Dairy and coal

The craving: Dairy (ice cream and yogurt)
The problem: Low levels of calcium

One of the most common pregnancy cravings is ice cream - in fact 50% of women say this is their main craving! When the baby is growing inside you it needs high levels of calcium to stay healthy and a lot of women can't stomach milk and cheese during pregnancy. As a result, ice cream becomes a great way of getting calcium into the body.

Some women find foods containing calcium so hard to eat during pregnancy that they end up taking Vitamin D or calcium tablets.
- Try some of our delicious yogurt recipes
- Impress your friends with this vanilla ice-cream recipe

The craving: Coal, mud, matches, Guinness and dust!
The problem: Lack of iron

Most of you will have heard of craving coal and possibly the smell of matches, but it might surprise you that some women actually eat dust during pregnancy. This is because dust is full of iron-rich minerals.

During pregnancy, high iron levels in your blood often drop. Guinness, mud, matches and even chalk are all high in iron. A strong craving for them is the body's way of trying to get more iron into its system - don't be afraid to give in!
- Why not make our toad-in-the-hole with Guinness gravy
- Find out more about anaemia - a lack of iron

- Next: read about broccoli and toothpaste cravings