Strong smell during pregnancy 36 weeks

What does a woman smell like during pregnancy?

Pregnancy is nine exciting months during which the expectant mother experiences many metamorphoses. This period is especially exciting for those who are expecting their first child. A woman listens to her well-being and notes every, even minor, change.

Sometimes she notes that her body odor has changed. So what can a pregnant woman smell like?

- milky or creamy smell

The smell of baked milk, condensed milk, cream - this characteristic aroma is described in different ways. Its appearance is due to the fact that the mammary glands begin to produce colostrum.

- strong odors

The heavy smell of “male” sweat, cat urine, vinegar, acetone and the like most often occurs against the background of hormonal changes.

Note! Sometimes a woman just thinks that she smells unpleasant. During pregnancy, her sense of smell may become sharper, and ordinary smells begin to be perceived differently.

A gynecologist will help you find the exact source of the problem and, if necessary, correct the condition.

Treatment

Discharge with an odor during pregnancy should alert a woman, but not frighten her. Self-medication in this matter is not allowed, because it is impossible to eliminate the problem without knowing the exact cause of its occurrence. In addition, self-medication can harm the expectant mother and her baby.

It is also worth considering that conventional drugs are not always suitable for pregnant women due to their composition, which can be dangerous to the fetus. Therefore, only a doctor, after an examination, can prescribe effective and safe treatment during pregnancy.

Source of the article: https://mesyachnyedni.ru/vydeleniya/beremennosti/zapah-vydelenii-pri-beremennosti.html

Causes of unpleasant body odor during pregnancy

Physiological processes in the body of a pregnant woman are constantly rearranged and adapted so that fetal rejection does not occur. Most reserves are spent to ensure that the child develops continuously and harmoniously.

The immune system of a pregnant woman is undermined because it works in “economy” mode. Pathogenic bacteria are activated and cause all sorts of inflammatory processes, which are often accompanied by an unpleasant odor (gingivitis, thrush, etc.).

Important! If you suspect you have any inflammatory process, consult a doctor. Timely treatment will help you avoid unwanted consequences.

Most often, what happens is that tests do not reveal any infection and the cause of the unpleasant odor lies in hormonal changes in the body. Unfortunately, the doctor is powerless in this case, and all a pregnant woman can do is wait for everything to return to normal after the birth of the child.

Useful video about discharge and its smell during pregnancy

List of sources:

Ivanov V.V., Kalinovskaya V.V. Prevention of periodontal diseases in pregnant women // Bulletin of medical Internet conferences, 2012.
Mazurkevich M.V., Firsova T.A., Dukhanina M.V. Pathogenetic correction of vaginal dysbiosis // Journal of Gynecology, Publisher: Medical Marketing Agency "MediaMedica" (Moscow), 2014.
Dovzhikova I. V., Lutsenko M. T. Modern ideas about the role of estrogens during pregnancy (literature review) // Bulletin of Physiology and Pathology of Respiration, 2014.

Author
Lyudmila Sheveleva

Author of the portal Mama66.ru

How to get rid of unpleasant body odor during pregnancy?

The following eight rules will help remove an unpleasant odor, or at least reduce its intensity:

Take a shower twice a day - morning and evening. Wash behind the ears, armpits, hamstrings and feet with a mild antibacterial soap. This will help destroy pathogenic bacteria that cause unpleasant odors.
Use antiperspirant. It's best if it's a hard stick.
If you sweat a lot, use talc or baby body powder.
Wash your hair whenever it gets dirty. The sebum secreted by the scalp also has an unpleasant odor. To prolong the effect of freshly washed hair, use dry shampoo. And to give your hair a pleasant aroma, spray your comb with your favorite perfume and then comb your hair.
Shave or trim your underarm and pubic hair. Foul-smelling bacteria tend to accumulate in areas with dense vegetation.
Review your wardrobe and eliminate all synthetic items. Give preference to light, natural and breathable fabrics.

