I’ve always had cravings during pregnancy. On my first I craved chicken, and as a strict vegetarian of ten years I gave in and licked buckets of KFC, something I haven’t been able to look at since. On Frankie I craved rashers, I couldn’t get enough of the salty goodness and I still eat it to this day. I’m no longer a vegetarian, I eat fish, chicken and rashers. And on Frankie, Kadie and Bump I’ve craved chalk, as in the chalk you give the kids to draw on the ground and black boards with.
Yes, I’ve actually ate it, not yet in this pregnancy as I’ve managed to substitute it. I dunno if it’s the taste, the texture or what, it’s a weird one. I remember during my pregnancy on Frankie if I craved chalk in work I ate loop the loop ice creams ’cause the yellow part had a chalky feel to it and satisfied me until I got home and ate unusual amount of Silvermints and Rennie.
A craving for chalk or any non food substance is known as pica. The word pica is Latin for magpie which is a bird notorious for eating anything, sounds like me in general. There are loads of pica cravings from ice, coal, fire lighters and toothpaste, and there more common than you would actually think.
There is forums full of expectant mothers craving crazy non substance foods. From my own research the most common cause may be an iron deficiency, something I do not have. My bloods (minus my platelets and thyroid) are always on point. I’ve no nutrient deficiencies, nor have I in any of my pregnancies. I take a serious amount of supplements including iron, folic acid and calcium every other day so I definitely ain’t lacking.
Yesterday we were in the car on the way home from Kayla’s brothers third birthday party and I bribed her for the chalk lolly in her party bag, I actually bribed a six-year-old for a lolly. I’m an absolute nut job but I can’t help it.
Joe thinks it’s hilarious, no phone call is complete without ‘you had any chalk today’ or he’ll make tea and ask if I ‘want some chalk with that?’. It doesn’t help that he’s a plasterer, he’s offering sheets of plaster board. He picked up twelve packs of Silvermints in the shop the other day just to take the piss out of me.
So there it is, out in the open. I’m craving chalk. For now I’m okay with my chalk lollies, and my stock of Silvermints. Joe doesn’t need to worry about walking in to find me nibble through the walls yet, I think…
Have you had any weird pregnancy craving?
On my first I couldn’t get enough ice cubes, I’d go places for lunch just to get pub ice cubes and order a pint of ice cubes and crunch them! When I think back I’m pretty embarrassed!
A pint of ice there please haha, at least your not asking for pints of chalk lols
Aah Chalk is such a strange one! You poor thing! I would really love to see a post about our bodies crave such unusual, and often dangerous, foods (or non-food items) during pregnancy xx
It’s a strange one alright, I’d prefer to be craving ice or something, at least I’d be keeping hydrated at the same time x
I have heard of ladies craving chalk before! I never had any strange cravings with Bella I just craved milk and salty crisps! xxx
Really, I’m not weird I promise haha, I’d rather the milk and salty crisps.
How strange! I’ve never had any pregnancy cravings. I’m glad your not eating actual Chalk. Maybe try extra strong mints, they are quite chalky xx
The Silvermints are chalky mints, they’re doing the trick for now 🙂
Ooh isn’t chalk something to do with calcium? I was all about the ice cubes in my last pregnancy… and the meat! xx
Yes, they say it’s to do with calcium but I take calcium vitamins every other day. Not lacking any, it’s so weird…
Never had cravings. On my first I couldn’t eat chicken. A microscopic piece and I was full. Weird I know. Actually I ate pears and pineapples a lot. Tonight was the first time I had pineapple on my pizza and honestly I hated it so seem to be still completely off them.
Second I had no problems.
Pineapples is a popular craving, I hear it’s suppose to ‘help’ bring on labour too…
Oh I loved milk with my 1st pregnancy, but I have never heard of craving chalk, poor you having to deal with that!
I know it’s a strange one alright, I’ll be grand haha
Ice I couldn’t get enough, I used to buy a bag for work everyday, but my absolute favourite was getting home filling the blender with ice and making snow. This had to be fresh dry ice!!!! Nandos do great crushed ice…
Ice seems to be a popular pica craving. Were your teeth not super sensitive? Mine hurt so bad in pregnancy the thoughts of anything super cold in my mouth is making me cringe. Rather ice than chalk though….
I’m not sure I had any cravings for my two pregnancies but when I was pregnant with my twins I have never been so hungry! One hung that always reminds me of eating chalk is Edinburgh Rock, it’s the same colour, shape and texture.
Oh you would have needed all the food to keep going making two babies, I haven’t a huge appetite this pregnancy but wait till I enter the third trimester I’d say I’ll be eating my way through the house.
I never craved anything that wasn’t food but my friend used to sit chewing on a sponge! 🙂 x
Oh I’ve seen that on the TV before, another strange craving. What’s with our bodies craving all these weird things?
How funny! I craved lemons with my first baby and ice with my second x
WOW! That’s amazing — I’ve heard about this but never spoken to anyone it’s actually happened to! I craved chocolate milk with the twins!!!! I got through gallons of the stuff! 😉
I crave chalk! 34 weeks pregnant