There's a common stereotype about pregnant people that they're always ravenous and craving some random food. And while pregnancy cravings can certainly be diverse, some culinary hankerings might seem straight-up bizarre, especially if you've never been pregnant before.
One hot-ticket food item you might've heard pregnant people chat about is a candy called "Preggie Pops." Reddit boards are full of moms selling extra Preggie Pops to women in need, while other prenatal message boards contain questions about whether or not you can overdose on Preggie Pops. But this Preggie Pop obsession has nothing to do with pregnancy cravings. These candies are a well-known treatment for morning sickness.
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Morning sickness is a common symptom of pregnancy, and it's believed to be caused by the sudden surge in the hormones HCG and progesterone, explains Daniel Roshan, MD, FACOG, FACS, an Ob/Gyn who focuses on fetal and maternal medicine in New York City. Despite the name, "morning sickness" can affect pregnant people at all times of the day. Treatment typically entails lifestyle changes, including avoiding foods that bring on acid reflux symptoms, getting out of bed slowly, and implementing other in-the-moment anti-nausea tricks, Dr. Roshan says.
Preggie Pops are a specific brand of hard candies, drops, and lollipops that are marketed as a drug-free remedy for morning sickness. The candies contain a proprietary blend of essential oils that are supposed to be beneficial for nausea, explains Julie Davine, vice president of Three Lollies, the company that manufactures Preggie Pops. "For instance, the essential oil of raspberry is used for the Sour Raspberry Queasy or Preggie Drop," she says. The same is true for the ginger and lemon flavors, she adds. Some of the products, such as the Preggie Pop Drops Plus, also contain vitamin B6, which is often recommended for nausea and morning sickness.
Together, these ingredients may curb nausea and vomiting during pregnancy at least a little bit. Of course, there are other supplements and OTC drugs out there for treating morning sickness, such as melatonin and Unisom, Dr. Rohan says. (And some women suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum may require more serious treatment.) But the fact that Preggie Pops are tasty candy is also part of their magic. Hard candies in general are helpful for nausea, "since it changes the taste in the mouth, and also gives some sugar to the patients who cannot eat well," he adds. That these come in (somewhat) mouth-watering flavors, such as Sour Lemon and Green Apple, only adds to their appeal.
You don't have to be pregnant to enjoy these candies, according to Davine. "All of our products can help any type of nausea, from morning sickness to cancer treatment [and] travel sickness," she adds. And as for any other inexplicably weird food craving you might be having, it's always best to lean in — pregnant or not.