Possibly the weirdest craving ever-or maybe not?

Okay. So I didn't have this during my last pregnancies, but I have in the last few weeks begun to have very weird cravings!
I have been craving dry dirt, you know lilydale topping? the kind of dusty dirt you get with that. I remember sucking on the stoneS when I was very little and I would love to have a big bowl of that right now!!!!! I find myself driving in the car past a patch of dirt thinking, mmmmm, that would be tasty hahaha.
I have also been loving the smell of wet dirt, wood burning, petrol......(dodgy sounding I know!).

Anyway, I didn't think I would find anything, but googled it anyway and found that perhaps it wasn't as weird as I first thought. It even has a name - Pica. Mum says I had it when I was little - I would eat clay.
Apparently it can indicate a lack in iron or some minerals.
Obviously I'm not indulging in these cravings, but I am enjoying crunching on ice cubes which helps a little. It's just that these cravings are soooo strong!

So has anyone else had these bizarre cravings? If so, did you ever find out why?
How did you reduce them????

Thanks
Carrie

hahahaha no i didnt have any that weird but i have heard of alot of people craving dirt before. Could it mean your low in something? (lol thats not dirt)

that is weird lol I read about a lady in thats life who ate sponges, she liked sea sponges the best but would eat any if she could, she would just boil them up, and once they were cool she would eat them...

maybe you could ask your doctor/ midwife at your next appointment, if there was any way you could eat some...

My place would be a dream for you, we are covered in bulls dust, its everywhere, no matter what I do it still gets in the house... your could always come over and lick my house clean :rofl: sorry thats not helping...

the only thing weird I ever did when UTD with my girls was spit... yep I couldnt swallow my spit it was so gross just the thought of it would be enough to make me want to be sick, so I had a empty bottle next to me at all times and spit into that, and if I was out I would have to sip water the whole time so I could swallow it... ;) Thanks God it stopped at about 20 weeks or so

I'm trying to think of what's in dirt. Potassium maybe? You should post in the naturopath section maybe Nicole would know?

My cousin was craving burnt matchstick heads when she was pg!

double post

look up cravig ice when pregnant, my friend has just been diagnosed wiht low iron, and she always wanted ice and apperntly the ice sucking absorbs it or soemthing so thats what makes your iron low, soemthing along those lines

I'e heard of pica and if you had it when you were a child it can often come out again during pregnancy! It wasn't something that I had but when I came across it on the internet it said it is pretty common so you're not weird after all ;)

GTF I know a girl who is pregnant now and can't swallow her spit either! :o

i just googled as i know dogs often eat dirt of their low in something (please dont take that the wrong way ) and its says it can be a sign of Iron deficiency, id get a bloodtest hun!

Green tree frog- pmsl @ licking your house clean, could work out for both of us! Funny with the spit thing!
Pandora- Did she ever try the matchsticks? At least I dont have any lilydale topping in my garden, or I might be in trouble.
Olive- No offence taken LOL! Funny thing is, that I did ask my midwife about iron levels at my last appointment as I've been pretty tired and grumpy. She said that my BT was fine, but that was done a while ago, so maybe it's changed.

I also have a dairy intolence, so don't get a lot of calcium. So think i'll start taking calcium tablets

I'd talk to your doctor about it, Pica is usually a sign of needing something extra in your diet.

Yeah, I'd be telling your Dr about it when you see them next - Pica is a definite lack in some minerals.

My friend when she was pregnant used to lick her fingers and sook the ash out of ashtrays. It was DISGUSTING watching her doing it. She used to also love the plaster from walls and would sook sponges.

Sue x

Lol, that would be strange!

My mum had Pica when she was pregnant, she wanted to eat sand, she said it wasn't so much the taste (can't imagine how much taste sand would have!) but more the texture, she was craving that really gritty texture. And she said the same thing, it's apparently to do with some kind of vitamin or mineral deficiency. I'm not sure whether she had anything done about it, but like the others have said, definitely worth checking with your OB or midwife. Always worth asking! :)

I have my 36 week appointment next week with the doctor so will check it out then - meanwhile will take some calcium. Thanks for your replies!

Goodluck, it would be an awful sensation having a craving that strong and not being able to indulge it.

lol green tree frog ROFL licking your house clean!!! and gross about the spit I think watching that or seeing a bottle of spit would be enough to make me SPIT.

URRGGHHH about the sucking ashtrays, (la, la, la can't hear or see you) ..sand sounds so much better.

Your not alone,
I didn't have it but a girl I worked with had a Pica with her last pregnancy too, her craving was dirt, she said there were times when she actually ate some out of the indoor plant in her house!!! She said the cravings were so strong that she would do it without really thinking about what she was actually doing...At least you only have a few weeks to go...When did the cravings start?

Pandora- I took your advice and posted to the naturopath, she says that it is probably a mineral deficiency and/or lack of iron. Will talk it over with the Dr this weeks.

PinnyMum- It has been a week of two now. How funny that your friend indulged! My craving isn't for moist dirt thank goodness - it needs to be dry dusty stoney!

lol,

I think I might be the weird one hear, I am low on iron and I crave orange juice, probably because it helps you absorb any iron,

and this time around I'm not tollerating dairy very well, but when my body really needs it I crave custard, & yogo.

If it helps your craving, sometimes green leafy's taste a bit like dirt!, well tey do to me anyway! all those crazy different lettuces & spinaches.

Yes I have a weird craving. I was craving lux soap and ice. All I did was wash my hands to smell the soap (trying to stop myself from eating it) and ate ice all day. My cravings were a symptom of low iron ( mine was 89, so VERY low) but once I started on the iron tablets it the cravings started going away. I now longer eat ice and rarely smell the soap. But I know where you are coming from.:dance:

Well I got some magnesium tablets and am taking calcium too. I saw the Dr today and she ordered a BT so will hopefully get to the bottom of it soon!