Bad post-natal BO. Please can anyone tell me when it will go?

[Lancrehotpot]

Not really sure where to put this, but I am going spare at how bad my underarm BO since giving birth 3 months ago.
I had almost no odour during pregnancy and it's like my body is making up for it now. I can't even blitz it with a really strong anti-perspirant as I don't want strong chemicals near DS when he's Bfing. My clothes start to smell after a few hours even after thoroughly scrubbing in the shower.
Google says it's hormonal and will eventually go, but does anyone know when? Never even heard of this as a problem for new mothers... just add stretchmarks galore and unrecognisable boobs and I am feeling such a fittie right now

Hiya,

In afraid I never suffered from this. I had the dreaded night sweats which stopped at about 6 weeks but I still didn't get any BO with it.

Why don't you take a trip to your gp as it might be something that they can prescribe a special deodorant for or something.

I agree, I'm pretty sure GP's can prescribe you string deodorants, you can buy them but they're expensive. You can also then get the doctor to reassure you about chemicals etc

Got this too!! I scrub and wear antiperspirant but half an hour later I feel gross. :((

I haven't had this as a problem but I remember someone trying to sell me a salt based natural deodorant once. If you google salt deodorant various links come up. I don't know if it works im afraid but it would be natural if you don't want chemicals next to the baby. Alternatively I use the bodyshop aloe range which has less nasties in it and is fragrance free.

ooh thought it was just me, night sweats too.

Here too :( I can constantly smell sweaty sour milk although husband says he can't hmmm! Oh the joys.

Thanks everyone. It is affecting my confidence so I might go see Gp if it doesn't go soon. DH says it really isn't that bad, but I reckon any BO is too much. I'm alternating between natural deodorants atm, wiping and reapplying through the day, but it is such a PITA.
I would've though hormones would be settling down by now..

This is me! 6 weeks in and despite a shower very morning, clean clothes and strong deodorant I smell of BO by about lunch time. I hate it!

Suppose it makes sense. LO not being able to see too well in the early weeks, can smell you instead
Have heard that babies recognise their mothers scent, but I'm pretty sure they're not meant to pass out when they do:D

My dd is now five months old and I keep getting the sweats. I got really bad sweats just after the birth I would wake up wringing wet, and shivering because I had sweated so much! The midwife said it was my body sweating all the fluid out that had built up in pregnancy. Think all the sweating now is hormonal like you. I've only had one period since dds birth too. The smell and stretch marks and sagging bellies must be natures way of ensuring we don't fall pregnant again too quickly!

I find a pinch of bicarbonate of soda rubbed in to some coconut oil (I bet any oil would do but CO's good as it's not liquid until it warms up) works better than the natural salt deoderant I have. It actually works as well as my old favourite Mitchum for the first 12-15 hours, which surprised me.

I had it really bad! Some days I'd have to shower twice as I couldn't stand the smell. I used tea tree oil soap liberally and that helped.

Geekster- agree.. my hair's a lot greasier too, which sort of completes the picture of loveliness
Mavis and Mel- Thank you.. I'm going to try both those things. Have found bicarb really works when rubbed in before a shower, but the effect soon wore off, so this sounds like a perfect way to get it to stick around.

I appreciate it may not be for you OP, if you're trying to avoid chemicals, but I found Sure Maximum Protection was the ONLY thing that controlled my post DD sweatiness.

It doesn't last forever though o promise, DD is 14mo now and I'm back to perfectly normal sweaty levels and my skin in the last couple of months is looking better than I can ever remember.

When I breastfed I had to shower about 3 times a day no joke, I always smelled of BO it was so strong, horrible.

Once I stopped feeding it went, so this may be something you will need to speak to your GP about (I only fed for 6weeks so I didn't have to put up with it for long).

It's probably hormone related, I was always really warm too and I was defending DD in the middle of winter.

• feeding not defending Ha!!

StopEatingThatMud Sure maximum protection is the only thing I'd found to work too.

I'm not post-natal but embarassed to say I did used to have a sweat problem, not at all pregnancy or birth related. Tried all sorts of things but often had to walk like a penguin due to underarm sweat patches and many a jersey or cotton top was ruined.

Tried Mitchum which mainly stopped the sweating but irritated my skin. Tried Dry-clor (which you put on at night and wash off in the morning) and it was fantastic at stopping sweating but again irritated my skin.

This Sure is amazing and has never irritated me. I litreally don't sweat under my arms and don't smell now at all and never reapply it in a 24 hours period unless I've had another shower or bath.

I think anything the GP can prescribve will be of the Dry-clor type (apply at night, wash off in the morning).

Hope things get better for you GP, I know how much this sort of thing can affect a person's confidence.

I have this!! Didn't think of going to gp but will now...

Just dropping in to say, thank you for the Sure recommendations- I may have to try it if the sweating gets too much.
I tried MavisG's tip of some Bicarb of soda in some oil today and I am so impressed. It's been a really warm day and although I've sweated (which I can put up with, not dignified, but hey) I have got to 8.45pm and I don't smell faahl (although I do smell ever so slightly of chips as I had to use vegetable oil).
Really didn't think something so basic could take away the whiff, so thank you Mavis!

I've had this too. DD is 3 months now and I'm almost back to normal but still have some sweaty days - and nights.

I found that my tops stank (in the pits ) even after I washed them. When wearing a freshly washed top for only half an hour, or less, i could smell my pits, like BO was wafting off the material - it was gross. So I started to liberally spray them with vanish and give them a soak in a bucket of water with biological washing powder for an hour before putting them in the machine. Also, I didn't iron my tops as I found the hot temperatures of the steam sort of "activated" the old pong. Sounds bonkers but it worked for me.

I never had a sweat problem before DCs. So now after my shower , I use Mitchum anti-perspirant, a gorgeous Jo Malone body cream and dress in a soaked and washed top. I now last much longer before starting to ming!

Laughing at you smelling of chips!
Coconut oil does smell nice. If you need to stick to chip fat you could add some essential oil if you have some - lavender for eg is antibacterial too, so would poss make it more effective.

Was thinking about adding some kind of essential oil to make it smell nicer. Might use tea tree, as lavender now reminds me of the nappy pail!
Will have to get me some coconut oil.. ta

The same thing happened to me after my first pregnancy. I went to the doctors and he gave me blood tests. It turned out that I had a thyroid problem that was causing excessive sweating. I can't remember the medicine prescribed but it worked straight away!

How annoying my night sweats have come back! Can this happen? It's not due to the heat as I keep my room nice and cool in the evening. Keep waking up absolutely dripping with the bed soaking.

DD is 4 months old now and my night sweats stopped at about 6 weeks post birth.

Sorry for hijacking thread!

My son is almost 3 and i am still dealing with night sweats and a change in body odor 😔 never had sweaty issues or smell issues before and im just terrified of going to doctors for many reasons!!!