Any of your preggy patients crave toxic things like PineSol?

heartICU · Dec 17, 2006

I don't know if it has anything to do with being pregnant, but I'm craving the smell of PineSol and Comet. I'll go wipe the counters or clean the toilet or mop the floor just so I can smell it.
My husband is freaking out and says I am going to poison the baby.
My papers from the OB say to call them immediately if I start eating dirt, but it doesn't mention craving the aroma of cleaner.
I'm not asking for medical advice about what to do, I just wonder if anyone has had a patient with such a craving?

When my mother was pregnant, she loved the smell of Tide powder laundry detergent. We never had so many clean clothes:-)

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 17, 2006

I teach new nurses and patients this: This phenomenon is called "pica" and women enduring this crave all manner of things (usually to eat/ingest), from chemicals, to ice, to baking soda, to clay in some soils. It's important to teach patients NOT to satisfy these cravings, if they include dangerous and/or toxic substances, and perhaps get dietary counseling as a deficiency of some sort may be partly responsible. Also I teach it will pass as pregnancy progresses or when the baby is born.

As you know, since this is you, you should avoid unnecessary exposure and use of all chemicals, if possible. What you are enduring is not unheard-of, but also can be unhealthy, if indulged too often or too much.

rehab nurse · Dec 17, 2006

mm,

no kidding, i had those exact same cravings for certain smells. i cleaned my sink just to smell comet. i cleaned my floor to smell the pine sol.

the one thing i did really go nuts over was using these cleanser crystals to clean the toilet. i would clean my toilets every day...LOL

but it went both ways, because the smell of a restaurant, or of certain foods (fish, salad, etc) made me want to puke.

i still to this day have a very keen sense of smell.

btw...my youngest is a clean freak!!! and he's only 4!! :)

RN BSN 2009 · Dec 17, 2006

Yes... pica... my cousin had this when she was pregnant.. She had cravings to eat clay, crayons, and even was very tempted to drink out of a mud puddle as if it was chocolate milk!

mommy2boys · Dec 17, 2006

I couldn't get enough of the smell of matches. I would light them and then blow them out. I also LOVED the smell of brand new diapers. My DH thought I had lost my mind.

Erin

Gompers, BSN, RN · Dec 18, 2006

When my mother was pregnant, she loved the smell of Tide powder laundry detergent. We never had so many clean clothes

Have you seen the new Gain detergent commercial? There is a man driving his wife to the convenience store at night, and he goes in to get some Gain just so she can sit there and smell it. It talks about pregnancy cravings...and then goes on to show that's she's no longer pregnant and they have like an 18 month old in the car with them, yet she's still craving that Gain scent!

Gompers, BSN, RN · Dec 18, 2006

I couldn't get enough of the smell of matches. I would light them and then blow them out. I also LOVED the smell of brand new diapers. My DH thought I had lost my mind.

I absolutely love the smell of Pampers and Luvs (same company, same scent). I have two packs of them in my future baby's closet, and I think I go and smell them at least 10 times a day...

HappyNurse2005, RN · Dec 18, 2006

we had a pt in who ate mothballs......

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Dec 18, 2006

I love the smell of Irish Spring (dark green) soap. OMG. I'd take 10 baths every day. I also like the smell of clean things. Laundry soap, fab softer.

As far as the pica...ice, ice and more ice. I crave ice from certain places too. I love my ice machine on the frig, but love, love the ice at Sam's club's snack bar. LOL. And yes...I am anemic...

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Dec 18, 2006

I've had lots of preggies craving ice. That's about it so far. All my cravings were food-related. Mmmmm, Wendy's Frosty.....

JohnBearPA · Dec 18, 2006

hmmm, it's interesting that most of the smells that these women are craving are related to cleanliness. Wondering if this could be related to the nesting instinct I've heard about during pregnancy? Maybe r/t making a clean safe home for the future baby? Never been pregnant myself, as I'm a guy, and never worked OB/GYN, but does that sound plausable?