While most pregnancy cravings are for foods that even non-pregnant people enjoy, pregnancy will occasionally trigger more unusual desires, such as a yen for eating ice cubes, coffee grounds, or baking soda — or even non-food items like dirt, clay, or laundry starch. This condition is called pica, and while the American Pregnancy Association says it's not unusual, they warn that eating such things can be harmful to both mom and baby.

It could be that pica is caused by an underlying iron deficiency that becomes more acute during pregnancy. In such a case, it's likely that iron supplements may lessen — if not entirely do away with — the desire to eat such things, although you may need to make use of behavior modification techniques like chewing gum in order to control this craving. It must be noted, however, that there is also a cultural aspect to pica. Nutrition expert Hayley Pedrick spoke with GoodtoKnow on the subject, bringing up the fact that "in Kenya pregnant women eat clay due [to] its perceived positive impact on fertility and reproduction." 

What are your go-to pregnancy foods?