Swiss Cheese Smell??

[yonit]

I have this really weird symptom that I have never even hard of before - and I thought I had heard of everything

After 3 babies my breasts are fairly large and saggy. With the pregnancy they have gotten bigger and sweat a lot underneath them. Nothing unusual there, but in the past few days I have noticed that the sweat smells like old swiss cheese. I can smell it all the time, but whenever I lift my breasts to wash underneath or put powder on it or whatever, the smell is almost overpowering.

I thought of yeast, but there is no rash or other strange thing underneath my breasts. There is no discharge or any other type of curdling stuff there. But still I can NOT get rid of the smell. Powder doesn't help, and right after they are washed they still smell. I even got deperate enough to put deoderant on it with no help.

It is getting really bad though, to the point that I am getting wary of going out in public or being near other people since I smell.

Anyone have any clue what it is, or how to get rid of it???

[timneh_mom]

It's probably just due to lack of air circulation in there. Even if there is no yeast, when sweaty skin is up against other skin all the time, it doesn't really breathe.

Do you wear a bra? If not, can you tuck some soft cotton (maybe flannel) under your breasts? There is no pain, right? No skin irritation at all?

I used to take care of a lot of elderly people, and often older ladies will have not really yeast under their breasts/abdominal folds, but it would be kind of tacky just from no air circulation to the skin.

Is your sense of smell more sensitive while pregnant? I can often smell things that DH cannot. Not saying it's your imagination, just that it might smell more strong to you than it does to someone else.

i'd try to keep some layer of fabric under your breasts so the skin isn't touching the skin below it and see if that helps...

[raeinparis]

the cotton idea is a good one. i don't know what it is either. i've had something called tinea vericolour (or something) that was a fungus but i had little red spots. i can't remember if it smelled bad.

i agree with the sense of smell thing -- i doubt that others can smell it as well!

ugh, i just remembered the postpartum leaking of fluids from everywhere! so much sweating and oozing and yuck! ah well, at least we'll have lovely babies to cuddle.

[umami_mommy]

chlorophyll liquid? like the kind nature's sunshine makes?

[yonit]

Thanks for the advice. I do wear a bra usually, but not always. So that could definitely be part of it. I have had a really hard time finding comfy bras lately. I did order a bravada nursing bra yesterday. I only ordered one though since I was making an educated guess on the size, and won't know for sure until after I give birth. Hopefully that will be more comfortable. If not, I will put something else there.

Chlorophyll is also a good idea. There is some in my deoderant but it might just be a little. I need to get some anyway, as it is a good lactogogue and I always have problems with milk supply.

As for me just being sensitive to the smell, at first I was hoping that was all it was. But my DH mentioned it 2 nights ago. He asked me if I took a shower that day, and we were just standing in the kitchen. And yes, I had.