This post may contain affiliate links, or we may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post. For more information on this, please visit our legal page.

It’s happened again! I have weird pregnancy cravings!

One of the joys of pregnancy is craving weird and wonderful foods and what people don’t understand is the absolute NEED to have them. I literally cry sometimes as if it is the end of the world if I don’t have mine! Basically, pregnancy makes you mentally unstable (obviously!) Ice is a craving that I had during my last pregnancy and it seems that it has come around for a second time. Ice cravings can actually be a symptom of iron deficiency in pregnant women because we need a higher intake but I have had plenty of tests and I am all good, fit as a fiddle and not deficient, just strange!

Ice Ice Baby!

So, yet again, I have the ice craving and it is driving husband up the wall with the constant crunching. I have them first thing in the morning, throughout the day and the other night I was chomping away in bed. We’ve even bought more ice cube trays and have 6 freezing at once so that in case I want double helpings (it happens) there are enough freezing!

At one point the husband decided to have the audacity to have 2 (yes 2) ice cubes for his drink in the heat and I grew angry and monster like about how unreasonable this was! Don’t take mamas ice cubes. (husband has since apologized, and then, of course, I did when I realized I was being an ice Psyco!)

I am not really sure what it is, but there’s something about crunching them that I crave! At least, this time around it is also a great way to keep cool over the summer. It was a nightmare in the winter for my first pregnancy as I was cold all the time anyway!

When I was pregnant the first time around, I didn’t really crave anything except ice cubes towards the end and this time the cravings started earlier but although it is weird I am on the lesser end of pica with these.

ice cubes

What is Pica?

Pica is the craving of non-food substances but foods (such as ice) that hold no nutritional value can also be included in this definition as well and it takes the food cravings a little further. Although I am fortunate enough that I haven’t had other typical pica cravings such as chalk, clay or dirt! (not sure how I would get around that one!)

What Causes Pregnancy Cravings?

There are plenty of hypotheses such as craving nutrients that your body is lacking, however, this doesn’t account for weird and wonderful combinations or pica! But doctors seem to most commonly attribute it to hormone fluctuations (and we pregnant ladies have plenty of those). For pica there can also be an element of mental health or compulsion disorders that can have a factor in craving types so it is always important to speak to your midwife. We have discussed mine and I have neither (yay) but it is always important to get checked out, just in case as it might increase your risk for post-partum depression.

Top 5 Weirdest Pregnancy Cravings

Here are a few more weird ones, just so I don’t feel so alone:

  1.  Onions (raw!)
  2. Pizza and ice cream (together)
  3. Dirt
  4. Pickles and mustard (might not be weird for some but I hate both ingredients, let alone together)
  5. Laundry detergent (yep, you read that correctly)

dirt weird pregnancy cravings

Have you ever experienced pica during pregnancy or had any weird cravings? 

My weird pregnancy cravings are back! Find out what I am craving this time around, plus what pica in pregnancy is and some weird cravings I have heard of!

 

by | 45 Comments

45 comments on “Weird Pregnancy Cravings, Pica & Ice”

  3. That is a strange craving, at least ice does not add weight and you keep hydrated. I did not have cravings but with my first I could not stand chocolate. This was great because I had been eating far too much chocolate. I lost weight with all my babies. The babies were all around 7-8 lbs.
    Happy crunching, not long to go now.
    Kathleen

  5. Hi Charlotte! There certainly are some weird cravings here. I didn’t really have any with my daughter and with my son I just craved chocolate milkshakes – not very weird at all!

  6. I never had pica but it sounds awful. Cravings already make you a bit crazy so I can’t imagine wanting to eat sand.

  8. I have never experienced pica before, but I can be a pretty weird eater at times, pregnant or not. For example, I like BBQ sauce on my veggie subs. 😀

  9. I had the craziest cravings when I was pregnant. One of my favorites was pickle grilled cheese and tomato soup! It was delicious!

