No Cravings During Pregnancy – Why And What To Do About It

We are aware of the significance of gaining a healthy amount of weight throughout pregnancy to aid in the development of your embryo into a fully-formed child.

Contrary to popular belief, many women experience little to no cravings during pregnancy, which can make putting on enough weight challenging.

If you find yourself in this situation, don’t panic yet. Let’s find out the reason behind this symptom and what you may do to address it.

What Causes No Cravings During Pregnancy?

no cravings during pregnancy

The most common reasons behind your pregnancy no cravings are due to medications, changes in your mental health, morning sickness during gestation like vomiting or nausea, and worries about your body weight holding your back.

Medications

A decrease in appetite is one of the negative side effects that some pregnancy-safe drugs can have.

Your eating habits can change, and you might even lose your appetite, given that you are on medication or/and are immunocompromised.

Suppose you experience anxiety or depression; your doctor can still give you a prescription for SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) like Prozac and Zoloft.

Still, these medications can result in a decrease in the desire to eat. In this case, speaking with a doctor about the issue is the best move.

Mental Health Conditions

Pregnant no cravings in women are frequently attributed to psychological issues. Numerous new emotions can arise as a result of pregnancy.

Due to the discomfort, anxiety, and stress associated with pregnancy, you might experience a loss of appetite.

The same applies to those suffering from depression.

Additionally, this mental condition has been linked to a decrease in the desire for nutritious foods and a reduction in the consumption of vital nutrients like zinc, iron, folate, and fatty acids, which can adversely impact your and your child’s future health.

Nausea And Vomiting

Symptoms of pregnancy, such as vomiting and nausea (or morning sickness), can occur in the first trimester. Some might even endure these unpleasant symptoms the entire stages of pregnancy.

Although morning sickness won’t cause any harm to your child, it will make you feel sick. This can greatly impact your appetite, food intake, and even intakes of energy throughout pregnancy.

Suppose you suffer from chronic nausea; you may lose your appetite more easily compared to others.

Body Image Problems

Pregnancy can set off problems about your body image and compulsive eating or exacerbate them.

It is common to experience weight gain in pregnancy since you are carrying another human being in your body.

The majority of gestational weight gain occurs after week 20, with women gaining between 22lbs and 28lbs (around 10kg to 12.5kg).

Still, this rate of weight gain can trigger your body issue, resulting in you trying to limit your habitual food intake.

In the long term, this body image obsession will alter your eating habit, even leading to loss of appetite.

Is It Normal Not To Have Cravings During Pregnancy?

Yes, it’s normal. It’s true that several pregnant women experience uncommon or specialized food cravings, such as milk chocolate, fat milk, sour cream, sweet foods cravings, or Gatorade while pregnant.

Yet, many studies also show that it’s quite typical to experience none at all.

In fact, you’re more likely to consume healthy foods if you have no cravings in pregnancy for fatty or sugary foods.

This can make it simpler for you to obtain all the nutrients both you and the baby require.

When Do Pregnancy Cravings Start?

no cravings in pregnancy

For each woman, the onset of food cravings varies; some expectant mothers never even experience any intense cravings for foods during pregnancy.

Cravings, however, might appear early in pregnancy, frequently increasing during your second trimester. Then, it will eventually subside in your third trimester or after delivery.

On the other hand, many pregnant women experience food aversions during their first trimester, meaning they find it difficult to eat or smell of all kinds of foods, including your usual food preference.

Still, don’t worry since this symptom is also common during pregnancy. Also, around week five or six of pregnancy, the moms frequently begin to manifest morning sickness.

What To Do About Your Loss Of Appetite

increase your vitamin intake

You can try to eat small meals, drink more water, increase your vitamin intake, and practice some light exercises for expectant moms.

Even when you lose your appetite, you still need to eat for the sake of your and your baby’s health.

Eat Small Meals

Dividing your meals into more frequent, smaller ones will help you feel satisfied but not overstuffed and uncomfortable in your stomach.

It is simpler to intake all the required nutrients and maintain your energy requirement levels by doing this.

You can also have some light snacks throughout the day to boost your taste buds.

Low-calorie, high-protein snacks such as almonds are quite good for easing nausea, morning sickness, and subsequent loss of appetite.

Exercise

One of the finest all-natural ways to stimulate hunger is through exercise. You may experience hunger since your body needs to replenish the calories it expended while exercising.

Therefore, if you have difficulties digesting food or want to boost your desire to eat, doing some exercises can be the answer.

Still, be cautious in choosing the suitable exercise for your conditions. Don’t exhaust yourself; remember that exercise doesn’t have to be challenging to be effective.

Some simple pelvic tilt or back strengthening exercises will do the work.

Also, it would be best to consult your doctor or healthcare providers first to ensure you get the most out of your exercise routine.

Take Vitamins

Vitamin deficiency can decrease the capacity of red blood cells to transport oxygen, resulting in fatigue, dizziness, breath shortness, and loss of appetite.

Thus, ensure to take your prenatal vitamins that include iron, calcium, and folic acid.

For best results, take vitamin supplements at least one month before or at the moment of conception to help fill any short-term nutritional shortages.

Once your body is strong and healthy, you won’t need to worry about your non-craving problem anymore.

Drink More

Increasing your liquid intake throughout pregnancy can have a powerful impact on your current conditions.

Lack of food can irritate your stomach, which lessens your desire to eat, creating a vicious cycle that can be difficult to break.

To solve this problem, drink lots of water to keep your stomach from being empty entirely during the day.

Try to strive for eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of liquid every day from various sources, fresh fruit and vegetable juices included.

Still, it can increase your blood sugar levels. Hence, keep an eye on the sugar intake when consuming fruit juice in case you have diabetes before pregnancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

When Should You Consult Your Doctor About The Cravings?

It would be best to consult your doctor if you suddenly have unusual cravings, such as non-food items or unhealthy food, as some desires can be harmful and require medical attention.

Feeling compelled to eat nonfood items like dirt, soap, laundry detergent, laundry starch, or other things when pregnant could signify pica, a potentially dangerous condition.

The risk factor to your unborn child is too great to give in, even though only a small percentage of pregnant women crave drugs or alcohol.

Or, when you still have no pregnancy cravings until the early phase of the second trimester, visit a doctor to ensure that your health is in good condition.

How Many Should I Eat A Day During Pregnancy?

There is a misconception that you should eat as much as possible during pregnancy.

Still, in reality, a pregnant woman should consume about 2,000 calories per day to maintain good health as well as avoid excessive weight gain and development of obesity.

This recommendation applies to women in their first six months.

When you have reached your third trimester, you might require an additional 200 calories depending on your level of activeness.

What Happens If I Don’t Eat Enough While Pregnant?

The health of both you and your unborn child will be at risk should you have nutritional deficiency.

This is because underweight pregnant women are more likely to give birth prematurely, have a stillbirth, miscarriage, or develop pregnancy-related problems, including hypertension.

In addition, babies born to malnourished mothers have a higher likelihood of stillbirth within the first month. Thus, eat well for the sake of both you and your child.

Conclusion

As you can see, having no cravings during pregnancy is not always bad.

Still, suppose your appetite is still nonexistent by the beginning of the second trimester; ask your doctor about your condition to devise a suitable diet plan.

Keep in mind that the key is to focus on eating complete, fresh foods to ensure you have a healthy pregnancy.

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