Why You Can’t stop eating Ice While Pregnant
Well, you’re probably anemic, honestly.
A few years ago I had a friend post online that she couldn’t stop eating ice while pregnant. I messaged her that craving ice could be a sign of anemia. I suggested that she talk to her midwife and offered some tips for getting more iron in her diet in the meantime. She messaged me a few weeks later that her labs came back and she was SUPER anemic.
Craving and eating ice is actually a mild form of PICA, a condition where you crave non-food items. PICA is believed to stem from mineral deficiencies (like low iron). Most pregnant people will naturally develop “physiologic anemia” in their second trimester when your blood volume increases but your red blood cell count hasn’t caught up yet. That’s normal but it’s not ideal to start or end pregnancy very anemic.
My friend who was craving ice was delivering with midwives at Northwestern Prentice Hospital here in Chicago, so they prescribed her liquid iron. If you are anemic you might be prescribed iron pills or liquid iron drops, or maybe even an IV infusion of iron if it gets really bad. Home birth midwives will offer nutrition based solutions first, to support your natural physiology and also because iron pills can cause constipation. Or worsen the constipation a pregnant person likely already has!
Speaking of constipation and anemia: whether you’re trying to get pregnant, newly pregnant, or well into pregnancy, I recommend a hearty smoothie every morning to help with iron intake and maximizing your nutrition. Heres a quick rundown of good things to include in an iron rich smoothie for pregnancy.
-spinach or other leafy greens like kale or collards (around two packed cups) 🥬
-orange juice or something high in vitamin C. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron 🍋
-yogurt, milk, or something high in calcium and protein 💪
-seeds like chia, hemp hearts and ground flax. (whole flax is super constipating) for fiber 💩
-banana or fruit for flavor 🍌
-optional protein powder or peanut butter for more protein!
