Life
I was strictly vegetarian before I found out I was pregnant. But around three months into my pregnancy, I had an intense craving for a hamburger. Not just any hamburger, either. Oh no, it had to be grilled and covered in cheese. My partner immediately went out, bought a mini-grill, and made me the cheeseburger I needed. That was the end of my vegetarian days as I knew them, but I couldn't help it. There are a lot of pregnancy cravings that prove you're a basic pregnant woman, and a grilled cheeseburger is one of them. So, out with the vegetarianism and in with the basic cravings. #SorryNotSorry.
Being considered "basic" doesn't bother me. I like what I like, and if it falls into the category of mainstream mediocracy, so be it. I love a pumpkin spice latte over a traditional espresso, my comfortable leggings over jeans, and I may or may not use too many hashtags when I post Instagram photos of my kids or my cats. My tastes are simplistic, and I don't mind that they're rarely, if ever, "unique." I would rather be basic than pretend to be someone I'm not, so I have settled into my own likes and dislikes with little regard for what anyone else thinks. That, my friends, is one of the great things about growing up: you stop caring about what random people think of you, basic or not.
My pregnancies were no different. When I was gestating both my children I craved the most basic, generic pregnant woman things. And honestly, it's all good. You can't control what your hormones demand of you, even if it's the stereotypical pickles and ice cream. So with that in mind, here are some of the things basic pregnant women crave:
Pickles
According to Parents, a study conducted by Valerie Duffy, PhD, an associate professor in the School of Allied Health at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, found that sour tastes, like pickles, occur most often in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Duffy added that a pickle craving (or a craving for other salty treats) that occurs later on in a pregnancy might be a sign that you need for sodium in your diet.
I wanted all the pickles when I was pregnant, and it seems like a lot of other "basic" expectant moms feel the same.
Ice Cream
Craving ice cream is about as basic as basic gets. In an unofficial survey via BabyCenter, around 40 percent of women craved sweet things, like ice cream, when they were pregnant. I had a bowl of ice cream almost every night, and while it wasn't the healthiest option, I enjoyed every last bite.
Chocolate
Basic or not, I consider you a monster human being if you don't enjoy a nice piece of chocolate. I craved, and ate, so many different variations of chocolate when I was growing my babies — dark, white, milk, candy-coated, bar, chips — it's surprising I didn't give birth to a Milky Way.
Potato Chips
In my opinion, when you're pregnant and in desperate need of the perfect salty snack (like I was), chips are like an endless journey of happiness. When you stick your hand in the bag, you never know how many chips you'll pull out. They're magical, and likely why I retained so much water in my third trimesters.
Spicy Food
Spicy food = heartburn. That, my friends, is the downside to the wonder that is basic pregnancy cravings.
I knew I'd get heartburn if I indulged, but when I craved that spicy chili, I didn't care about the consequences. I still have no regrets.
Pizza
It's it's basic to crave pizza, I will gladly carry the title until someone pulls the last slice of pepperoni from my bold, dead fingers. I mean, I guess it's pretty stereotypical for pregnant women to eat an entire pizza pie by themselves, but again I ask you: what is wrong with that?
Coffee
The American Pregnancy Association (APA) says that caffeine (a stimulant) increases your blood pressure and heart rate. It can also act as a diuretic, which can make a pregnant woman dehydrated. And while "experts have stated that moderate levels of caffeine have not been found to have a negative effect on pregnancy," according to the APA, it's recommended pregnant women stay clear of caffeine if, and when, possible.
This, of course, is why I craved a cup of coffee so much during pregnancies. If I'm basic for wanting my pumpkin spice lattes to get through the day, then so be it.
Check out Romper's new video series, Romper's Doula Diaries:
Watch full episodes of Romper's Doula Diaries on Facebook Watch.
