Life
Skittles. Starburst. Snickers. Everyone has a favorite candy. Because this is America, people — land of the free and home of the refined sugar. For those without dietary restrictions, satisfying a chewy hankering is as close as your nearest grocery store checkout line. As a pregnant person, however, not only are your longings more acute, indulging in them isn't always possible (or, you know, good for you). I wanted to know how real life expectant moms handled chewy candy cravings during pregnancy, so I asked women to share their no-fail go-to saccharine snacks.
I don't have a huge sweet tooth, but I do love me some Sour Punch Bites and Junior Mints. Prior to pregnancy, a small handful would suffice. But as this current fetus grows inside me, my self-control when it comes to food has shrunk and in dramatic fashion. Exhibit A: the pile of candy wrappers on the arm of the couch that my husband so kindly pointed out. Thanks to a never-ending loop of candy-filled holidays, I have constant access to sweet treats of all varieties. If I'm feeling especially virtuous, I'll go for a small bowl of raspberries. I find that dried fruit strips can also do the trick, but there are plenty of times when I just go straight to the Red Vines.
According to a 2015 study, cravings of sweets and candy are the most commonly reported among pregnant women. That comes as no surprise to a full quarter of us, including these mamas who revealed just how they tackled their urges to mainline Swedish Fish in bulk:
Kelly
"I liked to pit medjool dates, fill them with peanut butter, coat them with melted chocolate, and keep them in the fridge. They were my 'healthier' Snickers. This all stemmed from my belief that dates would make my birthing process easier, and I like to believe they did!"
Brandi
"Sour Patch Kids, obviously."
Tia
"I was all about some Fruit Roll-Ups when pregnant, and I'm all about Sweet Tart Taffy Chews in life. So good."
Rachel
"OK, so I was really into fruity flavored gum when I was pregnant. Like those nasty 'twist' ones that are mango-melon or strawberry-apple. Normally I hate them and only like mint chewing gum, but I longed for fake fruitiness when pregnant.
"It did wind up being useful during my second pregnancy, when I had gestational diabetes and couldn’t have candy. Fake fruity sweetness was welcome when it was all I could have!"
Aili
"I hate sour candy and gummies, but every pregnancy those sour watermelon things end up being my go-to. Almost the first thing that I notice when I get pregnant."
Jamie
"Muffins with raisins. The tragedy was that I had gestational diabetes and couldn’t fully indulge."
Katie
"I ate all my kid’s fruit snacks."
Allison
"When I was pregnant with my first around Halloween time, I have no idea what got into me, but I had to have all the Sour Patch Kids. I went and bought like a pound bag and ate them all. My tongue was raw and hurt for a week."
Lindsay
"Fruit snacks of any kind are my jam. My grandparents came to visit when I was just a few weeks in, and they brought Welch’s fruit snacks. I kept asking for some all the time, so they just left me the rest when they left."
Shelby
"I craved those XL Sour Patch Straws, and I’d use them to drink Slurpees."
Jane
"Sour Patch Watermelon helped with my nausea. It's basically a fruit, right?"
Check out Romper's new video series, Bearing The Motherload, where disagreeing parents from different sides of an issue sit down with a mediator and talk about how to support (and not judge) each other’s parenting perspectives. New episodes air Mondays on Facebook.
