A new survey reveals the weirdest pregnancy cravings that mothers experience, such as “pickles and cheese,” “sardines and ketchup,” “peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches but with five bread layers.” <br /><br />Out of 2,000 women who’ve given birth within the last six years, nine out of ten (89%) have experienced at least one type of food craving during a pregnancy. <br /><br />Most popular on the list: seasonal foods, such as pumpkin pie, that happen to be out-of-season at the time the cravings happen (47%).<br /><br />Another 42% wanted an unusual combination of food, and one in three (35%) wanted a specific food that they could only get at one place.<br /><br />Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Vitamin Angels, a public health nonprofit organization working to improve maternal and child nutrition worldwide, the survey also found that by the end of the first trimester, half of all respondents (50%) had started eating more nutritious foods and taking a prenatal vitamin (68%) to support their baby’s health. <br /><br />Eighty-nine percent of moms changed their health habits to support their pregnancy, with 38% starting in the first trimester. <br /><br />In addition to eating more nutritious foods, they also began performing prenatal exercises (51%), drinking more fluids (38%) and sleeping more each night (36%). <br /><br />And before their pregnancy even began, roughly one in ten women (11%) had already started picking out names, and only one in four (25%) had begun taking prenatal vitamins. <br /><br />“During pregnancy, the daily required intake of several key vitamins and minerals can increase by as much as 50% and often cannot be met through diet alone,” said Colleen Delaney, PhD, RDN, Vitamin Angels Technical Director for U.S. Programs. “It’s recommended to take a prenatal vitamin as early as 3 months prior to conception in order to ensure optimal maternal health and pregnancy outcomes.”<br /><br />In addition to sharing how their health habits changed during pregnancy, respondents also shared how they bonded with their baby during that time. <br /><br />Common ways women connected with their baby during pregnancy included singing to them (56%), talking to them (55%), and reading them a book (49%).<br /><br />When it came to practicing self-care during pregnancy, respondents participated in prenatal exercise (50%), got a prenatal massage (49%), took naps (48%), and ate nutritious foods (46%). <br /><br />“Self-care is such an important component for overall pregnancy health—including prioritizing nutrition,” said Colleen Delaney, PhD, RDN. “Taking a daily prenatal vitamin is a great way to meet the increased nutrient demands of pregnancy and to support healthy outcomes for both mom and baby.”
