Pregnancy Cravings 101
Pregnancy is an entire new and unheard phase of a woman’s life. Over just a span on few weeks, the body dons on an avatar and transforms into something completely different.
The women are entirely at the mercy of their hormones. While naturally, body becomes bigger during pregnancy; you are making a baby after all, but it is also the appetite the undergoes huge change.
Pregnancy initially may bring the morning sickness, which is a misnomer since many women get and stay nauseous all the time.
Serious cases may also then need to visit their Gynecologist in Islamabad due to the gravity of the situation.
Then, there are also food cravings to contend with. For many women, their entire palate changes during these nine months. They start to crave certain foods and abhor the rest.
Understanding food cravings
Mostly, cravings start somewhere around the end of the first trimester. They tend to peak during the second trimester and generally taper off toward the end, as the body is exiting the state of pregnancy.
The food cravings are not random. They occur due to the very specific changes going on around the body. Some reasons why women crave certain foods during their pregnancy include:
Hormones
The most salient reason for desiring ice at three in the morning is the hormonal changes. Naturally, body is in the transition period and making a baby. For to sustain this process, certain hormonal changes are occurring in the body.
Moreover, hormones not just change the way you crave the taste of certain food, but they also change your sense of smell, making it more acute.
Hormones also have an important impact on the mood, and we all know how mood impacts and influences our dietary choices.
Pampering yourself
Most women have a love-hate relationship with food; they hate how much they love food. And since the cultural expectation of the woman is being thin, they cannot indulge in food otherwise.
However, during pregnancy, they are free to eat to their heart’s desire. There is always the excuse that she is eating for two. Moreover, the body is naturally expanding, so there is also no concern about maintaining your figure.
Cravings give comfort
Due to the hormonal changes, women’s emotions are all over the place. Pregnancy mood swings are not a myth; they are very much real. Moreover, the thought of being responsible for the baby’s welfare before and after birth is also daunting.
Naturally so, women are in a fragile state of mind, craving comfort. Food can help give them the sense of peace that then relaxes them.
Eating for two
The nutritional needs also change during the pregnancy, as the woman eats for two. She needs nutrients for to not just sustain her body, but also give the right nutrients for her baby as well.
Therefore, you might crave food that your body requires for the baby’s and your own growth as well. You will not necessarily make the healthiest of choices, but as long as the bad food does not dominate your meals, it’s okay.
Sense of smell
You know how when you pass by a barbeque joint, you start to salivate? That’s because our sense of smell also then triggers our association with food. Since pregnant women have a heightened sense of smell, they can catch the wafts of food smells coming from the mile off.
These also then help in triggering their cravings.
Instinct
In some cases, your cravings and aversions may be based on instinct of what will harm and what will help your baby. Women are turned off by deli meat, coffee etc. because of this very factor. However, this is not true for all women, some might still crave such unhealthy things.
You should not risk the health of your child, and follow the dietary guidelines given by the Best Gynecologist in Lahore.
