I am pregnant with my third child. This ought to be news to most of you, and it explains at least part of why I’ve been posting so infrequently of late. It’s my first trimester, and (as usual for this phase of pregnancy) I’ve had very little extra energy. Parenting two kids, meeting my work obligations, and celebrating the holidays has worn me out.
But one thing has surprised me this go around: pregnancy cravings. It’s a common theme among pregnant women, but one I’ve never really shared in. My pregnancies have never been marked by strong aversions to smells or beloved foods, and I’ve never had to fight wanting to eat something that I knew to be downright unhealthy.
But this time is different.
I want Eggo waffles. For breakfast. Every day. I hadn’t eaten an Eggo waffle in years, and I’m afraid to look at the ingredient list now to write this post. But I’ve eaten Eggo waffles every morning for breakfast for the last two weeks, and I have no idea when I’ll stop wanting them. I’ve been making them “healthier” by slathering them with LOTS of butter from grass-fed cows, plenty of nut butter, and just the tiniest smidgen organic maple syrup (rather than drowning them in the stuff and creating an instant sugar bomb). But, they’re still Eggo waffles. No, I don’t want my home made waffles from sprouted whole grains either. I’m craving Eggos. Eggos.
And eggs — my golden standby nutrient-dense breakfast food — eggs smell bad to me. I can eat them, but I have a hard time cooking them.
I also want tater tots. TATER TOTS, PEOPLE!! What’s WRONG with me? I have a big bag of the cheap frozen kind in my freezer, just waiting for me to give in to the temptation. And I will give in.
I know that what I eat now can have long term affects on my pregnancy and my child’s health, so I’m trying to be good. I’m avoiding most refined sugar, despite the holiday festivities. I’m being sure to drink plenty of raw milk from grass-fed cows and take my fermented cod liver oil. I’m even forcing myself to swallow a massive pill of Krill oil every day for the extra Omega-3s since I know my diet is probably far higher in Omega-6s than it’s been in years. And I’m trying to get sufficient protein (I’m shooting for 65 grams a day, although I rarely hit the mark), despite the challenge of craving all these starches.
And you know what? Even though I’m craving and eating crap, I still feel like I’m doing pretty darn good.
So, I’m giving myself a pat on the back. And I’m giving one to all you other expectant mothers, too. You’re all like me — doing the best you can with what you’ve got.
I wish you all a very festive Fourth Day of Christmas. I hope you’re celebrating it well.
ETA: It occurred to me that those of you who are pregnant, nursing, or trying to conceive would also really appreciate Nina Planck’s honesty. I interviewed her earlier this year and also reviewed her new book, Real Food For Mother and Baby.
(photo by erin_ryan)
Liked what you read? You may find these other posts interesting:
|
  |
P.S. I go to great lengths to only advertise for products I enjoy and companies I believe in. That means that you're pretty much guaranteed to be happy buying from the sponsor below. Why not visit their site and check them out?
That’s pretty funny (and delightfully honest! I’ve been cheating on GAPS on the weekends with ice cream and neglecting to blog about it). I was going to suggest trying them, and then you’d see how gross they tasted. But it seems you already have, and are still enjoying them. Hmm, fascinating!
I don’t what kind of prenatal you take, but when I switched to Source of Life’s prenatal, something in it gave me way more energy. I was taking double their recommended amount by the end, but doing so caused me to not have ‘the sleepies’.
Congratulations on the baby!
Cara @ Health Home and Happiness´s last blog post …Sprouted Pink Lentils (In Soup)
Yep, these foods WOULD normally gross me out. But wow, tater tots with chili & cheese & jalepenos slathered on top — it’s almost heaven right now.
Thanks for the tip about the prenatals, and the congratulations!
