Stranger Things: The Weird World of Twin Pregnancy Cravings
You’re pregnant. With twins. Things are about to get a little crazy. Your body is now the temporary residence of not one, but two little souls. We’re betting you’re over the moon for their arrival, but while they are subletting your uterus, it may feel like you’ve moved in with the world’s weirdest and most annoying roommates. In between bouts of nausea (crossing our fingers it is benign and ends early), you may notice some wild take out requests as your appetite surges (after all you are feeding 3 people). In fact, it’s estimated that 60 to 90% of pregnant women experience some sort of cravings. What’s that about anyway?
There are a few different theories floating around. Many people hypothesize that cravings are based on hormone shifts (hello double pregnancy hormones). Leptin can change your appetite and metabolism. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) can stimulate appetite and ghrelin may also play a hand. Others hypothesize that cravings are a reaction to heightened smell and taste perception, phantom smells, and food aversions. The theory is that cravings are a reaction to undesired aversions (i.e. bitter neutralized by sweets). There is even a neuroscience hypothesis that changes to a part of the brain called the insular cortex may be responsible.
Finally, questions have been raised as to whether some cravings may be triggered by nutritional deficiencies. Perhaps that chocolate is desired because your magnesium levels are a touch low? As you can see, no one knows definitely what causes cravings, and more research is needed. As long as you are satisfying your cravings in a healthy and moderate way, enjoy those weird pregnancy foods. It will be fun to regale your twins with tails of sending dad out to the store to get you some pickles and ice cream when you couldn’t kick that midnight craving. And in case you are feeling a little strange about your pregnancy cravings, let us share some of the craziest ones we’ve come across. You’re probably more normal than you think.
First up, our celebrity twin momma sisters from another mister shared the following cravings:
⦁ Celeb Jamie Presley said it was all about the meat and cheese for her. She explained “[b]urgers are my thing” while discussing her pregnancy with her twin boys for Fit Pregnancy and Baby Magazine.
⦁ For Beyonce, it was comfort food. Things like mac and cheese, rice and beans, and cornbread fit the bill and Jay Z was happy to oblige.
⦁ Twin momma Mariah Carey craved cherry slurpees, candied apples, and like her fellow singer Beyonce, home cooked fixin’s.
⦁ George Clooney helped Amal satisfied her cravings with decadent pasta and risotto with white truffles. We’re sure George didn’t mind indulging with her. Mangia Amal!
⦁ Zoe Saldana really mixed it up with a combination of baked goods and preserved meats (eaten together). Um, yum?!?
In the realm of regular folks, reports are even crazier. One woman claimed to enjoy Buddy’s sweet spaghetti from the movie Elf. She obviously placed a high priority on following the Elf Food Pyramid.
Another indulged in pulled pork on vanilla ice cream. Pickles dipped in a Strawberry Starbucks Frappuccino was also reported. We don’t think that will make the menu anytime soon.
One of our favorites is about a little bundle named meatball. A vegetarian woman couldn’t get enough of meatballs and milk during her pregnancy. It seemed fitting that when the baby arrived, it was affectionately nicknamed “Meatball.” There are also the odd non-food cravings like dirt, chalk, and dish soap that some reported. We’re not sure what to do with that (hint – don’t eat those things lol). A cursory internet search reveals that there is hardly a craving out there that hasn’t been experienced. Maybe you aren’t as weird as you thought, twin hormones raging and all? We at TwinGo would love to hear from you. What have you been craving?
