Third, but not least of all, there are the cravings – the stuff weird food combinations are made of. It’s something that’s always asked of pregnant women, and the harder it is to get the food, the more satisfying it seems to the listener. There’s even a superstition that warns it’s bad luck not to give a pregnant woman what she craves for.
Some women are lucky enough to breeze through their pregnancies while others – like me – felt dizzy most of the time. When I was pregnant, I couldn’t eat anything without feeling nauseous from the third month until I gave birth!
So here are the women and their very interesting cravings for food – and smells.
CHARLENE GONZALES, TV personality: During my first and second trimesters, it was all vegetables, nothing with oil or anything that smelled like it! In my last trimester, I wanted all Filipino food, especially kakanin.
VANNA CALALANG SEVERINO, chef, Season’s at Villa Somerset: All of a sudden, I loved to eat chocolate bars.
MANDY DELA RAMA SANTOS, exporter: I had a very difficult pregnancy and couldn’t keep any food down during my first and second trimesters. Despite that, I had a strange craving for the smell of a wet market. I would purposely go to Edsa Central Market or Farmers Market and head for the fish section where I would stay for an hour and just smell the air. Also, in my last month, I couldn’t get enough of the smell of Lysol disinfectant and Boysen paint!
TINTIN BERSOLA-BABAO, TV host: Sardines and yogurt at first. Then sinigang and spareribs with two big whole tomatoes, which I had for three weeks straight. Now I’m in my 6th month, I’m done with the paglilihi phase.
TWEETIE DE LEON GONZALEZ, model: I’m on my 35th week of pregnancy and both my appetite and stomach are growing at rocket speed. But unlike my three previous pregnancies, I haven’t had real food cravings or aversions during this one. If there was anything I craved for, it was my husband’s attention. His presence meant a lot to me. I was like a lovestruck teenager, watching and admiring from the sidelines. His schedule and mindfulness – or lack of it – defined my mood for the day. It was crazy.
CES ORENA DRILON, TV host and anchor: My cravings varied from son to son. In my first pregnancy I craved for Haw Flakes, which was not yet widely available then. I had to go to Binondo to look for it and when I finally got it, I didn’t want it anymore. I also craved for santol when it was not in season. During another pregnancy, I was always thirsty and hot, so I would buy orange popsicles by the box. The worst was when I craved for raw beef Korean style. I remember going to Korean restaurants by myself and wolfing down an order good for two. Back then, I didn’t realize how dangerous that was for me and my baby as the beef would be mixed with raw egg, too. Thank goodness, no harm was done! I guess I’m just adventurous with food, pregnant or not. Pregnancy, of course, is just a great excuse to indulge one’s cravings.
PAULINE SUACO JUAN, editor in chief, Preview magazine: With my eldest son Elias, it was guapple. With my second son Roque, it was cherries followed by foie gras!
ASTRUD CRISOLOGO, entrepreneur, mother of three: When I was pregnant I was always skinny! I was eating everything. I loved pedestrian food. I ate fishballs, isaw, balot (just the yellow part) and dirty ice cream from Malate. I also craved for pancit palabok, pancit Malabon from Rosy’s, canned lychees, Dunkin Donuts, kamias, Indian mango with bagoong. The best part was that my husband Norman was empathizing with me so we became eating machines. One time he ate too many balot that he just threw up.
VENICE LAUREL HERMANO, general manager, House of Laurel: In the first few months of my pregnancy, I wanted only fruits and vegetables. But during the latter part, I was quite surprised because I found myself craving for spicy foods, which I was never really fond of. I would always ask for Tabasco sauce every time I ate! Two and half years later, I have acquired the habit of enhancing my food with a bit of chili flakes or Tabasco.