  12. The weird thing to me is that PICA can happen at any time not just pregnancy. Anyone can get these sudden urge to eat weird things. I had a dog that loved sandpaper… even crossed species

  15. I never realized people craved plain old dirt. I had cravings for salt and tomatoes. Good luck wit all the side effects of pregnancy.

  19. Some women have crazy cravings, haha!! A few of my friends had a craving for ice cubes, I had one for Rice Pudding!! Great Post!!

  21. What a strange craving, like you said, lucky its not a craving for dirt or coal! I used to crave fudge. Really badly. One time it even affected my need to sleep and the next morning my partner rushed out to get some. The only weird thing was, every time I craved it, if I’d then have some I’d feel so sick! x

  22. Wow, who knew laundry detergent or dirt cravings could happen during pregnancy. It’s such an odd thing to want. I can understand the ice because of the crunch and coolness.

  23. Man, I wish I had ice cravings! I had Yodel cravings that drove my husband insane. It was an expensive craving, that is for sure!

  24. Lol I hope that I never have a craving for dirt but I think that ice is perfectly normal. It did make me laugh when you got annoyed at your partner for eating your ice cubes lol !

  25. I did crave baking soda with my last baby. Also craved cream soda with him too. My first kid was scrambled eggs, another pizza and then my third was Little Debbie snack cakes.

  26. I didn’t get any strange cravings during either of my pregnancies. I just wanted to eat all of my favorite foods, all the time, and have double helpings!

  27. Wow sounds like there can be a lot of intense and strange cravings during pregnancy! I’ve always been curious about cravings. Ice is an interesting one and I can understand about the different texture for sure.

  28. I didn’t really have any major pregnancy cravings apart from when I was in Tesco once during my pregnancy with my son and i just had to have a cheese and beetroot sandwhich. My mother in law told me her mum craved coal in her pregnancy with her.

  29. Funnily enough I didn’t crave anything while pregnant. I’ve never heard of women craving ice before. Crikey. My boy loves an ice cube though and I get the crunching thing lol

  31. Hormones in your body can certainly make you do strange things. I didn’t realize this was something that’s pretty common in pregnancy. I was so incredibly sick with my last pregnancy that everything did not sound good to me .

  32. I will definitely keep these in mind if I get pregnant! This is a super informative post for anyone who is going through pregnancy currently and wants to know they aren’t alone.

    Much love,
    Ashley | dearash.com

  34. Cravings for ice? Thats the first time I am hearing this. Very unique. But yeah, these are cravings after all. No one has any control!

  35. I was all about ice pops during pregnancy, especially nearer the end through last summer. I knew someone that was craving sponges which is so weird! In the middle of my pregnancy all I wanted was cream – chocolate eclairs, cream horns, even a cream tea would cut it.

  36. I’ve heard of pica before but never experienced it myself it is truly bizarre isn’t it! I never experienced this only wanted to eat bucket loads of yogurt lol.

  37. I remember reading about this when I was pregnant. Lucky for me I only craved McDonald’s Big Mac’s – which I suppose is bad enough….

  38. It is a good thing you don’t crave anything like metal or the stuffing from the inside of a sofa! I have heard some awful PICA stories. I still crave ice, since I was obsessed during my pregnancy. I am pretty sure it is the reason my daughter loves ice and eggplant as well! Good luck on your pregnancy!

  39. I never had any weird cravings like chalk, or pickles and ice cream, but I did go through days and even weeks of wanting to eat only certain foods like bowls of coco pops, or tuna sandwiches!

  40. That’s so interesting! I’ve never heard of moms-to-be craving for ice! I think it’s better than craving for dirt though. I don’t know how to deal with a craving like that. I guess that’s just really how pregnancy is.

  41. I’ve heard quite a few people say they craved ice! I’m currently 10 days overdue with my second baby and throughout both pregnancy I’ve not really had any proper cravings. I’ve fancied certain things, but not that burning desire I hear so much about.

Comments are closed.