The following question was sent to us via the “Ask Ernie” link on the right. Below is the original question, followed by Ernie’s answer, and a follow-up email. This exchange was a big hit with everyone here at the Dairy, and many of the husbands and wives here can relate to our reader’s dilemma. Enjoy!
CHARLIE F. FROM WINSLOW, NJ WRITES: Ernie, My wife is currently pregnant with our first child, a boy, and everything is going great. Except, she craves ice cream morning, noon and night! The only things she’ll eat are Graham Slam, Chocolate Marshmallow, and Strawberries & Cream. I must buy at least a gallon of each a day, and sometimes I’m running to the grocery store at 11:00 at night to buy more – and there’s never any left for me! My wallet is running on empty and she refuses to eat anything else. What can I do to curb her sweet tooth? Is Turkey Hill hiring so I can afford to keep up with her habit? Is my son going to be born part ice cream? Help!
ERNIE WRITES:
That’s quite a dilemma you’ve got there, Charlie!
Food cravings during pregnancy are mysterious things. Several studies have been unable to explain exactly why women crave certain foods when they’re pregnant, though some suggest that women crave foods that help compensate for certain vitamins and nutrients their bodies are lacking. In this case, your wife might be yearning for calcium (and for you to prove your devotion to her by making late night ice cream runs).
As for curbing her sweet tooth, having been in this situation myself, I’d advise you not to try to intervene too much. An expectant mother who’s unable to satisfy her cravings can create all sorts of other problems and I won’t be able to help you with those.
To eliminate the late night ice cream trips, you might consider keeping a few “emergency” pints of Turkey Hill ice cream in the back of the freezer, just in case you run out halfway through the nightly news and you’re already in your pajamas.You may choose to hide or disguise the pints to preserve their “emergencies only” status, but if she finds out you’re hiding ice cream from her, I can’t be held responsible for the results.
To answer your question about potentially working at Turkey Hill, you’re in luck, because we are hiring at the moment. We’re looking for a 2nd Shift Freezer Team Leader and a 2nd Shift Lift Operator. If you’re interested, feel free to email your resume to careers@turkeyhill.com, though I suspect the commute to Lancaster County from Winslow, NJ might be troublesome for you.
In the meantime, I’ll send you some coupons for some free ice cream to help ease the financial burden until your son arrives. (What’s your address?) I only ask that you consider — just consider — naming him Ernie. It’s a good name if you give it a chance.
Finally, I can assure you, although I’m not a doctor, that your son will not be born part ice cream. However, he might be born with his mother’s intense craving for ice cream. This craving could follow him for the rest of his life, but I suppose there are worse things to be addicted to. Actually, I’m beginning to wonder how much ice cream my own mother ate when she was pregnant with me. That would explain a lot.
Hope this helps. Keep me posted and let me know how things turn out!
Best,
Ernie
CHARLIE’S RESPONSE: My wife found your e-mail first, because we share an account – but luckily she thought it was funny!
Tags: Ask Ernie, cravings, ice cream, pregnancy, turkey hill
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If you’ve got a technical question about the ice cream making process or some other inquiry about the nuances of America’s favorite treat, chances are Ernie has the answer. He might not be able to answer all questions, but he’ll try his best and some may be featured on the Ice Cream Journal.
Let them eat cake.
Good luck to all the pregnant women out there and enjoy your cravings and try to satisfy them to the best of your abilities. Of course Turkey Hill is ALWAYS the best
When I was pregnant I crave certain foods. I have one daughter who has iodine reactions, seafood craving.
Another one is lactose tolerance.So be carefull what you crave. It is as they say from lack of vitamins and minerals that we crave certain things.
But I do crave ice cream in the summer months.
What does it mean if I am not preggie and still get these late night , early morning, mid-day ice cream cravings ?
Very entertaining e-mails.
I’m glad that they were sent some coupons, way to go Turkey Hill!
I love your ice cream, its my favorite brand, especially chocolate mint chip.
I crave ice cream–hopefully not for the same reason. Hope everything turns out just perfect!
I CRAVED ICE CREAM ALSO.. WITH MY FIRST SON. AND HE CAME OUT WITH HUGE SHOULDERS, A NATURAL BORN FOOTBALL PLAYER. I THINK IT WAS ALL THE DAIRY.
What a great (and funny!) story. Best wishes to Charlie and his “Ice Cream Monsters!” :O
I love me some ice cream, no matter what season it is!!
i love your Strawberry ice cream!
Love all your ice cream with the fruit!
I loved when I was pregnant and could use that as an excuse for all the ice cream I consumed. Now I need new excuses!
My Mom always craves ice cream, but when she was pregnant with my youngest brother, she had a strong craving for ice cubes. She ate them by the trayful! And I mean chomping on them and chewing the solid ice pieces. Our freezer had trouble making the cubes fast enough! My brother, luckily, does not have a compulsion to chew ice, and after my Mom gave birth, she no longer craved it. Weird!
Enjoyed the story. My prayers are with you and your family at this special time. Let us know when the baby is born.
Ernie-
Our family just tried the Movie Night Ice Cream and simply loved it !!!!!!!! I
wonder, since you have all the genius’ working at Turkey Hill developing these terrific products, is that why our government is in such bad shape ????
do all women crave ice cream and pickles when tey are pregnant or am i the only one