When do pregnancy cravings start?
The Positive Birth Company’s resident midwife shares everything you need to know about cravings, appetite and food during pregnancy.
When do pregnancy cravings start?
Pregnancy cravings can start from as early as 5 weeks. They tend to begin during the first trimester and then get stronger and peak during the second trimester. They often disappear or become less significant around 28-30 weeks onwards. It is not usually described as hunger, but more of certain food becoming hard to resist.
At the same time, you may find yourself having food aversions and disliking the taste or smell of certain foods, thought to be linked to the possibility of these foods carrying toxins (e.g., toxoplasmosis) which may affect the baby. This is why many people suddenly ‘go off of’ meat and other animal products in early pregnancy, as well as caffeinated drinks and fatty foods. If you are not experiencing food aversions it is still safe to consume these products, but please refer to the NHS guide for food safety in pregnancy.
Why do pregnancy cravings occur?
This area of maternity care is little explored and needs much more research to be able to give accurate answers. One train of thought is that due to increasing hormone levels and a change in the sense of smell and taste, certain foods become much less desirable and others become more pleasant. By far the most significant theory into cravings is that your body needs additional nutrients that are present in certain foods and food groups. Some studies have also looked into comfort foods and the release of hormones known to happen when eating certain foods like chocolate – which for example releases dopamine, serotonin, endorphins and oxytocin. These are all feel-good, mood enhancing hormones, so it may make sense to crave foods that aid their release.
Anything to worry about?
Usually, cravings during pregnancy are not cause-for-concern, unless you are craving items that are not usually considered edible. If this is the case it is important to resist temptation and aim to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.
What are the most common cravings?
There is a huge range of what pregnant people crave – from the frankly bizarre such as laundry powder, soil, rubber, petrol, cigarette ash and sawdust to the highly unusual like chalk, coal and wall plaster through to the more normal, such as; dairy, fruit, veg, meat and ice. But, by far, the biggest cohort of people crave sweet, fatty, starchy foods such as chocolate, sweets and breaded items. This feeds into the theory relating to the release of those feel-good hormones.
My advice:
I personally think it’s important to give in to those cravings and enjoy the foods your body is asking for (as long as they are edible). Just remember to have them as part of a healthy balanced diet in order to support your health and your growing baby.
If you have any further questions about food, diet and cravings in pregnancy the ‘Keeping well in pregnancy’ section of the NHS website is a really useful resource (https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/).