Sunday, June 25, 2006

Riding the Craving Train

During any conversation about pregnancy, someone will inevitably mention cravings. The running joke about pregnancy cravings involves Rocky Road and Kosher dills that send some poor father-to-be scurrying into the night to retrieve them. My cravings have never been that eccentric, yet. I can appreciate the urge behind them, but find myself wondering what causes expecting moms to yearn for specific food items.

Some physicians believe that pregnancy cravings are signals your body sends to get needed nutrients. For instance, a craving for steak may stem from an iron deficiency or an urgent need for ice cream may be signalling a calcium need. Cravings don't stop at edible items. Some women yearn for strange items like gasoline, cigarrette butts or laundry detergent, a condition doctors refer to as pica. Even inedible cravings can point to nutritional deficits.

Other physicians think cravings are a load of bunk, citing that pregnant women probably just need a hug. Those physicians are obviously single, childless men. I would interpret a hug as an attempt to restrain me from fufilling a need. Besides, most pregnant women have become unwilling martyrs when it comes to indulgences, forced to give up every vice or fun activity in order to gestate safely. I realize I am doing this for the most wonderful reason, but I still long for an icy cold beer, a triple espresso and a satisfying roller coaster ride. There are some cravings in which pregnant women don't indulge, so why not treat the one vice left: food?

My cravings have ranged from ice cream to steak (not rare mind you, that is a no-no) and from Mexican to Chinese. Sometimes they are general in nature (BEEF!!!) other times they are incredibly specific (Vlassic Mini Dill Pickles spread with Philadelphia cream cheese and rolled in a slice of Sara Lee Slow Roasted Corn BEEF!!!) I do crave strawberries and crab legs. In fact, Dan can create cravings by merely mentioning an edible item. I sometimes think he steers me to cook, by dropping subliminal craving messages.

Dan has been a champ through both my pregnancies when it comes to helping satisfy cravings. He is trained to call home before he leaves work, to get my craving list. I am living every pregnant woman's dream, married to a man who manages a grocery store. Besides bringing home my eccentric requests, he also happily eats whatever strange concoction I prepare. He is a hostage on the craving train. So am I. I believe The Deuce is the conducter on this train, pushing the buttons from her cozy womb with no view.

6 comments:

Jamie said...

I craved plums and grilled chesse .

once I wanted a cheese burger from Mcdonalds at 4:00AM, I had to go get it myself. I wanted it so bad I waited the 1/2 hour till they opened. i then found out only breakfast was being served ):

My pregnant belly got me a cheese burger and fry made for me. Thanks to that simpathetic woman who probably knew what I was going through.

See you guys in a few days!!!

Laura said...

LOL at the BEEF!! I was the same way. I also ate cereal 2-3 times a day.

Riss said...

When I was pregnant, if anyone had tried to give me a hug instead of whatever food I was craving I would have stabbed them.

I never had the ice cream crave, I always wanted Indian food and guacamole. Sometimes at the same time.

Anonymous said...

I'm hungry now...

Anonymous said...

I may go eat something..... green..... in a jar.....

A pickle, a tony packo's sweet hots. yum.

Sorry Dan.

Trinity13 said...

I def know what you mean about craving things. I'm a little over half way through with my pregnancy, and most of the time I crave either beef/steak or cereal. And I have at least 8 different types of cereal in the house so that my specific craving can be met! :-)