Baking Soda

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I am not a nurse and I have told the doctor about my craving for baking soda (pica). I am 37 weeks pregnant with no complications. I am not anemic and all the blood tests came back normal. I have been taking my prenatal vitamins.

Why am I having these cravings? My doctor has no clue.. he just said its normal and I should stick to baking soda and stay away from detergent (which I am also having cravings for)

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks

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asked to be induced and get this over with

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:roll :eek: that would be so awsome!

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

and it's called PICA of pregnancy. read the following article and maybe learn a thing or two....

Please dont' give in to your cravings...this can be harmful.

I wish you health and a safe delivery!

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/unusualcravingspica.html

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Ok this is going to sound silly, but I will ask anyway... it may end up being more rhetorical, I am not certain anyone can actually answer it.

Regarding pica and non-food cravings. How does one identify a craving if it is something you have never had before? It seems curious to me that someone can say "hmmm... I really want some dirt right now". I understand identifying the craving once you have ingested a certain substance, but that initial craving?

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Specializes in Surgical.

My good friend experienced PICA during her pregnancy and from the way she explained it she would smell the laundry detergent and have a nearly uncontrollable impulse to eat it. Same with Mr.Clean...she never ate it of course but her house and laundry were very clean because she loved to smell it

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I have taken care of women in Oklahoma who DID eat the clay dirt in response to pica cravings. It does happen. It can cause a SEVERE imbalance of electrolytes, if not poison someone to eat things like detergent, dirt and baking soda. If this continues to be unbearable, call the doctor again. But do NOT indulge the craving, whatever you do.

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Specializes in Case Management, Acute Care, Missions.

The women in rural Zimbabwe CRAVE and eat the mud "tunnels" made by the termites. They are on everything, and women will fight for them. The stuff is high in iron, and since their diet is low in iron and no one can afford any pre-natal supplement (thrid world country and all), we say go for it....

Yum Yum!

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I ose to ork for a doctor that craved baking soda...they never figured out what was causing it tho.:confused:

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

I say eat well, THEN brush with the baking soda. :p

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