Woman’s Pregnancy Craving Shocks Internet: ‘Insanity’ – ryan

Pregnancy cravings are common and many moms to be often find themselves reaching for fast food, a jar of pickles or anything spicy.

But one pregnant woman has got the internet talking with an intense and unusually sour pregnancy craving.

Greteli de Swardt (@Greteli.Deswardt) posted a reel on Instagram biting into a whole lemon, like one would an apple. The 23-year-old wrote on the text overlay: “When that pregnancy craving hits.”

The reel, which has been viewed almost 2 million times, prompted other moms to share the weird and wonderful food cravings they had during pregnancy.

“I used to enjoy ‘hangover’ biltong (it’s extremely hot) when I was pregnant, then had it again after I gave birth,” one user said.

Some moms even shared how they too craved lemons when pregnant.

“I would peel them like oranges and it was like the best feeling eating them, now I absolutely could not,” one wrote.

“I completely understand that feeling. Lemon was my number 1 pregnancy craving,” commented another.

As for other Instagram users, they were perplexed by what they were seeing.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” one user said.

“Eating the peel is the insanity,” another added.

Newsweek spoke to Sarah Rueven, a New York-based registered dietitian, who said there are several theories about why pregnant women crave certain foods.

One being the hormonal changes during pregnancy, affecting taste, smell and the body’s nutritional needs. Rueven, who is also the founder of Rooted Wellness, likened this to women who crave chocolate while on their period.

“Another theory that might explain (de Swardt’s) strong craving for citrus, is that cravings help the body to meet elevated nutrition needs during pregnancy, such as craving foods high in vitamin C such as lemons,” she said. Women may also have strong cravings for foods high in calcium or iron, Rueven added.

Finally, food aversions and nausea, particularly during the first trimester, may make certain foods more palatable than others.

“Lemon can help remove unpleasant tastes from the mouth and decrease nausea, which may explain why this woman has a heightened desire to eat it,” Rueven said.

So while biting into an entire lemon may not be most people’s idea of a delicious snack, for de Swardt it might be her body’s way of coping.

Is there a health issue that’s worrying you? Do you have a question about pregnancy cravings? Let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured in Newsweek.