Change in secretion odor: natural causes

The appearance of a secretion with an odor is considered an alarming symptom. Especially if the discharge has an atypical color. However, there is not always cause for concern when the mucus consistency is normal. There are natural causes of odor. These include:

Violation of personal hygiene. If hygiene rules are not followed, an unpleasant “aroma” may appear from the vagina. If there are no additional factors, then it disappears as soon as hygiene procedures are strengthened. During pregnancy, you need to wash more often, use sanitary pads and change them regularly.
Hormonal changes. From the moment of conception, hormonal changes begin to occur in the body. Under the influence of hormones responsible for pregnancy, the smell of secretions intensifies: if before pregnancy the “aroma” of secretions is normally almost impossible to detect, then during pregnancy it intensifies. The expectant mother thinks that he is becoming harsh. But if the mucus does not smell specifically, then most likely there is no reason to panic.
Smell disorder. Pregnant women's sense of smell changes. Expectant mothers are very susceptible to any scents: they can feel even a subtle smell, and sometimes it just seems to them that there is an “amber” present.

Carrying a baby weakens the immune system, so during this period the body is open to pathogenic microorganisms and infections. During pregnancy, chronic diseases also worsen and hidden pathologies develop. You need to make sure that the smell does not indicate a problem. And if it does indicate it, solve it quickly with the help of a qualified specialist.

Does the smell of urine change during pregnancy?

As the fetus grows, the woman's bladder becomes more and more compressed. Because of this, she is forced to visit the toilet quite often. Often, while urinating, she notices that the urine smells too strong and unpleasant. There are quite natural and harmless reasons for this, such as:

Lack of fluid/mild dehydration. If the expectant mother drinks very little, the concentration of urine increases and its smell becomes more pungent. The same thing happens with toxicosis - along with vomiting, the necessary moisture leaves the body.
Eating foods containing sulfur compounds: horseradish, onions, garlic, asparagus.
Abuse of foods high in animal protein.
Hormonal changes and changes in the enzyme composition of the blood.
Taking medications and vitamins.

If foul-smelling urine is not the only alarming symptom, then you should not hesitate to visit a doctor. Weight loss, a sharp loss of strength, surges in blood pressure and fever indicate the presence of serious pathologies:

Problems with the genitourinary system: urine has a strong ammonia smell and becomes more cloudy.
Diabetes: the smell of urine is similar to the aroma of slightly rotten apples.

Note! If your health suddenly deteriorates and your urine changes smell and color, consult a doctor immediately. Delay may cost you the health and safety of your child.

“Bring this - I don’t know what.” Changes in taste and smell during pregnancy

The exotic culinary preferences of expectant mothers and the sharp change in their tastes have been noticed for a long time. Who hasn’t heard jokes about a husband who runs at night, almost in his pajamas, to look for peaches or pickles for his pregnant wife... A passionate fan of pickles during this period can turn into a notorious sweet tooth, and a lover of chocolates, ice cream and jam suddenly wants to eat everything salty and spicy. According to a survey conducted by the food company Cow & Gate, it turned out that more than 60% of pregnant women experience an irresistible urge to mix completely incompatible foods. Among them are lemon with salt and pepper, ice cream and chips seasoned with mustard, and many other combinations.

“If you’re talking about smells, then throughout the first trimester I couldn’t stand kitchen smells at all, especially sharp ones, such as the smell of fried onions. And in general, the sense of smell has become so heightened!..”

“And during pregnancy, I became addicted to sniffing... soap! An ordinary baby product, I just want to eat it! And to this day (my daughter is 10 months old), when I open a new bar of soap, I make sure to lick it a couple of times...”

“The beginning of my pregnancy occurred at the end of spring - beginning of summer, when everyone opens the windows. My sense of smell became so acute that I could easily tell what dish was being prepared in each apartment - from the first floor to the twelfth.”

“I used to like perfumes with heavy floral scents. And in the first months of pregnancy, I hated them and fell in love with light, fresh smells...”

Let's try to figure out why and where all these addictions come from. There is no single and coherent theory on this matter. Here are some of the most popular points of view.

