 | Pregnancy 3460 Pregnancy Why would someone crave and eat chalk? I have been eating large amounts of chalk (sidewalk chalk) since my pregnancy. My baby is now four months old and I am still craving it. Why would someone crave and eat chalk? I have been eating large amounts of chalk (sidewalk chalk) since my pregnancy. My baby is now four months old and I am still craving it. htmASKTHEDOCeatingchalkpregnancy The craving for chalk is most likely related to iron deficiency. The general medical term for craving certain items is "pica." With iron deficiency, you can have cravings other than chalk, including ice, paper, coffee grains and seeds. Its not known why iron deficiency causes pica. But once a person has replenished his or her iron stores, the craving disappears. 1440997 InteliHealth 2012-05-15 t Howard LeWine, M.D. 2015-05-15  | Ask The Expert | |  |  |  |  | | Archive By Date: Pregnancy | Page 1 of 2 | | Answered questions from the past 2 years: | |  Is there a way to get rid of melasma? I am not pregnant or on hormones. And I limit my time in the sun. I tried a prescription cream (not covered by insurance), but it hasnt helped. |  Why would someone crave and eat chalk? I have been eating large amounts of chalk (sidewalk chalk) since my pregnancy. My baby is now four months old and I am still craving it. |  Occasionally I read about an outbreak of listeria from some food source. Most recently it was cantaloupe. Where does listeria come from and who carries it? Is it naturally occurring? Is infection with listeria common? |  My daughter is 6 months pregnant. She spent some time with a person whose wife just recently got shingles. Is my daughter at risk? |  Is it safe to take cod liver oil during pregnancy? |  Can a woman who is 42-years-old get pregnant during her period? |  I cant decide whether I should get a flu shot. I am two months pregnant. What are your thoughts? |  How do you count when a woman is ovulating? How do you count the days after your cycle? |  What is considered the first day of a womans menstrual cycle? Is it the day some spotting has shown up, or the day of a regular flow? |  I used to have a LOT of hair, very long and curly. I went through a clinical depression and my hair started falling out -- so much so that I almost have a bald spot on the top part of my head. What can I do to jump start the growth of new hair on my head? | | | | |