It’s been nearly 4 months since I used an old butter knife to scrape off grainy bits of my favorite rock to eat, nearly 4 months since I put my rock in a bottle of ice cold water and drank the mineral-y goodness, nearly 4 months since I sucked on it.
For those who aren’t up to speed on my rock eating habits, you can read more here and here. Basically, the last trimester of my 2nd pregnancy I craved rocks, and sand, and grout, and concrete. My mouth literally salivated at the thought of eating chunks of mortar from our bathroom floor renovation. The sight of construction on the side of the road made me want to shove a handful of concrete rubble in my mouth. I was low on iron my whole pregnancy, and I had Pica.
I spoke with a producer for The Discovery Channel’s “I’m Pregnant And” earlier this week about my strange cravings and my love affair with my lovely rock. It was funny recounting the experience to her. The more I answered her questions, the more I had to laugh at how crazy it seems this far removed.
Before I had Leyna, I wondered if my rock cravings would vanish the minute she was out of me, like my heartburn and cankles. Turns out, it took a long while for them to leave. The first couple weeks after having her, I *still* craved rocks, but I didn’t allow myself to indulge anymore. In that time, that craving didn’t seem that odd to me. It just… made sense, you know? Like, it was just like craving a legitimate food item, but I knew I didn’t need it, and I refused to let this rock craving become any more than a silly pregnancy thing.
I don’t know when the cravings officially subsided, but I remember as late as 8 weeks postpartum thinking rocks still looked a little yummy to me. But, at some point, I stopped thinking about them. And now? Well, the whole thing seems totally foreign and ridiculous. I’m guessing that means my iron levels are back on track.
So the rock now has a loving home in a memory box in Leyna’s room, alongside her hospital bracelet and birth announcement. In fact, she’ll never be able to deny that rocks were a big part of her life in utero. Her middle name, Lorelei, was specifically chosen because it is the name of a rock on the Rhine river in Germany.
I won’t be on the show since I’m actually not pregnant anymore, but if any of you out there are and are legitimately craving rocks, they are still looking to cast for the show. If you are interested in getting in touch with the producers, send me an email (link under About/Contact tab), and I’ll forward your info on.
Kendall is nearly 3, Leyna is 3.5 months old, and all I really crave these days is Nutella and a good summer beer.
