Heightened Sense of Smell
One of the most common pregnancy symptoms nearly all pregnant women face is a heightened sense of smell. Anything and everything can take a seemingly normal moment and turn it into a nauseating experience. Perfumes, food, and body odor has been known to send many women in their first trimester straight to the restroom. Within the wide variety of things that trigger the nausea and vomiting, come other feelings such as anger, depression, and even happiness. Although it’s not quite understood why pregnant women experience such negative senses of smells, one thing is for sure; almost all pregnant women in their first trimester do notice an increased sensitivity to smells that normally don’t bother them.
Causes of Sensitivity to Odors During Pregnancy
The one thing that causes many pregnancy symptoms is hormones. However, in most cases it’s progesterone that is causing all the negativity. And in this case, its estrogen causing the chaos. As the estrogen and other hormones are producing rapidly during the early stages of pregnancy, life as you know it can become increasingly difficult. The heightened sense of smell is usually accompanied by morning sickness, which doesn’t help the gut churning situation.
Other causes for the negative reactions to odors come from cooking, cigarette smoke, spoiled food, feces, cleaning chemicals and fragrances. All of these things can be avoided through various methods.
According to one study, a small number of pregnant reported a ‘phantom smell’. The scent hits the nostrils without warning and without a physical presence. Unfortunately there is nothing one can truly to do avoid phantom smells, other than change locations.
Coping with Certain Smells
There are many things an expectant mother can to do cope with their heightened sense of smell. The first and most obvious thing to do is to remove yourself from the area where the smell is coming from. Or, if you can stomach it, you can try to remove the culprit from the area in which you want to be in. Asking other people to help you out is usually a possibility too. If someone is around, asking them nicely to remove or clean up an odor can help you get a grasp on your nausea without having to deal with the problem.
If this situation isn’t the case, and you can’t avoid the smell such as when you are cooking, try opening windows or doors before cooking, to help keep a draft of fresh air blowing in your area. Also, using plug-in air fresheners or scented candles (that don’t mess with your gag reflexes) can help hide other unpleasant odors.
Of course, try not to be around smoke or chemicals that could be strong. If you know the smoker, remind them you are pregnant or simply stay away from them if they are smoking. If the smell of smoke that lingers on a person after they’re done bothers you, unfortunately you may need to ask them to wash their hands, or simply stay away.
Washing your clothes more often, using unscented or low-scented soap can also reduce smells and odors that cling onto fabrics and linger.
The most important thing to know is that for many women, they don’t know which odors will bother them until they are pregnant and experience it. It’s very much a ‘learn as you go’ pregnancy symptom. Smells that made you nauseous when you weren’t pregnant can suddenly be pleasant and vice versa. Your favorite perfume may be covered in dust by the time you can stand the scent again. Also keep in mind that many women only experience this symptom during their first trimester, when morning sickness, nausea and vomiting are already playing a major role in day-to-day life.
