So embarassing...but I smell

[AFWife]

I KNOW it's related to my being so far along in my pregnancy (36 weeks) but GOOD LORD! Last night I was taking a shower and used my body wash like normal and then stood under the hot water to try to relieve my back pain. I stretched up and caught a whiff of my underarm...and it was nasty! I had literally JUST washed. So, I got more body wash and scrubbed again and shaved (there was barely any hair but I was desperate). (this time it worked) I didn't put deodorant on directly out of the shower (I was just going to hang out at home) but a few hours later I was running for the stuff because I was starting to smell again.

Any ideas? Right now (just checked) I'm doing okay smell and sweat wise...

I use a Suave cocoa and shea butter body wash (I have sensitive skin and it's one of the few things I can afford that doesn't cause a rash...I KNOW it's full of "crap") and a couple of different Clinical Strength Deodorants (I also sweat more than the average person...it's gross)


Will it go away? Or is there something else I can be doing?

[Lynn08]

I know exactly what you mean! There are so many times I've caught a whiff of myself and almost passed out! I almost never had to use deodorant until I got pregnant and now I *know* when it's time to shower. I use the crystal (when I remember, at least) and it works great! I still sweat, but it doesn't stink. Good luck with the new baby!

[Aeress]

My stink deminished after dd was born, maybe 6-8 weeks after.

Yep, I was a stinky pregnant mom.

[AFWife]

does it make me a bad person that I'm sitting here thinking "Thank God other women smell bad?"

[Lynn08]

Nahhh - what can you do but laugh? Some of the aspects of pregnancy and motherhood are so absurd that you might be a bad person if you didn't laugh.

[rhiasmum]

lol yup, had the same problem. I was using the crystal but it's not working anymore. I went back to Secret and so far it's the only thing that's worked. And yes, I've tried other solutions before I went back to the dark side.
Ah, the joys of pregnancy lol.

[MoonStarFalling]

I have had stink issues before. My stink is caused by certain things I had eaten. Shrimp and white potatoes are the worst offenders but I suspect sugars and fried stuff probably made me stink too.

[vegasgrl]

I just changed my clothes from work and I REEK. At 9 weeks! Good to know what I have to look forward too.

[anniegirl]

Oh I feel your (stinky) pain! Although oddly for me, I didn't stink at all while pregnant but as soon as I had my babies, hoo boy! I reeked! And unfortunately three years since I had my youngest I'm still stinkier than I ever was before I had babies.

So here are my suggestions, they help, but I'm still on the hunt for the ultimate stink solution:
--before you get in the shower spray your pits with diluted vinegar or lemon juice. Let it dry before you get in (e.g. brush your teeth or something in the meantime), then rinse it off as soon as you get in. This does a good job of reducing the hard-core stinkies.
--while in the shower, make a paste with baking soda and water and pat it on your pits, let it sit a while before you rinse it off. I don't scrub with it though or it irritates my skin.
--This will sound really bizarre but milk of magnesia makes a great deodorant. I put it in a little spray bottle and spritz it on my pits. I've also read of people putting it on with a cotton ball. The only thing I don't like about it is waiting for it to dry before I can get dressed and if I put too much on it leaves a chalky residue on my skin. But it's safe! I think the magnesium works similarly as aluminum, and both are readily absorbed by the skin. But the huge difference is that magnesium is necessary for the body while aluminum is potentially harmful to the brain.

I hope that is helpful!

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by anniegirl

Oh I feel your (stinky) pain! Although oddly for me, I didn't stink at all while pregnant but as soon as I had my babies, hoo boy! I reeked! And unfortunately three years since I had my youngest I'm still stinkier than I ever was before I had babies.

So here are my suggestions, they help, but I'm still on the hunt for the ultimate stink solution:
--before you get in the shower spray your pits with diluted vinegar or lemon juice. Let it dry before you get in (e.g. brush your teeth or something in the meantime), then rinse it off as soon as you get in. This does a good job of reducing the hard-core stinkies.
--while in the shower, make a paste with baking soda and water and pat it on your pits, let it sit a while before you rinse it off. I don't scrub with it though or it irritates my skin.
--This will sound really bizarre but milk of magnesia makes a great deodorant. I put it in a little spray bottle and spritz it on my pits. I've also read of people putting it on with a cotton ball. The only thing I don't like about it is waiting for it to dry before I can get dressed and if I put too much on it leaves a chalky residue on my skin. But it's safe! I think the magnesium works similarly as aluminum, and both are readily absorbed by the skin. But the huge difference is that magnesium is necessary for the body while aluminum is potentially harmful to the brain.

I hope that is helpful!

LOL Great, you're saying this change could be permanent?! wait until DH finds out

:

[lj2blessed]

I thought it was just me??? I'm 16 days PP and I'm always thinking how I smell like "coney island" (onions)! What in the world happened to my body where I smell like a skunk all of a sudden???

I'm gonna try the remedies for sure!

[ZippyGirl]

Have you tried Funk Butter yet? I learned about it here on MDC, and it works wonders!!!!

[AngelBee]

Originally Posted by AFWife

does it make me a bad person that I'm sitting here thinking "Thank God other women smell bad?"

[Ygle]

The only time my underarms ever smelled was a few short weeks when I went through puberty UNTIL right after my 4th baby, and, yeah, it was bad, I tried everything, but what can you do when even showering and scrubbing them you *still* can't get the stink out? I couldn't even stand being around myself... deodorants just don't work when you can't even get the smell to go away at all to begin with. Here's what worked for me though --> zinc! I just added in some more zinc, a cheap zinc vitamin and I think it only took a few days and I was back to my non smelly self. I've started charting my diet and have definitely noticed when I'm low in zinc I will start to smell, it only seems to be an issue for me with breastfeeding, I seem to need more (and you need more going through puberty as well, so explains that also).