postpartum b.o.--what can I do???

[ladysmantle]

Hi ladies, don't know if this is the right forum or not, but I'm really hoping someone can help. I'm sitting here with our beautiful six-wk-old baby boy (who was our first homebirth, and it was AMAZING AND MAGNIFICENT, hooray!), and everything is great except for one thing: my body odor from pregnancy is not going away! I shower daily and scrub my armpits like anything, and I wear a natural deodorant, but it doesn't make a difference: in 30 minutes, the smell is back. I remember this happened after my last baby too, and lasted a long time, 8-9 months I think. I tried taking chlorophyll last time, since it's supposed to be a deodorizer, but no luck.

I'm really self-conscious about this! Does anyone have some advice for me?

[Emily's Mama]

don't have any suggestions, but I'm curious too as I've had the same problem! :

[jennica]

Take a cotton ball and douse it with rubbing alcohol, and apply it to your arm pits liberally. Let them sort of air dry. Follow this routine as needed. Worked for me :

[sarahn4639]

I resorted to Dove deoderant. It's the ONLY thing that worked for me. Although I admit I didn't try rubbing alcohol!

[channelofpeace]

Natural deodorants just don't cut it for me. When coupled with a little baking soda, it is so much better! Just apply your deo, take a little cotton pad with baking soda and pat in on your armpits and it really really helps

[srneda78]

The only "natural" deodorant that I can use is the rock/crystal kind. It really works for me. I got stinky pits from Tom's of Maine, Jason, and all the other "natural" deodorants I tried. If I use the crystal kind and then dab some baking soda, I have absolutely no odor at all (save the lovely smell of my Alba honey mango body wash!). And I'm very self conscious about it...I check!

[KD's Momma]

OMG - I was coming on here to post the exact same question!!!

I have not tried the rubbing alcohol - so I will do that but I use secret deoterant daily and this isn't helping either!!: I didn't have this issue with my other births and am totally embarrassed by this.

[alsoSarah]

Funk Butter.

Seriously.

alsoSarah

[ladysmantle]

Thank you SO MUCH for all your suggestions--I will be trying all of them immediately! I know it's not a big thing, but so annoying to deal with when you're trying to reintegrate after birth, and you (and dh!) are anxious to get back to your prepregnancy body.

[annmartina]

Exact same thing happened to me after dd was born. I now use plain white vinegar dabbed (with a cotton ball) under armpits. (Don't use it right after shaving, and also be aware some people have to dilute it to prevent irritation.)

It's way more effective for me than any store-bought deodorant, natural or not. The vinegar smell completely goes away once it dries. In fact, I can even do this after noticing BO later in the day and it will 100 percent remove the smell. I am told wardrobe managers on movie sets spray a water/vinegar (or sometimes vodka because of the alcohol) mixture onto the armpits of garments that can't be washed and it effectively removes all smells.

[KD's Momma]

Originally Posted by annmartina

I am told wardrobe managers on movie sets spray a water/vinegar (or sometimes vodka because of the alcohol) mixture onto the armpits of garments that can't be washed and it effectively removes all smells.

This is very interesting! I will have to try it. Thanks for the info, I will be trying this.

[ladysmantle]

The vinegar is another good idea; I'll try that tomorrow. I used baking soda this morning along with my regular deo (Tom's), and so far it seems to be working--sheer relief! But the vinegar would be handy to keep in a spray bottle in the car (for any number of situations), and, come to think of it, easier than the baking soda dab when ds is fussing me after my shower. Anyway they're both CHEAP!