Breastfeeding cravings different than pregnancy cravings?

by Sarah Gilbert (Subscribe to Sarah Gilbert's posts) Feb 6th 2006 4:02PM

Categories: Babies, Pregnancy & Birth, Money & Work

Only a few months after giving birth to my first son, Everett, I went to court to defend my employer in a contractual matter. Opposing counsel was pregnant, and while my boss and his nemesis were trying to work things out in the hall, we chatted about breastfeeding. This was her second pregnancy, and she told me that during her first, her breastfeeding cravings were insane: she'd eat whatever she could get her hands on, even garbanzo beans right out of the can.

I've been breastfeeding Truman for nine months, and I'm still hungry all. the. time. But my cravings are far different than during pregnancy. When I was pregnant, I craved carbohydrates, dairy, protein, and vegetables. I couldn't get enough greens and I wanted cream cheese on everything. After I got over my initial nausea I wanted to eat sausage constantly.

I'm still in need of much protein (beef, I love you, oh, how I love you) but my major craving is sweets. I've noticed that I get these cravings most keenly right after I put Truman down from a long breastfeeding jag. Right now, as I'm typing, I'm jittery even though I just ate two macadamia white chocolate chip cookies. I need more sugar. NOW.

(And yes, I'm trying to eat fruit when I crave sugar, but it's hard: I really just want chocolate, cookies, cake.) Did you have different cravings during pregnancy and breastfeeding? And was anyone else such a sugar freak?

[You can read about this danish here.]

Comments (39)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

charlene prince birkeland 2-06-2006 @ 4:06PM

definitely craving sweets as a nursing mama. and cheese...i love cheese. i'm sure i have clogged arteries i'm eating so much cheese.

Kerry Walker 12-11-2008 @ 8:28PM

I'm glad to see I'm not crazy! We had our third son 8 weeks ago and I can't seem to get enough sweets! Like the previous comment, I'm craving BAKED GOODS, especially those with loads of chocolate and butter!
Yesterday while nursing my son pulled off and milk went everywhere, landing on my lip. I never realized how sweet breast milk was! I think this may be why we're craving sweets so much! The milk has to be sweetened by something, right? What happens if we cut sugar out all together? Has anyone tried that?

Heather 2-06-2006 @ 4:37PM

When I was pregnant I had *cravings* for very specific things; grapefruit, bagels, cheeseburgers and snickers bar. I was hungrier than usual, but not hugely so. Now that I'm nursing (newest son is 6 months old) I get hungry all the time; crazy hungry. I don't get as many cravings, but when I do they are almost always for sweets.

Rachel 2-06-2006 @ 4:37PM

Pecan pie! I can eat half a pie at a time. It's disgusting... and so good.

Jennifer Dalton 2-06-2006 @ 5:00PM

Thank god I'm not the only one craving sweets all the time. I know it's not good for my cholesterol, but I can eat cookies all day long. Today, after lunch, I had two pieces of chocolate, but that was not enough. I had to have some Swiss Cake Rolls also! I'm losing a lot of weight now, but at least I'm not gaining, and I'm below my pre-pregnancy weight. When I was pregnant, I wanted stuff like chicken and mashed potatoes

Missy 2-06-2006 @ 5:06PM

Gawd, I'm on month 14 with my son and I still eat a ton of food. Unfortunately, though, since it's not exclusive, I've been putting weight back on but I'm still hungry! When the heck does that go away? When you wean?

And yes, the cravings are always sugary. Honey in my tea, cookies, cake, brownies...but never starches. I could care less about a cracker or some bread. While I was pregnant, it was more of a beans and Mexican food, ALL OF THE TIME. I couldn't get enough chocolate in the third trimester.

Jennifer Dalton 2-06-2006 @ 5:12PM

I meant to say I'm not losing any weight now (of course I'm not, I eat 10 cookies a day!)

