Help! I stink!

[Elena'sMami]

No, seriously, sorry about TMI, but I'm really getting distressed. I know pregnant women are hotter, and it is August, and we live in the D.C. area in a small house with no central air conditioning (we do have one window unit downstairs). But the fact is, I sweat constantly, and I feel like I stink continually. The problem is, I can't make myself use anti-perspirant, because of the bad stuff in it. I do have a couple of different deos (Toms and KissMyFace) but they do not seem to be doing the trick - usually straight deo works fine for me. Not these days

Any ideas to share? This is not a conversation my husband will consent to have with me, so I hope there's some good wisdom among you mamas for my homely little problem.

rebekah
mami to Elena (4), and Frijolito (due 11-3-07)

[Isaac'sMa]

I know what you mean about sweating ALL THE TIME! Ugh! We're in Baltimore and it's probably about as muggy as DC...

Have you tried the crystal? You can buy one lots of places from a natural food store to walmart. That might help (be sure to apply to clean pits). It helps to inhibit the bacterial growth that causes BO. It's basically a salt stick so nothing bad in it. I know a lot of mamas on MDC like Funk Butter though I have never tried it myself. Let me see if I can find a link for you....

here it is: http://oyinhandmade.com/oyin/index.p...&products_id=7

HTH! Sorry you're feeling stinky

[Googy]

Not much help here. I find that the natural deodorants do NOT work for me when I'm pregnant, and I finally decided that it was worse to stink all the time than have a few months of aluminum, so I am using the regular stuff now, at least until the summer is over.

[Curlita]

Something to think about... and maybe not the case, but then again, maybe so!

We all smell a little different than we are used to when we are pregnant AND our sense of smell also tends to be more acute. So maybe it's not that you are stinkier, it's just that you don't recognize your own smell as much as you're used to AND your sniffer is on super-sniff. Possible?

If my pits are not feeling so fresh, sometimes I do a quick pit-scrub at the sink with a little Dr. Bronner's. The peppermint scented is really nice, and then I reapply deoderant and have a fresh start.

[Windy]

Hello, not in your DDC, but I was going to suggest Funk Butter, like the PP said, there are many other MDC mamas who swear by it. I just ordered myself some yesterday. I also heard you can use baking soda. I use powder throughout the day since my sweat output has increased greatly since being pregnant. Here is the link to the MDC discussion on natural deordorants (it even contains recipes on how to make your own):
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=630658

[LittleBrownDog]

Funk Butter is supposed to be great- also some of the deodorants from Lush (there's one in Georgetown) are good, but if you have even remotely sensitive skin they might burn you, they have a LOT of TTO in them.

[GinaRae]

Isn't it the bacteria on the body that smells? What if you washed up with a washcloth and soap in the needy areas, say, 2-3 times per day. I know, a pain, but maybe it will help!!

[Elena'sMami]

Stink update!

Wo-ho! I was about to order the Funk Butter - it got rave reviews all over the boards - but thought I'd try one home recipe before investing. OMGoodness, it works SOOOOO well:

Mix together equal parts baking soda, corn starch, and coconut oil. Add a few drops of essential oil for fragrance, if desired. I used 2 drops of cardomom and 2 drops of lemon. I had all these things in the house, anyway. Not only do I not stink, but I perspire less, too. It doesn't stop the sweat completely, which would worry me, but it's 'manageable' now! And it's sooo inexpensive and easy to make - esp. for us mamas on a budget.

Thanks so much for all the suggestions, and especially for the gracious suggestion that maybe I only THOUGHT I stank so much - it was a nice mood booster, although in all honesty, I know it was wishful thinking...

-rebekah

[Isaac'sMa]

That's awesome! I'd been wondering about the homemade Funk Butter recipes- glad to know they work!