Developing Pica During Pregnancy

Posted By Owner, Amanda Reid
Jul 18, 2017
2 min read

Please note I am no advice nurse or doctor and I write solely on my personal life experiences.

So before being pregnant I was pretty fascinated by people who had pica- an eating disorder characterized by an appetite for largely non-nutritive items. Pica disorder comes in many forms like the urge to eat soil, hair or paint.

When I entered my third trimester I started having more than just food cravings. First, I started craving the smell of fresh linen or white cotton fragrances. It got pretty intense and fast. I ran to the store to stack up on anything with that specific smell- air fresheners, laundry detergent, car scents and scent satchels. I turned my entire room into a fresh linen realm and I loved it. Thank goodness for me I was only attracted by smell and not the taste!

Not many days after did I start to crave ice! Yes that's right ice. I started eating ice and feeling completely satisfied like I just ate a snack. I mean the ice started tasting like full meals. I couldn't believe how into ice I had been which sparked my curiosity. I ended up looking up the meaning of my newly discovered behavior. From my online research I found that excessive ice eating is a form of pica and is typically associated with an iron deficiency.

For a few weeks I didn't think anything of it because some of the articles read that eating ice, isn't always a sign that one has an iron deficiency. It wasn't until I got blood work done that the results came back reflecting otherwise.

Finding out why I was so obsessed with eating ice was a relief. Finding out I was anemic gave me a bit of anxiety because I was so close to having my baby. To think all that time I was not getting enough iron and how that may have been effecting my daughter.

My OB advised me to take a over the counter iron supplement (picture below) to help me produce higher levels. I also added more iron filled foods to my diet. I noticed small changes like not wanting ice as much. I guess I am sharing this info with you to encourage you to be aware of some of the potential changes that can occur. Monitor and watch your health as it is most important when carrying a baby.