Gwen 2-06-2006 @ 5:12PM

When I was pregnant I didn't have too many cravings, instead I had aversions. It took me almost until the 6th month to be able to eat meat again, and I still can't eat pork chops. However, when I started breastfeeding I swear that I made my husband make more chocolate chip cookies in the first two months than he had in the whole previous year. It has calmed down but I still have days when I am starving and I make my husband bake cookies. (I'd do it myself, but mine suck! :})

Ines 2-06-2006 @ 6:47PM

I was hungrier when I was breastfeeding than when I was pregnant... unfortunately I stopped breastfeeding,but haven't stopped eating !!!! LOL

Elizabeth 2-06-2006 @ 7:39PM

I constantly craved sweets while breastfeeding. While I was pregnant, I craved salt and vinegar potato chips and Taco Bell.

kyrie 2-06-2006 @ 11:11PM

oh my gosh! i'm so glad that other breastfeeding mamas crave sweets, too. i could eat sweets all day long, especially cookies and cake. i've baked at least twice a week since our 8 month old was born.

DebinTualatin 2-07-2006 @ 1:17AM

Oh me too....i learned that we crave sweets when we need protien, so try some hardcore protien first and see if that helps.
I am one of the unlucky ones how gains weight while BF, NOT during pregnancy.

meredith 2-07-2006 @ 8:05AM

ICECREAM....When I was breastfeeding I started craving icecream anything. Before children, I didn't even like icecream. I've long stopped breastfeeding, but the icecream craving lingers on...

joell 2-12-2006 @ 12:09PM

So happy to hear that I am not alone in the suguar craving breastfeeding mom category. When I delivered in the hospital, I received a box of chocolates and choclate covered raisins along with bridgemix. Needless to say the whole box of chocolates was gone before I got home 2 days later and the cravings have continued on as my son is 2 months now. I have baked rounds of cookies along with eating a bag of kisses, chocolate and butterscoth chips. I eat more now than when I was pregnant only gaining 35 pounds and losing 20 before returning home.

kristen 2-12-2006 @ 3:51PM

my god I thought it was only me. I wanted sweets all the time when I was pregnant and now that I am breastfeeding it is the same. I want cookies and fudge.
While I was pg I wanted cream cheese everywhere, now I am eating my bagels dry. I am all about protein and sweets.
Don't get me started on the Lays Dill Chips, sounds gross, but so tangy and tasty.

Heather 2-14-2006 @ 2:17PM

Chocolate chocolate chocolate is all I want. And all of a sudden. Good thing it's Valentine's Day, I can be seen in public with my lust!

Celia 4-08-2008 @ 1:16PM

OMG - I'm not alone! I have a 2.5 month old and I'm also breastfeeding. And... I am always hungry! And.... undoubtedly craving sweet stuff most of the time! What to do!? I'll never get this baby weight off I feel, but somehow I'm losing about .5 lb a week w/out doing anything but eating and eating LOTS!

Nic 8-16-2008 @ 9:46PM

Sweets, sweets, sweets!
I crave homebaked cookies, I eat chocolate every day and dream about nutella, by the spoonful.
Oh and ice cream with magic shell, I'd die for the stuff.
It's just disgusting how much sugar I would eat if I let myself compeletely loose!
I've had these cravings during both my breastfeeding experiences.
I b/f my first daughter until 20 months and lost ALOT of weight - I just couldn't keep it on. This time I'm 11 months in and not really losing alot - I'm sitting about 5-10 pounds (at a guess) above my pre preg weight. Maybe that has something to do with also craving fries and take out thai food...Oh and to make matters worse i have a degree in exercise science and nutrition, I know I should stop- but I can't! lol

Ann 9-22-2008 @ 11:25PM

I am so glad to know that I am not the only sugar freak out there while nursing! Man I can eat sugar ALL THE TIME! That is all I want and I do stay hungry all the time.
I buy bags of M&M's about every week or 2 and put them in a drawer and go get handfuls a number of times a day. I also have to have ice cream every night and I get 2 or more big helpings of it! I also love cookies, cake and anything chocolate! I loooove peanut butter. It is just all crazy!!
I feel like I am going to be a diabetic soon if I am not already.

SissyExtraordinaire 5-09-2006 @ 8:51PM

8 weeks after delivering my second child, i can't stop eating. but the cravings i have are for chocolate and peanut butter. as i sit here reading, i'm digging into the jar of creamy jif with a spoon, and alternating with a chocolate icing.

not conducive to losing weight, but oh so yummy ;)

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