Under the sign of progesterone

The theory that “blames” progesterone for all the quirks of pregnant women is the main one (all other theories say basically the same thing, but in different words).

At the beginning of pregnancy, the so-called pregnancy dominant is formed in the cerebral cortex, which contributes to the readiness to bear and give birth to a child, and also ensures the woman’s psychological mood.

The dominant of pregnancy is a focus of excitation in the brain that occurs in a pregnant woman after the attachment of the egg to the mucous membrane of the uterus, due to the constant flow of signals from the uterus to the brain. At the hormonal level, the dominant is supported by increased production of progesterone.

The hormone progesterone is synthesized by the ovaries, placenta and adrenal cortex. From the moment the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus, increased production of progesterone begins, which helps maintain pregnancy (suppresses the activity of the smooth muscles of the uterus, affecting the central nervous system, supports the formed dominant of pregnancy; stimulates the preparation of the mammary glands and the growth of the uterus, suppresses the reaction of rejection of the fertilized egg). The content of progesterone in the mother’s blood grows unevenly, doubling by 7–8 weeks, and then gradually increasing until 37–38 weeks.

A decrease in progesterone levels indicates the presence of pregnancy pathology and requires replacement therapy. An increase in the level of the hormone indicates the presence of renal failure (impairment of its behavior). The production of progesterone completely stops only with advanced changes in the placenta, for example, with a frozen pregnancy.

It is the active elevated level of progesterone that can be attributed to the most fundamental changes during pregnancy, and it is this that triggers a cascade of biochemical changes in the body. It also launches the so-called “search engine” to find in the mother’s body the necessary resources of the endocrine and autonomic nervous system to ensure the development of a normal pregnancy. In other words, this hormone determines what is normal and what is deficient, and builds a “program” in order to eliminate all deficiencies. As a result, the mother’s body is given a command to satisfy the deficiency, causing the desired need. For example, with a lack of calcium there is a desire to eat chalk, with a deficiency of ascorbic and folic acid - green vegetables, with a lack of B vitamins - a desire to drink beer. At the same time, the search engine makes sure that the woman does not eat anything that will be harmful to her or the child. It is for this purpose that changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract that facilitate the process of rejection of currently unsuitable food and prolong the process of processing suitable food.

Possible failures

However, things are not always so simple. In cases where there are hidden metabolic disorders in a woman’s body, the “search engine” command can be paradoxical, i.e. one that, instead of eliminating the deficit, contributes to its strengthening. The result is a vicious circle. For example, the body does not have enough iron, and a woman, against the background of severe anemia (decreased amount of hemoglobin), develops a specific metallic taste in her mouth, but at the same time she develops an aversion to meat, although it is the consumption of meat that could at least partially help solve the problem of impaired iron exchange. In such cases, the only way out is vitamin-mineral complexes. Although sometimes there may be disgusting olfactory reactions to them. Why such a phenomenon occurs is still a mystery that science has yet to solve.

Before this, we talked about addictions that generally do not threaten the life of the mother, but in the early stages of pregnancy, some women have a desire to eat inedible foods: chalk, clay, sand, lime, earth. Some people are very attracted to the vapors of gasoline, acetone and other volatile substances. Such occurrences are fortunately rare. Should such cravings be satisfied? Of course, such desires should not be satisfied. And they are again called by the “command” of the same “search engine”. If such desires are persistent, it is important to visit a doctor, because... they are caused by neurochemical changes in the body. Probably, vapors of such harmful substances somehow affect the functioning of the brain: this is how the body reacts to the altered balance of excitation and inhibition processes. But under no circumstances should the expectant mother satisfy such desires, because harmful fumes can have a disfiguring effect on the developing fetus. In such cases, the doctor corrects the situation by prescribing drugs that improve metabolic processes in the brain (glycine, glutamic acid, vitamins).

