Cravings are one of the most stereotyped symptoms of pregnancy, and now a new study shows that they can have real consequences. Australian researchers found that if mother rats consumed junk food while pregnant and nursing, the babies had resulting changes to their brain chemistry, leaving them more susceptible to a junk food addiction later in life.

After the morning sickness of the first trimester, my cravings ranged from broccoli (very garlicky and stir-fried only) to raspberries (even better with frozen custard!) and by the end of my pregnancy, my go-to snack were s’mores with dark chocolate and mini marshmallows. Of course, I tried to behave myself, and once I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I had to find new ways to satisfy my cravings.

So what’s a mom-to-be to do when she’s jonesing for something sweet, salty, or fatty (possibly even ALL at the same time)? While I was diabetic and now that I’m breastfeeding, I take extra care with my diet, but that doesn’t mean all treats must go!

Here are some tips I’ve found for battling those cravings:

1. I share my dessert with my husband or a friend instead of demolishing it myself.

2. When baking, I try to use more nutritious substitutes like applesauce, Greek yogurt or even avocado to replace the fat in recipes.

3. When I crave soda, I drink sparkling water (bonus points for yummy flavors like lemon-lime or blackberry!)

4. A thick, blended smoothie hits the spot when I’m in the mood for a milkshake.

5. Above all, I try to eat healthfully as much as I can, so one or two small indulgences don’t throw me overboard.

How do you deal with strange or junky pregnancy cravings?

Plus, more from The Bump:

What My Craziest Pregnancy Cravings Could Mean for Baby

Eating Right During Pregnancy

Weirdest Pregnancy Cravings

I found out I was pregnant on a lazy summer day in August, and things started out really well. My husband and I were excited. We had logical discussions about everything from our financial situation to painting the nursery. Then… I completely lost it. I feel badly for my husband, who is now living with a crazy person. A few examples:

I cry all the time. Over everything (a.k.a. nothing). One night, we couldn’t agree on a restaurant for dinner. He wanted Mexican, and I wanted a delicious sandwich from a restaurant three hours away. When I couldn’t come up with a compromise, I did the logical thing and burst into tears. Duh. Also, I now cry over romantic comedies. Sickening.

I obsess constantly over my symptoms, or lack thereof. If my nausea eases up for a day, I start obsessively googling “pregnancy complications” and read every single sad and scary story possible. One day, I swerved down the street frantically groping myself because my boobs had stopped hurting. Luckily, everything is fine.

I’d been dying to tell everyone about my pregnancy, but now that we’re finally telling, I’m all nervous and weird. Seriously, I’ve been blurting it in the most inappropriate manner. “Hey grandma, will you please pass the salt, and by the way I’m totally knocked up!”

At night, I prance around with my shirt raised to show off my “bloat bump.” I even force my husband to look at it and talk to the baby. I know it’s not a real baby bump yet, because I’m always skinny again in the morning. But a girl can pretend, right?

My food habits are a little freaky. I got an intense craving for sushi a couple weeks ago, and my husband was happy to oblige. Of course, I had to order the California roll. When my husband’s delicious looking sushi arrived at the table, I immediately began stabbing out the chunks of raw fish with my chopsticks so I could eat his. Furthermore, I dry heave every time I open the refrigerator. One day, I ate pasta with (pasteurized) feta cheese and sundried tomatoes; I spent the next two weeks gagging every time I thought about it. It’s no wonder I cry when forced to choose a restaurant.

Unfortunately, I have this sneaking suspicion that I might just get much, much crazier between now and my due date in April. If you find yourself biting off your husband’s head over dirty dishes in the sink or his inability to recycle an empty milk carton (à la the photo above), don’t worry. You’re not alone.

What crazy things have you been experiencing now that you’re pregnant?