Having Trouble Dealing with "Pica"

I would like to emphasize what others have said about iron. I craved ice so much at the end of my second pregnancy that I couldn't wait to finish my drink to get to the "dessert." I brought it up to my provider and she basically blew me off. You should be persistent. After birth, I was very dizzy from the moment I first stood up until several weeks had passed. I also bled more than normal right after his birth and needed a pitocin injection to prevent hemorrhage. My son tested low for iron at 1 year old. I think it was all related even though I was never too low when they tested my blood.

Pica is often a sign of a vitamin/mineral deficiency... most commonly an iron deficiency, especially if you have now decided to crunch ice instead, that's a classic symptom. Talk to your Dr about this.

Your Dr. will have resources that can help you. For now defaulting to ice is okay, (though too much can be bad for your teeth), but you need to correct the source of the problem by getting the proper supplement levels corrected.

This will explain it in more detail:

http://www.omnimedicalsearch.com/conditions-diseases/pica...

Yeah, I chomped on ice with my first son as well...A LOT! But, you need to tell your doctor because you probably have an iron deficiency. Tell your doctor today! Then you can be put on some iron pills and you should up your red meat and your leafy greens (both high in iron).
L.
When you call your doctor don't just say you are crunching ice...he needs to know that you have been eating baby powder too.

I would say you are lacking something in your diet. Go and talk to your doctor and see if you need more supplements. Low iron is also a cause of weird cravings. My niece had all kinds of strange cravings all her life from childhood up until they started her on a daily iron supplement. Try crackers, like the little oyster crackers. You could get you a box of baby cereal and eat that when you have this craving. I love a bowl of the baby cereal once in awhile. Great nurishment for you even if you are not pregnant. My doctor told me it is a great way to boost your imune system. Merry Christmas to you and yours...

Out of curiosity how do you like your baby powder served? I'm having a hard time picturing it. Do you sprinkle it on regular food, make a gravy of it or just put it in your mouth all powdery and dry? How the heck can you swallow it?

This is from Americanpregnancy.org:

What can you do if you have pica cravings?

Don't panic; it happens and is not abnormal. The most important thing is to inform your health care provider to make sure you have a complete understanding of the specific risks associated with your cravings. Here are some suggestions to help you deal with pica cravings:

* Inform your health care provider and review your prenatal health records
* Monitor your iron status along with other vitamin and mineral intake
* Consider potential substitutes for the cravings such as chewing sugarless gum
* Inform a friend of your craving who can help you avoid non-food items

Talk to your ob -maybe you have a vitamin deficiency? I would say ice is soooo much better than baby powder--eat as much ice as you want-avoid eating the powder-very harmful for you and the baby.

Molly

You need to go to a licensed mental health professional. Chalk items are very addicting and you are making your baby's brain extremely toxic! This can lead to many problems for the baby developmentally like autism, ADHD, learning disabilites, future addiction, behavioral issues, allergies and the list goes on. Please make an appointment ASAP!

I did the crushed ice thing too with my 2 youngest. I also heard thats it wasn't good but I did eat other things so I didn't worry much.

It basically means you need some iron. So ask your doctor and he will probably give you iron supplements. That will help your cravings. :)

Are you anemic the cravings for ice = anemic or your dehydrated.I would certainly take this up with your OB it isn't something to mess with,i'm sure they have had to already ask you during your visits do you crave dirt,clay,ice chips, baby poweder in your case& will be able to guide you.
I'm going to go try it I have a bottle of baby powder I doubt that it'll be a sucess.I can't imagine doing these things but it doesn happen when our bodies go whacky

It could very well be anemia--don't leave the doctor without an answer!

I hope it all works out!

Ice isn't good for you? Do you not drink water? Ice is frozen water so I cannot imagine how you would determine that ice is bad for you...unless you have sensitive teeth and the coldness hurts.

As for the Pica, you need to talk to your OB immediately. Eating things that have no nutritional value AND can be potentially harmful to you and/or your baby is something that needs medical intervention A.S.A.P.

Eating ice is FINE! Please -do not eat any more baby powder or anything of that nature -chalk, etc. Call your doctor and ask them if there's a supplement or something you can safely use to help with it. Until then -chomp away on the ice -it's only water!

When given the choice between crushed ice and baby powder I go for the crushed ice every time.

Interesting. Like the other mom, I'm curious as to how one consumes baby powder. Since you were brave enough to admit to it, do you care to fill us in on how you eat baby powder in your "What Happened?" How did you even discover you liked it in the first place?