So, it is the hormonal changes in the body that greatly influence taste preferences (desire for one thing and aversion to another). According to world-renowned M.D. Michele Glissman, “Those weird hormones that rush through the body in the first three months of pregnancy cause taste quirks.”

Defensive reaction

Samuel M. Flaxman and Paul Sherman stated that nausea, vomiting and altered taste preferences during pregnancy serve a beneficial function: it is a natural mechanism for protecting the mother and fetus from illness caused by food, as well as protecting the fetus from harmful substances that can adversely affect influence the formation of its organs and tissues. Their findings help explain why many pregnant women initially develop an aversion to meat, some vegetables and caffeinated drinks, and a preference for mildly flavored foods. According to Sherman, food aversion also provides protection against toxins produced by microorganisms and other teratogenic (fetal defective) substances.

At the same time, in the first three months of pregnancy, embryonic cells differentiate and begin to form structures. These developing structures and organ systems—the arms, legs, eyes, and central nervous system—may be adversely affected by teratogens found in some plants during the critical stage of new life formation; their components can also have a negative effect on the course of pregnancy: for example, parsley can cause uterine contractions and provoke the threat of miscarriage. It is no coincidence that a pregnant woman’s body often rejects spices.

What to do if you really want something harmful and are not at all drawn to something useful?

1. When taste and smell habits are frightening, driving you crazy, or preventing you from living a normal daily life, consult a doctor.

2. If you really want something, then bon appetit! But remember about reasonable doses and reasonable needs. For example, if you want to eat sand, then, of course, you shouldn’t do this.

3. Be picky about trying new things. Then you are unlikely to get poisoned by anything or develop an allergy. First, try to find out the composition of such an attractive-smelling product.

4. It is important to always remember that quirks or whims are your own business, they should not become a reason for resentment, tears or even depression. It’s not your loved ones’ fault that they didn’t guess what you wanted for lunch today: try to talk about your passions, discuss them - and there will be more understanding.

5. A pregnant woman can sometimes be difficult to please, so try to treat yourself with humor: this will help the most!

The vagaries of intuition

It is known that the tastes and desires of a pregnant woman change. Nature has provided the expectant mother with the so-called “food intuition of a pregnant woman.” Modern dietetics, medicine and biology do not have complete information about the absolutely correct nutrition of a pregnant woman. Only the basic principle is known: food should be varied, as healthy as possible and contain a minimum amount of processed and artificial foods. In the first trimester of pregnancy, there is an active restructuring of the body and its adaptation to a new state. Now the child expresses his needs through his mother, demanding microelements, vitamins and nutrients that are beneficial for him. Both mother and her family will have to take this into account when providing the products they crave. However, here, more than anywhere else, a reasonable approach is appropriate. Listening to your desires is important, but satisfy them in reasonable quantities.

So, no matter what is hidden behind such strange preferences of pregnant women, we need to listen to them and sometimes think about what kind of deficit our “whims” are trying to eliminate. Scientists acknowledge that some cases of taste preference cannot be explained. And in any case, don't force yourself to eat something that is considered "good" for you if you don't want to.

The autonomic nervous system is the part of the nervous system responsible for the functioning of internal organs.

Prevention of problems causing unpleasant odor

If the disease is not identified, then the cause of the unpleasant condition lies in hormonal changes in the body. Following simple rules will help you cope with it:

do not neglect intimate hygiene;
Avoid wearing underwear that is too tight or synthetic;
establish a drinking regime;
do not over-salt food;
use skincare products with natural ingredients;
shave hair under the arms and in the bikini area;
take a shower rather than a bath.

Physiological unpleasant odor can occur in the first trimester and in the later stages. Comprehensive prevention will help reduce the likelihood of its occurrence during pregnancy.

A strange smell may signal an exacerbation of chronic diseases or the development of new ones. Particularly dangerous are infectious pathologies, the pathogens of which can quickly spread throughout the body and even penetrate the placental barrier. Therefore, if any foreign odor appears, a woman needs to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms and consult a doctor.

