Before I got pregnant with my first child, I would here the pregnant woman jokes where the wife would wake her husband up at 3 A.M. for dill pickles and ice cream. I laughed just like most people who have not been pregnant. I thought it was a stereotype, or perhaps women were programmed to think they were supposed to crave different foods because of all the jokes. I was not sure.

Then it happened, I got pregnant with my first son. Even before I knew I was pregnant, I have an overwhelming urge for green olives. Thus, the love affair began. I had to had them, almost to the point of madness. I would go to Wal-mart, which was just a mile a way, at all hours for green olives. My husband thought I was nuts.

I remember going to a Chinese buffet restaurant and piling a bowl full of green olives. The lady next to me looked at the bowl and at me, and screwed her face up. She asked me, "Are you really going to eat those?" I told her I was. I then sat down and savored every single one.

Green olives was not the only thing I craved. McDonald's quarter pounders with cheese was also a favorite. I had to have one almost daily. They were not as much of an obsession as green olives, but they were right up there on my list. Everyday, during lunch, I would go through the drive thru. I went to that McDonald's so much they recognized me, and even knew my name! They placed bets on the gender and due date of my baby. I was not sure if I should have been embarrassed or flattered.

My other favorite place to eat when I was pregnant, was Waffle House. We ate there a lot on the weekends, and I could not wait. One of the waitresses was pregnant as well, and we used to joke about our cravings. We joked about naming our kids after our cravings, and wondered if they would love the foods we craved, or hate them since we ate those things so much.

I got my answer earlier than expected. I went into labor at 33 weeks. When i was weighed in, I weighed 194 pounds! I was 145 pounds pre-pregnancy. I had gained almost 50 pounds! I knew that I was getting big, but I just could not resist my cravings. If i did not get them, I was almost like a mad woman. I wanted to say "Give me all your green olives and no one gets hurt!" My son weighed 4 pounds 14 ounces at birth, so maybe i over did it with the cravings.
You would think I would have learned my lesson with the next. nope.

I got pregnant again last year. I am not one for sweets, and I never craved them with my son. With this pregnancy, I found myself shoveling in the Halloween candy. I would sneak into the pantry, and get a few pieces. After i realized what I was doing, I had to laugh. Who was I hiding it from anyway? My husband is stationed in California, so apart for visits, he is not around. So, I guess I was trying to hide it from myself! It was like if I sneaked
pieces of candy, they did not count right?

My son is now 2, and loves McDonald's. I try not to indulge him too often, but i have to wonder if it was my pregnancy gorging that got him in love with the food. I guess the real test will come when I give him his first green olive. As for me, I still laugh at the pregnancy jokes, but not because I think the idea of cravings is crazy, but because I had been there. I was once that woman, so now, I laugh with understanding.

Learn more about this author, Jessica Cooney.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Humor: Decoding food cravings during pregnancy?
We want to hear your view. Write now!