Food cravings are very common in pregnancy and can strike at any time of the day or night.
- No one really knows why pregnant women have cravings, but it's well known that pregnancy hormones can dramatically alter your sense of taste and smell.
- There's no evidence that women crave certain foods because they are lacking nutrients.
- You may crave salty or sweet foods, or odd combinations you wouldn't normally touch, such as bananas sliced onto toast and Marmite.
- Pregnancy cravings are usually harmless but it's not a good idea to fill up on too many sugary, fatty or salty foods.
- Food cravings may ease after the first trimester.
- In rare cases, pregnant women develop cravings for inedible substances like chalk, clay, coal or soot. This is called pica.
Coping with unhealthy cravings
- Try to find healthier substitutes for any unhealthy foods you crave, swapping chocolate for a cereal bar, some dried fruit or a currant bun, for example.
- If you are generally eating a healthy diet, don't worry about giving in to cravings now and again – just stick to small portions.
- Eat a good breakfast each morning to keep hunger pangs and cravings at bay.
- Eat little and often throughout the day to keep your blood sugar level up.
- Make sure you always have healthy snacks, such as fruit, rice cakes, nuts and seeds, handy.
- Keep a food diary to see what triggers for your cravings.
- If you experience pica, talk to your midwife