I'm so smelly!!! Why is that? (embarrassing, tmi maybe)

[Leisha]

Seriously... I had dd 29th of august, so I was very pregnant all summer, I was hot and sweaty, the last few weeks I didn't have the energy to wash every day, and I smelled everything like a 1000 times better than non-pregnant people, but I didn't think I STUNK.

Now I do. : Seriously!! (OK I've been watching Grey's anatomy dvds while nursing ) I hardly dare to lift up my arms because my armpits get really sweaty and stinky

I wash every day (I don't always find the time to shower every day, but I do wash the necessary bits at the sink, including armpits!), but I really smell of stinky sweat soon after, and it's bothering me, obviously. I have a not-so-fresh feeling pretty much all the time

Luckily, my boyfriend has a horrible sense of smell so he's non the wiser but still, I would like to, well, not smell of sweat all the time.

Is that hormones, or what? Is there anything I can do except wash my pits as much as I can?
I don't want to use deodorants that are too harsh or chemical, cause I'm EBF. I do use my regular deodorant (Rexona, always used to work absolutely fine for me) but I don't want to use that more than once a day (in the morning after washing).

[SeaDoula]

First...being pregnant through the summer is hard, I commend you mama!

So, here is my 2 cents:

I normally run cold, was cold when everyone else was just fine. Got pregnant and BAM complete opposite. The first day it snowed in seattle the year I was pregnant (at 33 weeks) I opened my bedroom window because I was hot.

Now after having my daughter I BF and I still seem to run hot sometimes. I sweat like a mad woman at night if the heater is on, so in the morning we freeze! I don't know that I am stinky, but I do think hormones make you warmer while BF (think in terms of a chicken warming her egg or something..)

It's weird though that you'd feel stinky after cleaning/showering regularly. Are you taking any medication/herbal supplements? A friend of mine took fenugreek for her supply issues and she said it made her sweaty and stinky.

HTH!

[Vancouver Mommy]

Yes, it's definitely hormones (related to pg) that your body is getting rid of. If memory serves, it lasts a few months after birth. I found with both my dc that I would have terrible night sweats and wake up soaking wet. I'm sure you will be back to your daisy fresh self soon.

[LionessMom]

i dont really have any advice b/c i too felt like this. ever since DD was born i have an odor. esp in the first 6 months. i never used to smell, not even after sweating all day. but now just a little bit of sweat starts up the stink. even when i was using deodorant, it smelled right through it. i asked my doc about it and she said it was prob hormones. i am starting to balance out better now but i still have some issues with it.

good luck. i will be watching to see if anyone has any advice for you!

[St. Margaret]

I was SO stinky in the months following birth. It took a while before I could go back to my crystal stick; I had to bring out the big old deodorant stick and I was still so stinky. Now I do the crystal stick and just am sure to dab it in my cleavage a bit and I'm good. It's just hormones and the fact that your body is a factory making all that milk. I stuck to cotton clothes and just hung out with other stinky nursing mamas Hang in there! Your baby is so precious!!!!

[kiara7]

Thanks for explaining! I guess I'm not the only one.
I've been wondering why I smell like a dog

[prettypixels]

Definitely hormones! Also around 4 months pp my hair started falling out in clumps! Joy oh joy!

[annettemarie]

Moving to body care

[quietserena]

Definitely hormones. I get that during pregnancy some.. was definitely worse PP. We'll have to see this time around since this kid is going to be a winter baby.

What helps me (and I do the same thing as you do - sink 'shower' daily) is to wash my underarms with soap, then make a paste of about a teaspoon of baking soda and water, rub armpit, rinse, repeat with other armpit, then wash with soap again. It seems to 'clean' way better that way so I at least *start* with a clean smell and of course it goes downhill from there. But this way I stay clean smelling longer than if I just washed with soap. And if I use a deodorant (sometimes I forget... ) I can mostly make it the 24 hours to my next washing.

[Leisha]

Thank you all SO much for replying : It's so good to know I'm not alone, and that it probably is hormones and being a milk factory, and that it hopefully will pass, lol

Originally Posted by SeaDoula

First...being pregnant through the summer is hard, I commend you mama!

So, here is my 2 cents:

I normally run cold, was cold when everyone else was just fine. Got pregnant and BAM complete opposite. The first day it snowed in seattle the year I was pregnant (at 33 weeks) I opened my bedroom window because I was hot.

Now after having my daughter I BF and I still seem to run hot sometimes. I sweat like a mad woman at night if the heater is on, so in the morning we freeze! I don't know that I am stinky, but I do think hormones make you warmer while BF (think in terms of a chicken warming her egg or something..)

It's weird though that you'd feel stinky after cleaning/showering regularly. Are you taking any medication/herbal supplements? A friend of mine took fenugreek for her supply issues and she said it made her sweaty and stinky.

HTH!

Hmm I have been drinking lots of Fennel tea, who knows maybe that makes it worse but it seems to help dd with her cramps so I don't dare stop drinking it.
I usually get hot easier than other people anyway (in winter, people will tell me "I saw you on your bike and you only had a t-shirt on!!1!!" ) I will probably get through this winter with my regular clothes + some gloves and a scarf, lol.

Originally Posted by prettypixels

Definitely hormones! Also around 4 months pp my hair started falling out in clumps! Joy oh joy!

Yeah I'm looking forward to that one! Eep!

Originally Posted by quietserena

Definitely hormones. I get that during pregnancy some.. was definitely worse PP. We'll have to see this time around since this kid is going to be a winter baby.

What helps me (and I do the same thing as you do - sink 'shower' daily) is to wash my underarms with soap, then make a paste of about a teaspoon of baking soda and water, rub armpit, rinse, repeat with other armpit, then wash with soap again. It seems to 'clean' way better that way so I at least *start* with a clean smell and of course it goes downhill from there. But this way I stay clean smelling longer than if I just washed with soap. And if I use a deodorant (sometimes I forget... ) I can mostly make it the 24 hours to my next washing.

I'm definitely gonna try that baking soda washing! I recently discovered the miracle that is baking soda (my oven is finally clean!! hee hee). Thanks for the tip!

[swd12422]

Be careful with the baking soda.... My pits became VERY sensitive to it and it looked and felt like they had burns in them! If you start to feel itchy, stop using the BS right away and put some unrefined coconut oil on them instead. It's antimicrobial, so it may (or may not, since it's hormone-related) help with the smell too, and will help soften your skin.

[mysticpi]

OR you can make your own homemade deodorant mixing unrefined coconut oil with some BS to make a paste and rub a pea sized amount on each armpit. Some people still find it irritating to their skin but it's worth a try I say!

Good luck! I hate it when I stink!

[His Own]

Originally Posted by swd12422

Be careful with the baking soda.... My pits became VERY sensitive to it and it looked and felt like they had burns in them! ...

I agree completely. For many people baking soda can cause 'pits of fire'. If you start to react at all, stop the baking soda quickly. Some can tolerate it just fine, but use caution in case you are one of the sensitive ones.

[Leisha]

Ooh ok thanks for the warning, I'll be careful with the baking soda!

I've heard other good things about unrefined coconut oil so I'm gonna buy some when I get the chance too.

[oneKnight]

I get stinkier during my period, (as in my cloth pads sometimes reek of BO, not blood). It's probably hormone related.

Some people find that dabbing or spraying on vinegar after washing your pitts can help cut the bacteria. It can sting already irritated skin, but normally it doesn't cause problems. I have heard of people using rubbing alcohol for the same reason, but I prefer vinegar.
I think the problem with baking soda is that it's kindof like sand under there and the grit can rub you raw.