Photo: ru.freepik.com, pixabay.com/ru

Diagnostics

During pregnancy, you must strictly follow medical advice.

If you feel an atypical smell of discharge during pregnancy, you should not put off going to your personal gynecologist. Don’t be shy about voicing a delicate problem: the sooner it is resolved, the higher the likelihood that there will be no impact on the baby. A doctor can only understand why an unpleasant “aroma” appears based on test results.

A lot of information is provided by an initial survey and examination of the patient in a gynecological chair. Only after this can the doctor understand what examination strategy is needed in each specific case. Typically, diagnostics are carried out according to the following scheme:

Anamnesis collection. The lifestyle of the expectant mother, previous illnesses and, naturally, complaints can tell the doctor a lot. The doctor’s questions should be answered in detail and as frankly as possible: this will help determine the cause of the smell.
Gynecological examination. This diagnostic method allows you to assess the condition of the cervical canal and vaginal mucosa. The examination is informative from the point of view of assessing the discharge: the doctor evaluates its color, consistency, and abundance.
Bimanual examination. The doctor palpates the uterine appendages and the uterus itself. This allows you to reliably understand whether they are inflamed.
Flora smear. The diagnostic method has been known for a long time and is considered the most informative. The samples allow you to evaluate the acidity of the flora, the number of epithelial cells and leukocytes. If the smear changes color, this indicates that there is an inflammatory process in the body. The smear determines the presence/absence of pathogens of candidiasis, gonorrhea, etc.
Tests for sexually transmitted infections. They are often indicated by a specific smell, so the gynecologist recommends checking the presence/absence of the most common ones right away.
Ultrasound of the pelvic organs. This diagnostic method is aimed at determining the condition of the cervical canal, uterus, and appendages. If an inflammatory process has begun in the organs, causing the appearance of a strong odor, the study will show this.

Atypical odors and their causes

Discharge with an unpleasant odor during pregnancy can signal serious diseases and inflammatory processes. The following “flavors” pose a particular danger:

The smell of fish. If the discharge smells distinctly like rotten fish, this indicates the development of vaginosis. The pathological process can be recognized by other symptoms: the discharge becomes dirty white, a burning sensation appears, and itching causes discomfort. However, at the initial stage, dysbiosis of the vaginal environment has no other signs other than a rotten “amber”.
Sour smell. This phenomenon is a symptom of thrush. The natural change in vaginal microflora, necessary for successful conception, provokes the active proliferation of Candida fungus. A sour aroma is not the only sign of a fungal disease. Thrush is “given away” by white, cheesy discharge: they are so specific that it is impossible not to pay attention to them.
Onion smell. This is a symptom of a fungal disease. Especially if the aroma intensifies after sexual contact, in stressful situations. There is no way to do this without medical advice.
Smell of acetone. When the discharge takes on the smell of acetone, this may indicate the development of diabetes. In the presence of such a disease, ketone bodies accumulate in the tissues, which give a specific “aroma”. Acetone “notes” appear in secretions and in cases of kidney disease and dehydration.

itching, pain, burning. Discomfort is clearly felt, for example, with gynecological diseases caused by chlamydia, trichomonas, gonococcus. Naturally, with such diseases there is also a smell: it is not only unpleasant, but also sharp and persistent. Often, expectant mothers think that the “amber” is heard by those around them.

You need to listen carefully to your feelings

Expectant mothers sometimes notice that an unpleasant odor appears after sexual intercourse. This phenomenon is caused by microorganisms that enter the vaginal cavity along with sperm. A “fragrance” after sexual intercourse may appear if the expectant mother has an imbalance between pathogenic and beneficial microflora. Microorganisms need a special environment to reproduce. Sperm is perfect for this role. Hence the appearance of odor after sexual intercourse.

You need to talk to your doctor about this delicate problem. To prevent the phenomenon from recurring, it is necessary to understand the exact cause and eliminate it. If you ignore the smell, you may miss a serious bacterial disease, because if the balance is imbalanced, the microflora cannot effectively cope with microbes.