~KristenM
Hi – I just read your twitter and it cracked me up! Thanks for the open HONESTY here about Real Food and trying our level best to keep to it. Though my pregnancies days are far behind me now, my only food dealings with my six were that I hated, loathed the smell and sight of popcorn. For years had heard about all the crazy cravings gals had and wondered if they were really true or just outrageous information floating about. Until we visited some friends years back one evening. We had 4 kids at the time and number 5 on the way ( I was around 7 months then ) ( total of 6 now all grown up ) and as usual I hated and loathed popcorn. We were offered ice cream as we visited. Debbie headed to the kitchen (she was in her first trimester or maybe a bit farther) to scoop up bowls of ice cream for each of us. She came back with bowls for each of us but her. She headed back off to get hers and was gone a long time. Finally she came back with her bowl…..triple the amount of ice cream she gave anyone else, chocolate syrup drizzled all over and diced dill pickles mixed in. That was enough to make me just nauseous looking at her concoction! Her hubby said it was a regular for her these days. From then on I believed every craving / craving concoction I ever heard of.
Hmmmmm. wonder what Raw Milk Ice Cream & Fermented Dills would taste like??
Pamela @ Seeds of Nutrition´s last blog post …Nourishing Traditions and Julia Child: Part I
WOW. That just sounds so gross. Pickles in your ice cream?????
Ah well, there must be some sort of rational explanation for these cravings. I should do some research and get to the bottom of it.
~KristenM
Oh, I love to hear about other people’s cravings. I’m currently 12 weeks pregnant for the third time as well, and I mainly crave sensible things like pineapple, cream (especially of the “ice” variety, but any cream-heavy thing will do) and fermented pickled beans. But I also have been craving bran flakes non-stop. I know how hard that would be on my digestion, and I have not given in because I simply don’t have any in the house since I haven’t bought commercial breakfast cereals in many years. But wow… what I wouldn’t give for a bowl of bran…
Rosie_Kate´s last blog post …Practicing
Well, in addition to Eggos and tater tots, I’ve been craving spicy things — Mexican food, hot & sour soup, you name it.
Congratulations! And oh, do I understand those crazy cravings. Early in the third trimester of my last pregnancy I suddenly wanted an Egg McMuffin and hash brown for breakfast. McDonald’s of all things! And I didn’t want to just fry an egg and put it on an english muffin. It was McDonald’s I wanted. I didn’t end up getting (probably best), but man, did I want it!
SemiCrunchyMom´s last blog post …See what happens when I try to write?
Oh see, you’ve got resolve. I would totally cave to the pressure of my craving — whatever it is. If I want it, I go get it and EAT IT. And thank you for the congratulations.
I’d love to take credit for wonderful resolve, but the truth is, my husband had the car and didn’t get my message before they stopped serving breakfast! *blushes*
SemiCrunchyMom´s last blog post …See what happens when I try to write?
did this with my pregnancy with Eliza and promptly vomitted within 15 minutes! learned my mcdonalds lesson.
congratulations Kristin on your babY coming!
emily´s last blog post …Links of Inspiration for Real Food Cooking
Congrats on your pregnancy! As for me, pregnant or not, I’ve always gotten weird, highly specific cravings. I rarely have random “sugar” or “chocolate” cravings or whatever. My cravings are even brand specific when applicable (like the horrible time when I was craving Keebler’s chocolate chip cookies – not homemade, but Keebler’s! Talk about gross and unhealthy!). The other day I wanted donuts – nasty Krispy Kreme donuts. And I actually ate some. Yuck. It was the first time in many, many months that I had something that grossly bad for me, and I felt so yucky after it will likely be many, many more before I’m tempted to do it again.
I certainly feel for you. But at least you’re able to fill in the rest of your diet with really good, healthy stuff. That’s way better than nothing.
Elizabeth @ The Nourished Life´s last blog post …Book of the Month: The Mood Cure Book Review
I get weird, highly specific cravings sometimes too. But they’re not usually for things that are BAD for me. I’ve always craved the good stuff. In many ways, I’ve trained my body to really trust my cravings. So this is truly bizarre….
Ha! I felt exactly the same way for almost all of the first trimester! I went from loving fruits and vegetables and eating them every day to hating the sight and scent of every one. The only things I wanted to eat were french fries and jelly beans. I have heard that nutrition during the first trimester doesn’t have as much impact as it does in the middle and the end. My aversions wore off when I was around 16 weeks.
