The desires of pregnancy are desires, almost uncontrollable, to eat some specific food in large quantities or combinations of foods that are not usually eaten together. Usually these desires reflect nutritional deficiencies, especially if the desire is for a food very different from what a woman usually eats. In these cases, it is important to go to the doctor so that tests can be carried out that can identify nutritional changes and, thus, changes in eating habits or the beginning of supplementation can be indicated.
Although it can be interpreted by many people that a woman's wishes are just to get attention, they do happen due to hormonal changes and can reflect the pregnant woman's health status.
When they arise
The wishes of a pregnant woman can manifest in any week of pregnancy, depending on the sensitivity and lack of nutrients in the pregnant woman's body. Thus, a pregnant woman suffering from anemia, for example, may begin to feel the urge to eat more meat, or too much chocolate, since the beginning of pregnancy, as it is a way for her body to replace the iron that is missing.
Pregnancy cravings are not frills and must be met as long as they are safe and do not harm the pregnancy or the baby. One should not give in to strange desires to eat objects that are not considered food because they can cause health problems such as worms, or impair pregnancy.
These desires arise due to hormonal changes, which in addition to causing changes in mood, also cause changes in taste, smell and food preference, increasing not only appetite but also the desire for other foods.
Ignoring the pregnant woman's wishes, like wanting to eat a strawberry, does not make the baby born with a strawberry face. However, this desire may indicate the lack of some nutrient and, therefore, the woman must be attentive and inform the obstetrician so that he can assess the need for necessary supplementation.
What does the urge to eat inedible things mean?
When the woman begins to feel the desire to eat foreign objects such as brick, ash or wall, it is a sign of a syndrome of pica, which is characterized by more severe nutritional deficiency and, therefore, it is very important that the woman is accompanied by the doctor and by a nutritionist.
For example, when a woman feels the desire to eat brick, it may be a sign of a lack of iron in the diet, while the desire to eat ash or a wall may be a sign of a lack of zinc and calcium. Thus, according to the pregnant woman's unusual desire, the doctor may have an initial idea of the nutritional deficiency, which must be confirmed through examinations.
Learn more about the picmalacia.
