Pica in Pregnancy

This is the third pregnancy where I have developed what I believe to be pica. I didn't seem to have the symptoms in my pregnancies with Heather or with Lana, but I did with Kaya and Zoe, and now again this time.

Pica is a craving for non food substances, like coal or dirt etc and can be due to an iron deficiency. Now I'm not craving to eat non food items, just to smell them. My iron levels were checked recently and are fine. I'm also eating nutritiously and balanced, so I don't really think I have a major lack in anything. But from the reading online I've done, the smell cravings I'm having can be related to pica. One thing's for certain, it's weird. Very weird.

With Kaya it was Shake 'n' vac. I NEEDED to smell that stuff. Escpecially the Glade Lilly of the Valley stuff. Oh gosh it was wonderful. I use to carry one aroudn with me, sniff it in the car. I'd pour it all over the carpet in the house and lie down on the floor and just inhale deeply. I'd stand in the aisle at tesco opening them and sniffing them and probably looking very strange.

With Zoe it was the vacuum.

I'd vacuum multiple times a day and I just loooooved smelling the dust inside getting all warm, and the electric smell. It would drive me crazy. I actually really craved dust, not really to eat, but to inhale. If I ever saw dust on the road, getting puffed around, or on tv or anything, I'd get all achy and frustrated, desperate to sort of roll around in it and breath it in. I know, I know, totally crazy.

I was also into cleaning products (not really the healthiest thing to sniff!) and air fresheners. I'd spray a thing of air freshener and just walk into the spray, breathing in as deep as I could.

This time around, it's pretty much all of the above. I love the vacuum, though not as obsessivly as I did with Zoe. I love the thought of dust again too. I use natural, homemade cleaning products now, and I do still enjoy the smell. And I have purchased a few extra air fresheners and carpet fresheners. I love the dusty musty smells of like the shoe and vacum closet, I usually HATE the smell of that closet. I do like getting close to the carpet or vacuum and breathing the natural dusty smells.

BUT, this time I have found something to really satisfy my cravings. Aromatherapy oils. I've always enjoyed them, but I'm enjoying them SO much this time around. I'm putting clary sage oil (mmm so fumey and so lovely and strong smelling) on a tissue and inhaling deeply and it smells glorious! (I didn't do it before being full term in pregnancy of course, as it can possibly stimulate contractions!). And I'm adding lavendar to baths and Rene's massaging me with jasmine. It all smells so wonderful, especially the clary sage. Everytime I get that craving to smell something strong, I just get my tissue and my little happy bottle of clary sage and mmmmm I'm in heaven.

I know when I'm not pregnant anymore I'll look back on this and think, woah, crazy. It's amazing how strong these cravings for smells can get. And I don't really know why I get them. I thought it was time to 'fess up about it publicly. I hope someone out there will still be my friend after reading it hehehe

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