Becks´s last blog post …R.I.P. Santoku
Oh, I hope this disappears after the first trimester too! That would be fantastic.
Reading @foodrenegade Pregnancy Cravings Make No Sense http://tinyurl.com/y9ub3h3
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Congratulations, Kristen!!!
I can so relate to this post. I’ve been pregnant twice, before changing my diet to nourishing, real food. The first time… gummy bears. I can’t recall how many I ate, and I really don’t care to remember. The second time… Dunkin Donuts (YUCK!). My poor husband. He made many, sometimes very late night trips there. Now I think it’s evil that it’s open so late, and sometimes 24 hours!
In retrospect, what I find most interesting about these cravings is that I favor savory, salty foods. I don’t have a sweet tooth at all. My husband even said to me (when I spotted Cookie Crisp at the store and literally couldn’t get to it fast enough), “Wow honey, this isn’t like you at all. Are you ok?” LOL!
Hang in there, and ENJOY those illicit foods when you can’t resist the temptation.
Awww, Congratulations! Ive never been pregnant, so i dont know what you speak of, but like you said, you’re doing the best you can with what you have. Have a very blessed New Year and blessings on the little one to come.
Mazel Tov! I only had one pregnancy with cravings (and only one with morning sickness – the same one!) He was tiny, born early, placenta previa, C-section, dangerously jaundiced and a handful even to this day, 17 years later! I wasn’t eating real food then, not even close. We were desperately poor and living mostly on bread scraps we could glean from stores when they purged their day old shelves. My craving? Deviled eggs! I could eat a dozen a day easily. If not for that high quality protein, he probably wouldn’t have made it into this world at all.
Local Nourishment´s last blog post …Leaping into 2010
Congrats on your pregnancy Kristen! My 3rd baby is now almost 10 months old. I know what you are talking about! She was my only baby that is a full WAPF baby. I prepared my body for a full year pre-conception with traditional foods. I was nauseated that entire pregnancy and tired and miserable the whole time. In my first trimester, I couldn’t stand meat, fat, veggies or much fruit. Even though I felt sick to my stomach all the time, I craved McDonalds, chinese take-out, Taco Bell, potatoes, bread, perogies, noodles, etc. Those things actually made my stomach feel better! Even though I caved into that crap, I still ate eggs, raw butter, and raw milk everyday. So, I figured the good must have made up for the bad! I still don’t understand though, why I felt so awful that whole pregnancy, despite the fact of all the traditional foods I ate. Hmmmmm…..
Hi Kristen – congratulations on your new little one coming along soon! I appreciate this post too, because although I’ve only been pregnant once (and I ate quite a bit of industrial food when I was pregnant because I didn’t know any better at the time), I assumed that if I ever got pregnant again, I’d have less cravings for unhealthy foods because I’ve been eating such a nutrient-dense diet for several years now…maybe I was wrong?
My husband and I have been trying for another child for five years…but I just don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get pregnant again. I had a ruptured appendix during pregnancy and the medical staff who were attending me were a bunch of bumbling idiots. I think my experience may have caused some permanent damage. Everyone keeps telling me to go to a conventional doctor and get some fertility assistance, but I won’t do it because if we conceive, I want it to occur naturally.
At any rate, when I was pregnant, I craved Baskin Robbins ice cream (which I ate sometimes several times a week) and lots of blue cheese. Who knows what would happen the second time around! In general, I don’t crave a lot of unhealthy, processed foods. But maybe that all would change if I were to become pregnant again?
Raine Saunders´s last blog post …My Adventures in Making Yogurt
Congratulations on the pregnancy! Hope it continues going well. Doesn’t sound like your bad cravings are too terribly bad. Have you thought about making your own tater tots? Probably the worst thing about the commercial ones is that that they are likely made with nasty vegetable oil. They are also likely made with potatoes full of pesticides and fungicides. Making your own with organic potatoes and frying in tallow would be ideal (though easier said than done). As far as the waffles, maybe try making your own with unbleached organic white flour. At least that way you’ll be avoiding the nasty additives in Eggos but still getting the flavor you’re craving. Some people are sensitive to the bran in whole grains and maybe your pregnancy has made you more sensitive.
