40 Of The Weirdest Pregnancy Cravings Revealed – And The Science Behind Them

Even if you haven’t been pregnant – or around an expectant mom – you’ll know how strong cravings can be during this time. So many partners have rushed to the store in the dead of night for that one must-have snack! But not all expectant mothers want traditional dishes and flavors. Often, they’ll invent bizarre combinations of food – or sometimes crave inedible objects as part of their daily diet. Though why would anyone want to eat a chocolate-dipped burrito, soap or a bowl of dirt? Well, it turns out that science can explain many of these off-the-wall cravings.

40. Shaved ice… Or just plain ice

One mother-to-be on CafeMom recalled looking out of the window during her wintertime pregnancy and dreaming of eating the snow. Rather than doing that, she reached for sweetened shaved ice or plain ice to sate her cravings. According to the Mayo Clinic, experts say that chewing ice – whether you’re pregnant or not – can be a sign of anemia. It’s not clear why, but they suspect that it increases alertness, which counteracts the tiredness and weakness that comes with the condition.

39. Soup with a side of... Doritos

On a cold day, you might crave a bowl of soup. But one Buzzfeed Community user who was a pregnant parent-to-be had a very specific soup-and-side combination that they ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That meal was, “Doritos Nacho Cheese chips dipped in canned clam chowder soup.” Mmm.

38. Gravy on everything

More than one pregnant woman has admitted to a gestational obsession with gravy. One Reddit user said they “put a lot on chicken or biscuits until I realized it wasn’t enough, and then [I] would just drink it from the cup.” A BuzzFeed commenter apparently took things a step further – pouring the meaty sauce atop strawberries and cantaloupe!

37. Cheese in literally all forms

Lots of expecting mothers crave cheese – even Kim Kardashian. According to Marie Claire, the star told fans in a Q&A session that she wanted “mostly cheese, chili cheese fries, everything with cheese.” Other matriarchs on Reddit agreed, although they chowed down on “bowls of feta” or, perhaps strangest of all, “the cheese packet in a Kraft mac and cheese box.” Regardless of the form in which it’s desired, a need for cheese while pregnant means that the mom-to-be needs calcium.