Life
For pregnant folks, there are few things more maddening than getting hit with a strong craving in the middle of the night. Unless you’ve prepared carefully, there’s a good chance you won’t be satisfying that craving immediately. And since every woman, pregnancy, and craving is different, it's difficult to prepare for some random food obsession. That's why I asked moms to share their sour cravings during pregnancy. Knowledge is power, right?
In my experience, what makes pregnancy cravings so maddening is that they're often foods you normally wouldn't give a second thought. I had an insatiable need for flavor combinations I had barely enjoyed prior to my pregnancy, so it's not like my home was stocked with the foods or ingredients I craved. And since pregnancy cravings are caused by hormones, I was at the mercy of my changing body.
Most of my cravings were either for pastries or pizza, but in my first trimester I did crave some sour foods, too. I blame my relentless morning sickness (which was more of an all-day experience). When I was at my most nauseous I wanted lemon water... or, really, lemon mixed into whatever I was drinking. But I know I'm not alone, so I asked other moms to share their sour pregnancy cravings too, and their answers ranged from the creative to the painful.
Darlena, 35
“Sour Skittles, and I usually hate them! So there's that. My kids love them though.”
Holly, 24
“Does Sour Patch Kids count? [My husband] bought them by the bag for me all throughout my pregnancy and I ruined my mouth.”
Melissa, 26
“All things lemon!”
Wendy, 18
“Lemons! I eat everything lemons, even lemons plain sometimes. I just love it, but I used to hate lemons before I got pregnant.”
Adrienne, 33
“Lemonheads. By the pound.”
Ana, 21
“I once ate a lemon, peel and all, after going to the store at 11 p.m. because it was all I needed.”
Rachel, 42
“With my first child, I craved lemonade like a fiend, especially in the first trimester. The sourness somehow helped with the nausea. Lemon was one of the few fragrances that didn't turn my stomach. Oddly, with my second child, I didn't have that same craving.”
Ana, 21
“Sliced radishes with lime and salt.”
Jacque, 26
“Pickle juice and Sour Patch Kids candy.”
Krystal, 33
“Granny Smith green apples. They're not an apple I normally eat, but they hit the spot for my last pregnancy.”
Anonymous, 41
“I ate so many Sweet Tarts with my first to help with sickness that I got oral thrush.”
Marissa, 40
“Lemons, lemons, lemons. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I craved lemons constantly. I would squeeze lemon juice in and on everything. I would eat lemons like oranges. I drank lemonade like there was no tomorrow. Funny enough, my daughter loves lemon-flavored anything and the craving stuck for me. I was meh about lemons pre-pregnancy, and I love lemon-flavored foods now.”
Jena, 35
“When I was 19 and pregnant with my first, I had a serious craving for sour straws and orange juice. The roof of my mouth was raw from eating so many!”
Diana, 35
“I was super sick the first trimester and all I could eat were sour foods. I ate a ton of Granny Smith apples, and sucked on lemons.”
Arlene, 28
“In my first trimester, I had terrible morning sickness and the only thing I wanted for weeks were sour gummy lemon wedges. If they didn't have any at CVS, I would just suck on a sugar coated lemon. Soooo good!”
Sarah, 32
“Bags and bags of Sour Skittles.”
Kristina, 32
“Not sure if salt and vinegar chips apply, but I’ve always liked them and I really liked them when I was pregnant.”
Jennifer, 34
“Orange juice with lots of crushed ice, pineapple, green apples, homemade lemonade slushies, pickled banana peppers, and pickles — homemade or Clausen only.”
Brittany, 36
“I eat a bag of Meyer lemons every week! They're my favorite sour snack.”
Steph, 39
“I had hyperemesis gravidarum my last two pregnancies and for some reason sour things settled my stomach like nothing else could. I loved San Pellegrino Lemonata, too — basically really sour, carbonated lemonade. And I ate so many Sour Patch Kids that my 4-year-old once told a cashier at Target they were ‘mommy’s medicine.’”
Whitney, 43
“For me it was sour plus heat. I think I ate either Ethiopian food or Korean food almost every single day.”
Amber, 26
“Sour Patch Kids!”
Amanda, 32
“Sour Patch Kids, lemons, limes, Warheads, orange juice, or pretty much anything that was sour or tart.”
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.