Best wishes for a smooth pregnancy and birthing and a happy new year for you and family
Bryan – oz4caster´s last blog post …Sorry Soy
Congratulations! I was so happy to read this and find out that I’m not the only one! I’m 16 weeks pregnant with my fourth and have craved and eaten some HORRIBLE things, like McDonalds cheeseburgers, Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls, and Dr. Pepper–things I haven’t eaten in a couple of years. This is my first pregnancy since making over my diet though, so I decided my body just wasn’t wanting the things it had been eating right around conception (healthy stuff), and all that was left to crave was crap! Fortunately, the cravings have lessened, and I’ve been more able to eat healthy things again in the last few weeks. I’ll bet it’ll happen for you too in the next few weeks. Like you said, we’re probably all still doing much better than the average!
Congrats on your new little one!
It must be something weird with number 3. I’m currently pregnant with our third (due in April) and just like you, I experienced major cravings and aversions for the first time. For me I was craving restaurant-style chicken fingers with ranch, spicy food, and cinnamon rolls. And vegetables made me literally puke. (Even seeing a cartoon picture of veggies that my oldest son had colored made me sick.) There was over a month where I could hardly cook or plan meals. The good news is that it went away a few weeks after entering the second trimester and I’ve been feeling good and hungry for real food ever since. Hopefully the same happens for you!
Ah what a relief. I’m NOT pregnant and I still periodically crave junk food like that. It’s good to know that someone with such a great site, for such a great cause, is in-fact very human!
Congratulations on the new baby! Hang in there,
Lauren
The Daily Dose´s last blog post …Post Holiday Rebound
@foodrenegade Sounds like you are craving simple carbs, I’ve always thought nutritional wisdom & cravings were interesting http://ow.ly/QPNN
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
I was wondering what ‘happened’ to you! Congratulations, Kristen.
Your kids are so gorgeous – saw the newest (to me) picture with your son and you under your hat. When I was pregnant all I wanted to eat was healthy stuff, only to now realize I really wasn’t eating all that healthy — so I don’t think you have much to worry about once you get through your cravings — I’d say you’re allowed! ;o)
Be well, and I wish you all the best!
Congratulations Kristen! A fine reason for slacking off on your posts.
I also love me some refined sugar and carbs when pregnant, especially the first trimester. My most recent pregnancy was my first traditional foods pregnancy. Not perfect, but better than the first two. My health was excellent, and I had a very easy, quick birth.
Congratulations!! I am also pregnant, due the middle of June; this is my first baby. For the first four or five weeks, I was constantly craving bacon. So bacon we ate! But it’s so funny, I’ve recently developed a craving for frozen waffles; not specifically Eggos, but still. I bought a box of GF blueberry waffles at the store and they were delicious!!! Other than that, most of my cravings are for savory foods: burgers, cream cheese & bagels, a turkey sandwich from Panera, etc.
I’ve missed your posts these last few weeks, but I certainly understand the lack of energy. I hope all goes well with you and your newest blessing!
Emily´s last blog post …Ultimate Gratituesday 2009
Hi! Congratulations! I am pregnant too but MUCH farther along- due any day now! Yay! (I am definitely ready!) This is my 5th pregnancy and I had never been nauseous or sick until this baby! And I am healthier during this pregnancy than I have ever been. EVER. But this time, I could not stand the smell of bone broth- which I make weekly- or any food that took a long time to cook/bake/slow cook. I couldn’t even do the dishes unless the kitchen had aired out! LOL Anyway, I craved bread- white french bread, mashed potatoes, cookies, even doughnuts (which I NEVER liked- even in my unhealthy days). But I have gestational diabetes and have had to control my carb and grain intake to stay off insulin. (Boy, have I learned A LOT! And I had diabetes before with another pregnancy but this time I learned what to do from a whole foods perspective. ANd the info has been so interesting and truly helpful in controlling my blood sugar. I hope to blog about it when I finally get my blog repaired!) So I craved things that would have been totally dangerous for my health and the baby. And the more I gave into the cravings, the worse they became. And the worse my blood sugar numbers were. Once I got my blood sugar under control by eating a reduced grain diet, my cravings stopped. Cold. Interesting, huh?
