Food cravings..... Tuna!!

[wtbmummy]

Ok ladies now I know different people say different things regarding cravings. Some think its your body lacking something, others dont.

Well for me I always believed it was my babies way of making sure it got what it needed.

So for health reasons about a month before falling pregnant I became vegetarian. (I only ate white meat, tuna n cod anyway so wasnt to hard) After falling pregnant my body wanted the chicken and pork which I was fine with. I mean whats 9months for me to make sure my daughter is healthy!!

This faded and I now can not stand even the thought of red meat (just the thought makes me gag and be sick) and I can only eat tiny bits of white meat.

Well...... this week something new has happened!! I am craving Tuna, tinned tuna, with lashing of salad cream. In rolls mostly but also on bread, toast, jacket potatoes (so nothing to weird although i had tuna and beans on a jacket potato this evening )

My question really is, is it ok?
I know your not meant to eat to much tuna durring pregnancy due to mercury content. That is like 4tins a week. But I want like a can a day I only had 2cans this week but if this craving continues it will end up more than that

Should I limit myself??
Or is my body craving something it can get from Tuna that I would normally get from meat?

 

[Ellivort]

What first sprang to mind was iron, but google tells me tuna is not particularly high in tuna. It would make more sense to be craving beef if it was an iron deficiency.
Maybe somehow your body is craving the omega 3? If thats the case eggs, yogurt and a few other things will do.

light tuna is safer than albacore, so the type matters a bit. 4 cans a week every week for the whole pregnancy might be too much, but maybe ask your doc or MW? I don't know how quickly mercury builds in the system.

Ofc cravings tend to not last forever, so maybe in a week or so you will be over it. I tend to support feeding the craving, within reason as I believe there is some purpose to it!

I still eat flaked and chunk light tuna, about 1x a week either in pasta salad or as a sandwich and i'm comfortable with that.

Light tuna is approved by FDA in limited amounts. google tells me 12 oz a week. Now i don't remember how much is in a can of tuna? 4 or 5 oz maybe? so you could eat 2 or 3 cans a week and be within known safe limits. At half a can per serving that could be a bit of tuna each day which should help with the craving.

Maybe somehow your body is craving the omega 3? If thats the case eggs, yogurt and a few other things will do.

Of course you might just want to eat tuna! lol

If it was me i'd just keep it to 2-3 cans a week and try to satisfy my craving with it

I had a similar struggle after being diagnosed with GD. ALL i wanted all 1st trimester and still today are gummies of all sorts. Well after the GD diagnosis that came to a crashing halt. i had to switch to welch's fruit snacks in very limited quantity.

All we can do is our best to stay healthy AND maintain sanity, both of which matter!!!
Good luck fighting the good beasts! lol

 

[flipporama1]

Ok ladies now I know different people say different things regarding cravings. Some think its your body lacking something, others dont.

Well for me I always believed it was my babies way of making sure it got what it needed.

So for health reasons about a month before falling pregnant I became vegetarian. (I only ate white meat, tuna n cod anyway so wasnt to hard) After falling pregnant my body wanted the chicken and pork which I was fine with. I mean whats 9months for me to make sure my daughter is healthy!!

This faded and I now can not stand even the thought of red meat (just the thought makes me gag and be sick) and I can only eat tiny bits of white meat.

Well...... this week something new has happened!! I am craving Tuna, tinned tuna, with lashing of salad cream. In rolls mostly but also on bread, toast, jacket potatoes (so nothing to weird although i had tuna and beans on a jacket potato this evening )

My question really is, is it ok?
I know your not meant to eat to much tuna durring pregnancy due to mercury content. That is like 4tins a week. But I want like a can a day I only had 2cans this week but if this craving continues it will end up more than that

Should I limit myself??
Or is my body craving something it can get from Tuna that I would normally get from meat?

Maybe it's the Omega-3 fatty acids your body is craving? Maybe increase that by taking a supplement? or other foods high in Omega-3's? I would personally be nervous about more than 3 or 4 servings of canned tuna in a week but 3 or 4 seems acceptable.

 

[wtbmummy]

Thanks ladies.

I think I will just try and watch my intake. As ellivort said most cravings dont last long.
However I have ordered some omega 3 tablets and also pre-biotic yogurt drinks to come with my shopping tomorrow.

Tbh they may help anyway as I still have HG so dont eat very much at all besides fruit (baby is measuring perfect so far so i am consuming enough somehow)

Will start taking the tablets n drinks from tomorrow and update with if it did help begining of the week

 

[Mummafrog]

I wouldn't go over the recommended amount, but up to 4 tins is fine I'm sure you'll randomly go off it again at some point
Sounds like some good things to try! I hope you get to eat more soon. Don't worry about baby, they take it all from you, it's just you who will suffer, bless you x

 

[Rymel12]

I craved tuna my entire pregnancy last time. Haven't wanted it once this time. Goes to show how every pregnancy is different.

 

[nicksi27]

I crave tuna and have my entire pregnancy! I could eat it all day long! i also get cravings for tinned salmon as well and have one a week. I might try and omega 3 supplement, never occurred to me before x

 

[wtbmummy]

I crave tuna and have my entire pregnancy! I could eat it all day long! i also get cravings for tinned salmon as well and have one a week. I might try and omega 3 supplement, never occurred to me before x

The omega 3 has really helped to curb the craving. I still am craving tuna but much less than before. Its a good thing for babys brain development too

 

[mrs unicorn]

I'm sure you've checked this but just wanted to mention that I took omega 3 supplements before falling pregnant (to help with break outs - it works!) and my mw told me I needed to switch to one that didn't contain fish oil. I struggled to find one so ended up with the (mega expensive!) pregnacare omega 3 supplements.