Pregnant in the Age of Coronavirus? Here’s How to Handle Cravings

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing everyone to stay inside for extended periods of time, handling cravings is more important than ever to ensure the food at home stays stocked for the family. Here are 4 ways to fight cravings and keep your mind where it needs to be in these trying times. 

Keep Your Diet Balanced

Pregnancy food cravings are still unproven mysteries, and every woman has her own different cravings during pregnancy. Planning ahead for this by stocking up on a wide variety of healthy foods can help keep the cravings at bay, and can also ensure you have something at least similar to whatever craving may creep up, as some are very distinct and odd.  

A steady dose of plants, vegetables, and fruits is a great start, but don’t be afraid to indulge a bit as you eat for two as well. A healthy mix of protein, fat, and carbohydrates is also encouraged, but keep to the lean meat and fish, primarily.

Good Food, Good Mind

Just like cravings, a certain level of emotional stress is unavoidable, but maintaining a positive mind is easier when the mind is fueled with healthy foods, so if your cravings are for something that probably wouldn’t be doctor recommended, remember that resisting the temptations is as good for your mind as it is for your body. 

A change in diet, or just a poor diet in general can lead to anxiety or depression, both of which are ailments that are more probable during pregnancy. Taking a planned approach to your diet (i.e. a list of meals for the week or something similar) helps keep a positive self-image regarding food, and can be one less thing to worry about when stress and anxiety rear their heads during pregnancy. 

Change is Normal

From day to day, or even from pregnancy to pregnancy cravings can change. This is not something that should set off some sort of mental alarm, and it’s very normal to crave a Philly Cheesesteak one day, and cookies n cream ice cream the next. It’s also not abnormal to crave something that you’d never crave in a million years without pregnancy, like dirt or ice. These extra-obscure cravings could signify an iron deficiency, but if you’re pregnancy diet is pretty well-balanced, it’s probably just a wild craving you need to suppress. 

Burn it Off

Depending on your locale during this Coronavirus scare, working out can be a struggle, but if you can find the space, it’s a great accent to a healthy diet in maintaining at least some level of regularity regarding cravings. Even walking in place is better than nothing, and if you do wind up on a legitimate lockdown, any means of keeping your body moving for at least 30 minutes a day is recommended by doctors abound. 

TV aerobics are a great way to exercise even if forced to stay home, as well as low-weight, guided stretching. Some things to avoid while pregnant are activities where you need to hold your breath or it gets heavy, so keep the swimming above water and don’t overdo it in the gym!

Don’t Be Afraid to Admit When Your Cravings Seem Too Strong

Some health issues related to pregnancy can stem from the changes in your diet, and sometimes pregnant women actually develop eating disorders during pregnancy that they never experienced before or after their experience of carrying a child. It should be expected that there is a steady uptick in diet, but if other issues persist, especially those opposite such as anorexia, you should definitely check in with your doctor, at least via telephone. If it’s still deemed safe to travel for essential services, any drastic change in appetite is a reason to go see your physician. 

At the time of this being published, doctor’s offices were still operating fairly normally, but having a list of other maternal resources is important in case the day comes where the doctor is not available for whatever reason.