Carbohydrates are a popular topic these days. But what about carbs during pregnancy? What's a healthy balance of carbohydrates, and what's a woman to do if she finds herself craving carbs during her pregnancy?

Christina Katz, a mother of one from Wilsonville, Ore., found herself in just this position. "Only carbs would quell the nauseousness I experienced in my first trimester," Katz says. "I was very queasy the first three to four months of my pregnancy and carbs were the only things that even remotely relieved that queasiness."

Many of us find carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, potatoes and crackers hard to resist when we aren't pregnant. But during pregnancy, sometimes cravings seem to get out of control. And, as with most other pregnancy cravings, no one is quite sure why carbohydrates top the list of some women's pregnancy cravings.

"There are a lot of theories of why women crave carbs during pregnancy," says Elisabeth Ward, a clinical dietitian at Children's Medical Center Dallas. "But there is no scientific proof or evidence for any of the theories. Some think it is hormonally related and others think it is driven by something your body is lacking."

Proving that even dietitians aren't immune, Ward herself craved carbs during her own pregnancy. "During the first four months of my pregnancy, I couldn't stand the thought of meat or tomato sauce," she says. "Potatoes, especially french fries with ranch dressing and cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches were the only things that sounded palatable."

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