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You Want to Eat What?!? Pregnancy Cravings Gone Too Far

Posted: Pregnancy & Birth » Problems | November 14th, 2006


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By Meagan Francis

When Kari (not her real name) found herself drawn to her laundry soap near the end of her second pregnancy, she didn’t think much of it. “I found that I really liked the way my laundry soap smelled more than normal,” says Kari. After her baby was born, her soap’s mysterious allure disappeared.

Less than a year later, Kari, again pregnant, began to notice that her laundry detergent was once more unusually appealing. At first she smelled it as much as she could while doing the laundry; then she found herself going into the laundry room a few times a day to “get a sniff.” Soon, she found herself smelling the soap obsessively and began to fantasize about eating it.

“I was sniffing it at least 20 times a day,” says Kari. “Then I felt like I had to taste it. Just thinking about it made my mouth water.”

Strange obsessions
There is a name for Kari’s strange obsession: pica. Taken from the Latin word for magpie (a bird with strange eating habits), pica is a condition that causes strong cravings for non-food items with little or no nutritional value. It affects a small but significant percentage of pregnant women. Some of the most common cravings include clay, dirt, laundry starch and ice, but women with pica have also been known to crave paint chips, ashes, toothpaste, plaster, coffee grounds, wax, hair, soap and cigarette butts.

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A special kind of hunger
The reason pica happens isn’t known for certain, but it has been linked to certain nutritional deficiencies such as low iron. “The ingestion of ice (pagophagia), starch (amylophagia) or clay (geophagia) is felt to be due to iron deficiency,” says Dr. Kenneth Johnson, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. “Once the deficiency is corrected, these bizarre cravings usually end.”

Sometimes, however, no nutritional deficiencies can be found — meaning the woman has to wait out the cravings. This can pose a health risk, as giving in to pica cravings can be dangerous. Many of the items on the list, like clay and starch, can interfere with nutrient absorption and lead to dietary deficiencies; others, such as dirt and paint chips, can lead to parasitic disease, bowel blockage or lead poisoning. Even ice, although non-toxic, can lead to iron deficiencies if consumed in large amounts.

But while non-food cravings often point to a dietary problem and can be dangerous, cravings for uncommon foods are generally benign. “Other cravings for unusual foods like pickles have no serious consequences,” says Dr. Johnson.

Finding some comfort
In Kari’s case, the obsession became frightening. She began inhaling the powdered soap and craved it more daily.

“I had visions of putting it all over my cereal in the morning,” she says. “I felt like I had a drug problem. I was scared that I might be hurting my baby.”

Still, Kari was too afraid to confide in family or friends for months. She finally told her husband, who got rid of the powdered laundry soap and bought a liquid variety to which Kari had no attraction at all. Turning to the internet, she was relieved to find that her condition has a name.

“I am glad to know that I’m not just crazy,” she says.
Since nobody is quite sure what causes pica, there is no tried-and-true treatment method. If you are experiencing strange cravings for a non-food item, the first thing you should do is resist the urge to eat it! Remove the item from your home, or have your partner get rid of it.

Next, tell your health care provider about what you are experiencing. He or she may be able to recommend a dietary supplement to help you, and talking about the problem may help you feel better and come up with ways to combat the cravings. And if you’ve already consumed a non-food item, be sure to tell your health care provider. Remember, you aren’t alone — and in most cases, your cravings will pass as soon as your baby makes his arrival.

© Meagan Francis; first appeared at ePregnancy.com

Meagan Francis is the mother of three wonderful sons. While she’s not tracking down Bionicle pieces, she works as the office manager/ communications director for a freestanding birth center. She’s also a freelance writer and has been published in magazines like Brain,Child, Skirt! and ePregnancy.





20 Responses to “You Want to Eat What?!? Pregnancy Cravings Gone Too Far”

1 Lacey says:

I crave drywall, and I have eaten it. It has been something that I was attracted to for both of my pregnancies. In my first pregnancy it was the only thing that would relieve my severe heartburn.

2 Kelley Faulkner says:

PICA is a serious condition. Do not give into the cravings if you have them. Let you care provider know immediately.

3 holly says:

i have been craving lobster. someone recently told me that it menas i have an iodine deficientcy is that true. also is it safe to eat during pregnancy. im only 5 weeks. also do you know why my gums hurt. any opinion would be appreciated

4 Micah's Mommy says:

I am 32 weeks pregnant and have been CRAVING the smell of paint, carpet, magic markers, and my pillow which is filled with small styrofoam beads. I am wondering if it is dangerous to be smelling these things just a few times a day?

