75 Real Moms Reveal Their Weirdest Pregnancy Cravings (Yes, Even Bleach)

One major misconception I had upon getting a positive pregnancy test was that my days would be spent chowing down on ice cream and pickles whilst lovingly rubbing my belly. Not only did I think I’d be a cute little pregnant person who wouldn’t develop cankles, but I also thought pregnancy cravings would be something to laugh about and not something that would turn me into a raging monster. There’s nothing more humbling than waking up at 3AM for weeks on end with a visceral desire to consume raw shrimp while smelling hand sanitizer. It’s how most of us discover our dark side.

The good news? Cravings are actually suuuuper common. In fact, Tiffany Pham, OB-GYN and medical advisor at women’s health app Flo, tells Betches that 50 to 80% of pregnant folks in the United States experience them. “Cravings typically start at the end of the first trimester, but they could begin as early as five weeks into pregnancy and intensify during the second trimester,” she explains.

Just because weird cravings are 1000% normal, it doesn’t make ’em any less disgusting to think about or fascinating to hear about. That’s why we tapped IRL moms from our Betches Moms IG community to get the deets on their most bizarre pregnancy cravings, and honestly? They make pickles and ice cream look like amateur hour.

Why Do Pregnancy Cravings Happen?

While there’s no cut-and-dry reason cravings happen, Dara Godfrey, MS, RD, a dietitian at RMA of New York, says they’re oftentimes linked to hormonal changes and nutrient deficiencies. “If someone craves cheese and ice cream, there may be a biological propensity for more calcium or even iodine. Yearnings for bread or carbohydrate-rich foods may be indicative of blood sugar drops or more fuel needed to keep energy levels up,” she explains. While you might feel like a creature from a horror movie when fantasizing about raw steak dipped in a strawberry banana smoothie at 20 weeks, it should resolve once the baby makes its grand entrance.

Oh, and the whole salty cravings = boy, and sweet cravings = girl? Not a thing. Dr. Pham says while the wives’ tale is cute, there’s no actual evidence to support it, so don’t start envisioning a life of rom-coms and nail appointments with your mini if you find yourself eating cake every night. Your body might just really want cake. (And also, let’s not be gender normative, mmk?)

What Pregnancy Cravings Aren’t Safe?

For the most part, indulging in your cravings is fine. You’ll definitely want to brush up on what foods to avoid (because things like unpasteurized cheese, deli meat, and raw egg-based sauces are a no-go), but Godfrey suggests enjoying the foods your body is craving while trying to switch it up when possible. It’s ideal if your body isn’t solely running on Funyuns for 40 weeks, but do you.

The catch, of course, is that some cravings can actually be dangerous. When people crave toxic or non-food items, it’s called Pica. And while it’s not unheard of (so no, you’re not a freak), it’s definitely something to discuss with your medical team. “Some common non-food items pregnant people have desires to eat include ice, chalk, laundry starch, and dirt,” Godfrey explains. “These non-food items may indicate specific nutrient deficiencies such as iron, zinc, and calcium.” She adds that your healthcare provider will likely screen you for iron-deficiency anemia or other nutrient deficiencies if you have any abnormal cravings.

Whether you’re on an all-carb diet or can’t stop dreaming about drinking detergent, you’re not alone. Promise! From the bizarre to the downright hilarious, read on for some of the most outrageous cravings real moms have experienced.

The Weirdest Pregnancy Cravings from IRL Moms

1. Mayo: on lettuce, on olives, on onions eaten like chips, and by the spoonful.
2. The smell of hand soap.
3. Popcorn or Cheez-Its with spicy mustard.
4. Dirt.
5. Slapping my husband in the face.
6. Goat meat (which I had never had before)?
7. Cool Ranch Doritos dipped in cheesecake.
8. The smell of sawdust.
9. Gallons of 2% milk 24/7.
10. Ice. I’d go through bags and bags of ice each week. Turns out I was anemic.
11. Peanut butter toast with sliced pickles on top.
12. Pigs feet.
13. The smell of my dog’s food…
14. Soup in the summer, even when it was 1000 degrees.
15. Raw shrimp.
16. Shots of balsamic vinegar all day.
17. Cheap frozen pizza (couldn’t be from a restaurant).
18. Communion wafers.
19. Pizza smothered in peanut butter.
20. Sand. I wanted to touch it, eat it, cover myself in it, etc.
21. I needed Hot Cheetos like I needed air.
22. Sardines on cottage cheese.
23. Nail polish (I wanted to drink it, but settled for painting nails once a day).
24. Beet juice every single morning.
25. Touching chalk.
26. Sponges? I wanted to suck on them, but I stuck with smelling them?
27. Hard salami with peanut butter.
28. Chewing on a cigar.
29. Orange soda with olives.
30. Boiled carrots with butter and Sour Patch Kids.
31. Cheese dipped in pickle juice.
32. Dasani water and the smell of a Newport cigarette (at the same time).
33. Steak sauce straight from the bottle.
34. Hot ice cream (like soup).
35. The smell of diesel fuel.
36. Cheese and relish sandwiches.
37. Raw meat looked soooo good.
38. Bacon and watermelon together. 10/10.
39. Carrots dipped in melted chocolate.
40. The smell of Pine-Sol.
41. Ketchup sandwiches.
42. Crackers with cheese cubes smothered in Chick-fil-A sauce.
43. Sour Patch Kids (red and blue only; ate so many it burnt my tongue).
44. Mozzarella and jelly sandwich.
45. Beer!
46. Mint mouthwash.
47. Mashed potato sandwiches for breakfast.
48. Lays chips dipped in shrimp cocktail sauce.
49. Rainbow sprinkles by the handful.
50. The smell of fabric softener (I legit wanted to drink it).
51. Pickles wrapped in fruit roll-ups.
52. The smell of chlorine in tap water.
53. My vibrator. I ran out of so many batteries.
54. Eggo waffles dipped in spicy hummus.
55. Straight wasabi. No sushi. Just wasabi.
56. Action movies — anything with Arnold.
57. Radishes with chocolate icing.
58. Caesar salad.
59. A cigarette (never smoked before but craved it nonstop).
60. Big Red gum.
61. Canned cheese sprayed directly into my mouth.
62. Raw lemons eaten like oranges.
63. Cold octopus potato salad on a piece of toast.
64. Grapes dipped in ranch.
65. Bleach (didn’t drink it, but wanted to).
66. Buffalo sauce. On everything and on nothing.
67. Pumpkin bagel with garlic cream cheese.
68. Canned green beans.
69. Eggs every meal for months.
70. Apples dipped in honey mustard.
71. I never wanted tequila so bad in my life. I don’t even like tequila.
72. Costco hotdogs and Sprite.
73. Went to a movie theater for popcorn. Left without seeing a movie.
74. Duck pancakes for breakfast.
75. Mid-career Justin Bieber music.

The TL;DR? Stock up on condiments and carbs the second you start trying to conceive. Forty weeks is a long time, but at least you have an excuse to insist your partner provides you with salt and vinegar chips around the clock. It’s the little things, people.