Manufactured Pregnancy Cravings

I’ve got a confession to make. When pregnancy cravings didn’t strike, I sort of took the liberty of inventing my own. Every kid needs a good story about how his mom ate some odd combination of this or that or how Dad had to go to the store at 3:00 a.m. to get “fill-in-the-blank” for Mom’s craving. I decided to make my food of choice simple and low-maintenance for everyone involved (after all, if it’s purely a manufactured craving, why add stress to the mix?). No late night runs to a fast food joint or grocery store for me (or for my poor hubby!).

No, I figured pregnancy was as good as any excuse for indulging my sweet tooth—and what better reason to celebrate than being with child? So, frozen custard after every doctor’s appointment it was! It seemed a natural choice really.  My OB/GYN office was conveniently located right across the street from a Sheridan’s. Consequently, every routine appointment became cause for celebration, which came in the form of a Buckaroo and Razzle Dazzle. And I was, of course, eating for two, so that meant I needed the larger size, right?

Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before “you are what you eat” took its full effect, and the image bouncing back at me in the mirror looked more like a marshmallow with hands and feet than a pregnant woman.  At the onset of my third trimester, I tried to divert my gaze from the scale at my bi-monthly appointments because ignorance was bliss. I didn’t really want to know whether all that hot fudge and caramel topping was catching up with me. It became clear after our darling newborn entered our world that my postpartum body was reeling from the effects of a sweet tooth run wild as much as the incredible changes that come from growing a 9-plus-pound infant.

Since then, I have tried to manufacture a love for running. It’s not come as naturally as my love for frozen custard, but the benefits have been pretty sweet (no pun intended!). it’s a great stress reliever, preparing for races has made me more self-disciplined, and I’m glad that my kids are observing the role fitness has on their mommy’s life (I can only hope it sets a positive example for their own health!).

As with most things, I’m trying to strike a balance. I still hit the trail when the weather allows for a little exercise and fresh air, but when there’s reason for celebration, ice cream, sprinkles and cherries are involved.

And by the way…I’m happy to inform you that no pickles are present in my ice cream. I’ll leave that to another mama’s craving.

Lauren Greenlee lives in Olathe with her family. She and other moms (and dads) blog daily at the KC Baby Blog. Join the conversation today!