness. However, try to indulge only in moderation. If you eat a lot of one food, you are probably not eating much of anything else and may, over time, become deficient in important nutrients.

Use your craving as a prompt to take a close look at what you eat. Keep a food diary for five days or so, and then review whether you are eating a balanced diet – there's plenty of information about healthy eating on babyworld. If your diet is inadequate – perhaps because of prolonged pregnancy sickness – then ask your pharmacist, midwife or doctor to recommend a suitable vitamin and mineral supplement.

If you develop a passing fancy for coal or chalk, resist the craving and award yourself a more sensible food treat – a bar of chocolate, or cream cake, maybe. Tell yourself the craving will pass, and try not to worry about it. If, however, you find that craving things like soil and sandpaper is making you feel very unhappy and frustrated, tell your midwife or doctor. Just occasionally, pica can be a sign of underlying physical or mental illness.

Revised by babyworld midwife, Hannah Hulme Hunter November 2000.