Hi, Did any of you ladies have strange cravings for clay or dirt during your pregnancy, if so what was it?

Question

OH MY GOODNESS! THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR GENUINE CONCERN, and all of this "wonderful" information , I wish someone had told me about about 47 yrs. ago, this is "me" the old 63 yr. old avid reader, just asking, because I wondered if women get thoes type cravings today , that was sooo prevelant back in my day. YOU ARE ALL "sweet hearts" thanks, because you know a lot more than me, and some of the moms of my day, so tonight I learned what I never knew, I have 6 children and didn`t know a thing about "pica" until now.

oh yes, I did crave dirt during most of my pregnancies. My gyn. gave me iron pills but never asked about any cravings I might have back then.

Answer 1

I didn't but this is a serious disorder called PICA, and it is caused by severe mineral deficincies, and needs to be treated by a doctor.

Answer 2

no i havent had it but this is a major concern considering the doctors and nurses asked me each and every time i visited during pregnancy.

I actually knew it existed but never heard of anyone really going through it...!!!

I would contact my doctor as soon as possible because this is a certain disease that people get or some women rather when they are pregnant...and also....if you tell you doctor they can something to help you drop this craving!! Please...Go Seek Medical attention or rather go and call your ob/gyn tomorrow!! This is not a joke and a very serious condition!!

Answer 3

No I did not have the craving but the disorder you are telling about is called PICA it is the craving or eatting of nonediable things such as dirt and clay but not limited to just those two things. You don't have to be pregnant to have this, it can afflict anyone. People say is have to do with minerals your body is lacking. You need to see your doc ASAP.

Answer 4

Dirt contains important nutrients such as zinc, copper, potassium, phosphorus and iron. In fact iron is what gives Alabama clay its red hue. The physiological need for extra nutrients is an explanation for why many pregnant women crave the dirt.

I'm sure there's more to it, though.

Answer 5

if you crave it is because your body needs something. dirt craving could be an iron deficiency. be sure to take your prenatal vitamins. if you don't like real prenatals ask the doc about children's vitamins. i took 2 Flintstones (complete, there are different kinds) chew-ables every day and still do because i breastfeed. they are less likely to cause nausea. also you need plenty of calcium, if you don't get enough the baby takes it from your bones. i had awful heartburn and got my calcium from tums, also they have calcium supplements available in chewy chocolate form at the drugstore. talk to the doctor, vitamins will fix those cravings, congrats and happy pushing

Answer 6

Having cravings for clay, dirt, laundry detergent, etc is due to malnutrition. If you have these cravings you are probably deficient in iron or zinc. Go see your doctor, and get on prenatal vitamins asap. It is not dangerous, but if you become more deficient, it could harm your baby.

Answer 7

i wanted to eat tide. I am not kidding . Every time i did laundry i wanted just to take a big chunk of tide and eat it. I asked my doctor and he said that it was normal for women to crave things with certain minerals in them-like dirt, clay and tide.

Answer 8

This is somewhat common. I had a friend who ate pounds of flour, yes flour...with nothing else.Your body is craving a specific mineral when you crave clay or dirt.

Answer 9

With my first child I craved the smell of bleach and shaved ice. My doctor said it was because my iron was low.

Answer 10

Mineral difficiency or parasite problem. Check with a doctor.