This week’s Friday Question comes from World Moms Blog writer Tara B.  She asked our writers,

“What were your biggest aversions and/or cravings during pregnancy?”

Check out what some of our World Moms had to say…

MamaRobinJ of British Columbia, Canada writes:
“I ate a lot of pickles. And ice cream. But not together, because I’m not THAT cliché 🙂  But seriously, we bought big pickle jars every week!

Major aversion for me was salad – anything with greens turned me off completely.

Weird craving was for a McChicken. I don’t eat at McDonald’s and hadn’t for years and years. But I wanted one so badly. I didn’t give in, but that combo of craving and aversion made no sense. Isn’t your body supposed to want good things? Someone suggested it might be salt that made me crave that, but I think the pickles were taking care of that 🙂  In any case, my son (3) has never had McDonald’s and he will actually eat salad, so go figure.”

Asta Burrows of Norway writes:
“I didn’t really have any cravings but I started to love apple juice – which I never liked before. And I couldn’t drink tea or coffee!”

Jill of Illinois, USA writes:
“I’ve experienced three pregnancies, and each time was different, from a taste-bud point of view.

Crushing ice with my teeth was always wonderful.

Orange juice and freezer-pops were lovely too. I wanted cold and refreshing. It’s funny though, it didn’t feel like a craving, it felt so natural.”

FireCrystals of India writes:
“I had a craving just once and that was to eat my Mom’s beef curry. Since Mom was abroad, and I couldn’t be consoled n any other way, Hubby dear decided to make it for me. It didn’t taste as good as my Mom’s, but I appreciated his effort.”

Alison Lee of Malaysia writes:
“I stopped drinking hot beverages all together, so no coffee or tea. I just wanted ice cold drinks all the time.

I craved chocolate. Cliché, right?”

Courtney Cappallo of Massachusetts, USA writes:
“I had morning/noon/night sickness with both of my pregnancies for 18 weeks straight. During those 18 weeks everything was a turn off to me. When I saw raw chicken I threw up! I am normally a huge fan of nachos, I tried during both pregnancies to eat nachos and vomited each and every time I did. After the 18 weeks passed not a brownie or cookie was safe in my presence!”

Ambre French of Norway writes:
“I remember going crazy over calzone pizzas! I could very well stop outside meal hours and on my own in a restaurant to eat one… sounds crazy now ;-)”

Dr. Lanham of Arizona, USA writes:
“I craved fresh veggies all of the time…Green Beans to be exact! I couldn’t eat fast food or I’d get sick. It was lame for me, great for my kids – LOL!”

Karyn Van Der Zwet of New Zealand writes:
“My biggest aversions were odours. I always knew I was pregnant within days of conceiving because I couldn’t walk past a rubbish-bin or down the cleaning product aisle of the supermarket without wanting to vomit. I didn’t really have any cravings, except perhaps food in general. ;)”

Eva Fannon of Washington State, USA writes:
“With my first, I couldn’t eat tomatoes because they tasted metallic. With my second, I remember wanting to eat bacon – EVERY meal if possible!”

Jennifer Burden of New Jersey, USA writes:
“Chicken salad sandwiches on wheat with sliced pickles! And, chocolate ice cream and butter pecan ice cream! Mmmmmmm!!!”

Kyla P’an of Massachusetts, USA writes:
“With my daughter, I craved eggs: soft boiled, hard boiled, omelet, quiche, you name it I had to have it. And also beer, which kinda sucked since I couldn’t have any (or at least not much). My husband took it on as his personal mission in life to identify the best non-alcoholic beer on the market…of which I don’t really think one exists. I couldn’t STAND the sight or smell of cooking meat (mainly red meat).

With my son, I didn’t have many aversions but boy, did I ever start my deep love affair with chocolate, and not just any chocolate, it had to be dark…almost baker’s chocolate. I had always liked chocolate OK but never craved it before. Sadly, the craving didn’t stop once I gave birth. Oh, and Cheez It crackers…and REALLY spicy, funky Chinese pickled things and sauces. Man, pregnancy’s really a strange state, isn’t it?”

Maman Aya of New York, USA writes:
“With both of my pregnancies, I didn’t feel like I was craving anything… until I actually thought about it. With my first, I just ate a lot of blueberries and with my second it was cheese. I just felt that those foods were right to eat at the time.

I didn’t have any aversions either time, although I was conscious not to eat the “forbidden” foods.”

Maggie Ellison of South Carolina, USA writes:
“My 1st pregnancy, I wanted nothing at all to do with meat. I couldn’t stand to see it raw or cooked and the smell of it made me so ill. On the other hand, I craved strawberries and would take a drive, just to get some.

My 2nd pregnancy, I actually craved meat. Once, I took a drive just to get chicken wings! I ate some on the way back and when I looked down at my pregnant belly and the chicken wings, I just laughed so hard.”

Polish Mom Photographer of California, USA writes:
“For many months I was so proud of myself saying to everybody: “I don’t know what you are talking about. Cravings?! NONE!!!” and after that I would go grocery shoping and I would see “Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider” and I would buy like 6 packs of the small bottles and a few big ones (that was my supply for one week). After a few months of doing so I was still in denial: “I do not have cravings!!!” and once when I went out of my weekly supply I noticed that “I WANT Sparkling Apple Cider RIGHT NOW!!!” and we had to go to the store! Today when I see that apple cider I think that there is nothing delicious about that drink. I still like it and it still brings those memories…but it’s rarely at our house…that means never since my daughter was born.”

Salma of Ontario, Canada writes:    
“Hmm, I would have to say my biggest aversion was meat in all 4 pregnancies. Biggest craving last pregnancy (2010) was stuffed grape leaves.” 

Tara B. of Washington State, USA writes:
“For my 1st pregnancy, the only issue I had was with yakisoba noodle dishes. I couldn’t even look at them. For my second pregnancy, I got turned off of seafood, specifically salmon (which is a bummer given I live inSeattle). What I couldn’t get enough of was salty, processed meat. All of the sudden, I needed to eat salami sandwiches and pepperoni pizza. Funny enough, my son seems to have the same cravings.”

ThirdEyeMom of Minnesota, USA writes:
“I was terribly sick with morning sickness for the first twenty weeks of both pregnancies thus nothing ever sounded or tasted good except saltine crackers. Soon after that it was summer inMinnesota meaning all the fresh fruits and veggies were out and delicious. I can remember inhaling strawberries and blueberries until I turned red and blue. I also craved milk. I actually ate very healthy during my pregnancies and it felt so good! Once the morning sickness passed, food had an entirely different taste and satisfaction! I was starving and everything tasted good!”

What about you…what were your biggest aversions and/or cravings during pregnancy?  

And do you have a question you would like to pose to our WMB writers?  If so, email us at wmbsidebareditor@gmail.com to see what they have to say.

If you come back on Saturday, you might find a wrap-up from Jennifer Burden, World Moms Blog founder on this week’s posts.  And don’t forget to visit us on Sunday to take a check out where our moms will take you next week!   

– World Moms Blog

Jarred Pickles photo credit to Elana’s Pantry http://www.flickr.com/photos/elanaspantry/4886127155/.  This photo has a creative commons attribute license.

Strawberries and Blueberries photo credit to Surat Lozowick   http://www.flickr.com/photos/suratlozowick/4489492700/.  This photo has a creative commons attribute license.

World Moms Blog

World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children. World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.

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