Ice ice ice. That's not what I remember, but if you had asked me at the time, my response would have been "ICE ICE ICE". I was addicted.
NOW I remember the swollen legs, the big feet that were only happy in Crocs, the pain in my ribs which began at six months, the carpal tunnel syndrome that (has still) deformed my fingers, the absence of rashes and the hibernation of my allergies... but at the time... ICE.
This was my life when pregnant. From about five months onwards I became addicted to ice cubes. No, rephrase, not *cubes*, ICE. The best ice came from the crushed ice machines in Nandos and Subway outlets. I would go to Subway at lunchtime and ask if I could take away a cup of crushed ice. Sometimes they said no and I had to buy a Diet Coke just so I could get a big cup and fill it with the glorious crushed ice. I would want Nandos JUST so I could overdose on the ice. I would even bring a cup home and keep it in the freezer.
I always had four trays of ice in the freezer. Two at a time and five hours to freeze.
I'm writing this now because I'm amazed that one year on my craving has gone. It didn't go when I gave birth, it carried on for months after. We went on holiday when T was seven months old and I STILL craved the ice. I got annoyed that it wasn't just available to me 24 hours a day, whenever I wanted it. I drank cocktails because I *needed* ice. Honest :-D
And then one day I noticed that I wasn't reaching for the freezer drawer... I didn't need ice after every cup of tea... I didn't need ice after a meal... I... didn't... need... ice.
What happened? I'm glad that an addiction was so easy to get through but still, in a strange way, I miss the NEED to have it. I'm lucky I got away with ice. I've heard of stories of pica involving coal and flannels and soil.
I also got over smoking, but a LONG time ago. I'm still working on alcohol and chocolate... :-)
