I remember the first thing I requested when pregnant the first time. Spaghettios and canned pears. Yes. Nasty. But it was all I thought I could eat. And for the rest of the pregnancy, it was largely sweet iced tea, lightly toasted buttered bread, and at the end, cherry-coke slushies from Target. They knew me there.

With our second, it was half coconut cakes, apple turnovers, and milkshakes. Not exactly craved, but the only things tolerated. And with our third, a Coca-Cola and an entire avocado, every morning. He’s now nearly 6. I’m still losing that weight.

Cravings are common, and most doctors, midwives and other moms agree there is something to the desire. Something your body may need. And with morning sickness, there is the theory that you spend a large part of the first trimester unable to eat much, because thousands of years ago, this protected the developing baby, so fragile in the beginning, from potential toxins. When we women used to roam the land with our men, searching for berries and plants, this may have helped us not pick the stuff bad for baby.

Sometimes it may be a lot of protein-based foods, and if you look up the current stage Baby is in, you may notice neural development going on. Or if you’re heavier on the nuts, salmon and the like, maybe your baby is developing the part of the brain that requires more fatty acid content. And then there’s pica. The very strange phenomena of craving such things as chalk, laundry starch, and even hair. Ewww. No one knows for sure why this occurs, but some doctors feel there may be some link to an iron deficiency.

Most nutritional experts will suggest going with your cravings in moderation (eating the entire half cake is usually not recommended), listening to your body (unless it says “hair”), and trying to continue to supplement and compliment with a well-rounded diet. On the whole, a woman carrying one baby only needs 200-300 more calories a day, and only about 500 more when breastfeeding. I lost 25 pounds after my last pregnancy by determining my base caloric need according to my activity level, adding exercise, and 500 calories for nursing. Lost it all by the time the baby was 9 months old, and kept nursing till he was 15 months old, and would have me no more. *sniff* Don’t ask me if I’ve kept it off. Drinking lots of water is beneficial, also, as dehydration can contribute to pre-mature labor and an excess of Braxton-Hicks contractions.

I’ve several good links under the Nutrition section of Taking Care of Mommy-to-Be, and are reviewing a few books to recommend. I’ll have those up soon, and until then