Good luck with the pregnancy!
Eat well! Live well!
mel
Congratulations! I am so happy to hear this happy news. I had become a bit worried a little while ago when your regular posts reduced to Fight Back Fridays.
On Nov 18, I delivered my second baby – in the car while my husband drove the last mile to the hospital.
With my first pregnancy, a boy, I couldn’t stomach any starches for the entire pregnancy. I had a hard time eating fruit, too. And there was no way I could eat cooked vegetables or drink milk. Through all nine months, for breakfast I ate pancakes made out of oat flour, 2 eggs and cottage cheese (with some cinnamon & nutmeg, too). Lunches & dinners were huge salads with hard boiled eggs , black beans and chicken.
This time around, I had a girl. And I craved every kind of starch and nut. But I couldn’t stomach eggs to save myself. I drank raw milk to make up for whatever else I wasn’t getting in the rest of my diet.
I am SO glad to know that it wasn’t just me! Thank you for sharing so honestly. I look forward to hearing more as your pregnancy progresses. God Bless!
debbie´s last blog post …Please consider taking action
Debbie — Thanks for the congratulations! Hey, maybe this means I’m having a girl?(!)
Mazel tov, Kristen! I’m so happy for you. The few cravings you have I’m sure will hardly undo the years of great whole food cooking you have done for yourself and your family. Blessings to you!
Dawn @ Small Footprint Family´s last blog post …Firm Decisions for 2010…
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
My feeling about food cravings is that our bodies are trying to tell us we need something and our brains attempt to translate that need into a recognizable, memorable food item. I do think our bodies know what they need on some level, it is just up to us to decide if we should give it the specific label or something generic. I do try to trick myself by fulfilling my sugar craving with a sweet potato from time to time…
Of course, this has absolutely no bearing on my occasional, and completely hormonal, desire for a McDonald’s cheeseburger! No matter what you do to grass fed beef or home made sour dough buns…it just isn’t the same!
I didn’t really have any cravings per se when I was pregnant, but I, like Pamela @ Seeds of Nutrition, found the smell of popcorn absolutely vile. I never liked it anyway so I certainly didn’t feel a sense of loss, but it was truly bizarre.
Congratulations again and enjoy your Eggo’s!
– RFM
Real Food Mama´s last blog post …Figgy pudding and a variety of other baking woes
Congratulations!!! I wondered why you weren’t posting as frequently and this explains it! With my first pregnancy, I had a strong aversion to chicken – the sight, smell, thought of it. By the end of that pregnancy, I was craving Hardees chicken strips and my husband’s deviled eggs! Second pregnancy was better. More cravings for veggies and salads, but I also remember eating entire Papa John’s pizza by myself. Third pregnancy, couldn’t keep anything, not even water down for the first three months. Also craved the taste of beer during all of my pregnancies even though I’m not really a beer drinker.
The Working Home Keeper´s last blog post …Menu Plan Monday – January 4th
Thanks for being honest and frank about your cravings. Sometimes, it’s good to be bad. Just not often.
Nate @ House of Annie´s last blog post …Rambutans, plus a Grow Your Own Announcement
Thanks for the laugh! I am newly pregnant for the fourth time and laughing bc I understand! Cravings so far: bbq ribs, smoked salmon (what?), and Mc Donalds fries. I hate McDonalds, except when I am pregnant. This should have been my sign that I was pregnant.
Resisting the urge, I just had a bowl of quinoa, berries and nuts. But I would still love some fries…
Kimberly´s last blog post …Hello All
Congratulations! How exciting to be having a new little one.
My first thought when reading your post was, she’s having a girl! (I have two myself, and understand those strange, strange cravings!)
Rachel´s last blog post …Just a general update