5 ss3 says:

With each of my three pregnancies I craved the smell of rubber tyres ie. car tyres and the smell of Pine O Cleen - Eucalyptus scent only. I like Kari would start by just smelling it occassionally and the in the end, making special trips to the laundry or car to smell these items. It is a really embarressing problem and not something you can tell just anyone. I was fortunate however that this ‘Pica’ only affected me for the last four weeks of each pregnancy so it wasn’t a really long time to deal with it.

6 quen says:

I Am 28 Weeks Pregnana And I Crave The Smell Of Pine Sol! I Would Sit In Bed And Sniff The Bottle Of Pine Sol For 2o To 3o Minutes Everyday. It Made My Mouth Water! I Also Love Comet With Bleach Cleaner I Would Sniff The Can Everyday. It Made Me Feel Like A Druggie. My Iron Is Low.

7 chelsey says:

Hello…..I don’t know if this is where we leave questions, but my friend has been eating pieces of SPONGE like every morning….should I be worried about her?

8 Heather says:

I never had pica while I was pregnant, amazingly, - but I’ve been severely anemic for years. About 4 years ago it was really bad to the point I was wanting to eat scented candles, soap chips, paper, even downy, and a cup of ice was never out of my reach. I finally confided in my (at the time) boyfriend of 2 years - he laughed and thought I had gone crazy. If you’re having these cravings go to your doctor immediately - I waited a long time before I went and ended up in the ER getting 3 pints of whole blood because my hemoglobin levels were HALF of what they should be.

9 Nise says:

I am 6 months pregnant and crave anything plastic. Am also drawn to the smell of my laundry. If I could eat that, I would. Called my doctor today for information and his nurse laughed at me. I feel like slapping her as I know this is serious. I want to know if I have a deficiency or if something is wrong.

10 david says:

umm im a 17 year old guy im nomal except for the fact i crave drywall n my mouth waters when i look at it

11 david says:

why would i be cravin it is my ?

12 victoria says:

I am a nurse and I can answer Holly. No, lobster won’t harm either you or your growing baby, altough there is a such thing and too much of a good thing. Do keep that in mind. As far as it being an iodine deficiency, it is quite likely. Most PICA affected women after being testing…their cravings did match up to what nutrients they were lacking. Try taking a multi vitamin along with your folic acid each morning, if your not lacking you may reduce cravings. The main concern with PICA is that no a tiny taste of laundry soap wont kill you, but if it tastes that good to you, can you stop at a taste? A bottle of laundry soap, will in fact cause many problems. That it why it is such a concern, being in the medical field, we want you to fill those deficiencies and cravings… at a safe cost.

13 Michelle says:

I crave brown papertowels and only the brown ones, can you tell if there is anything in the brown papertowels that will harm my baby?

14 drea says:

i have to put laundy soap the powder kind to stop my craving i suck on it for a while then spit it out i dont swallow it because it can harm the baby.i also clean with it and wash my hands with it my craving are strong and i hate it! it sucks big time.just talking about it makes my mouth water

15 drea says:

i have to put it on my tounge (sorry for the typo in the first paragraph)

16 matt says:

i’ve been craving steak, i’m not pregnant but i might be hungry

17 mya says:

I have been craving this body powder, that has talc, sodium bicarbonate, and fragrance in it. It is getting so bad that my body begins to crave it just when I am leaving work, because I am on my way home. Every time I go to the bathroom I lock the door so I can taste a little bit of the powder, and those of you that have children know how often we pregnant women in the last weeks of pregnancy go to the bathroom.

18 Julie says:

I have been craving ice and the smell of gasoline and magic markers. I never want to eat the markers or drink the gas but it is the strongest sense of needing to smell them. I felt crazy telling my husband. I see my doctor on Friday and am worried they will tell me I am nuts.

19 vici says:

im 26 weeks pregnant and crave the smell of new rubber like you smell when going into Halfords. I also crave the smell of musty cupboards and sheds with paint and other DIY chemicals in them also the treatment for fences. I dont have any desire to eat them but I crave sweet popcorn to eat and love the sensation on the sides of my tongue when brushing my teeth. I do feel overall unsatisfied nutrionally and like im missing something but I have been vegetarian all my life and think Im might need to take iron tablets.

20 lassie says:

i crave stones or soil(ant hill) every time my menses are around the corner, what could i be deficient of nutritionally?its embarassing picking up stones to crack on, believe me!




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