Smelly armpits - sorry!!

[Cinderellashoes]

I’m 11.5 weeks and have noticed the past week that I’m really hot and sweaty. But I definitely Have BO. I shower in a morning before work and bath when I get home (nurse) I use a ton of shower gel and am actually known for being hyper aware of hygiene. I am mortified! Is this a pregnancy thing? Is my deodorant not working? I don’t understand how I can smell a couple of hours after bathing!!

Congratulations!

It's probably a combo of hormonal changes and a heightened sense of smell- I take it nobody around you is recoiling in horror?!

Bar soap doesn't leave a film on your skin like shower gel does so it means deodorant will be more effective if you switch.

As above about hormones and heightened sense of smell.
Are you drinking enough water? I think dehydration makes us smell worse, and you need a lot of water when pregnant.

Can anyone else smell it? I'm 11 weeks and my own BO has been making me retch for a few weeks now, but DH assures me it's perfectly normal.

Thank you! I haven’t used bar soap for ages! Can you get it from places like home bargains? Going there tomorrow so I’ll definitely try that as I feel so yucky. No one has commented (yet) but I’m usually so so careful with hygiene so I feel so embarrassed!! Definitely not my usual smell. Probably not drinking enough no as I’m always thirsty so will try and drink more tomorrow!

What deodorant do you use? It's likely just your heightened sense of smell but can't hurt to try a few things.

Ditch the shower gel. I use detol soap and Mitchen deodorant, roll on not spray. I'm menopausal and had similar problem. Works a treat!

If you don't want to use harmful chemicals due to being pregnant you could order Scrubbingtons Pit Stop, it doesn't have harsh chemicals in and aimed at tweens and the super stinky pits they get at the start of puberty.

I use either nivea or soft and gentle. I’ve used them for years. Honestly it isn’t just my sense of smell, I am one hundred percent certain I’m more sweaty and smelly! Ick

Thanks! Does roll on deodorant dry.. well, dry? I hate anything sticky under my arms. I remember after I gave birth with my last I went through about 8 weeks of having hot sweats and smelly pits too. Maybe it is just crazy hormones.

I use the Lidl no marks roll on and find it better than Mitchum, and it doesn't have any smell. Definitely dries dry - doesn't feel like I've got anything on my skin.

Definitely try Mitchum roll on. Stopped it for me when no others worked.

Hi @Cinderellashoes I am now 21 weeks but had this around the same time as you! It definitely wasn't my sense of smell changing... I smelt of BO for a couple of weeks and my husband noticed too! Thankfully it was short term and it's fine now. I went back to using a Wild deodorant and love it. But not much helped during that couple of weeks to be honest...
I've not helped, I know, but wanted you to know it's not just you! 😊

Ah thank you that’s so kind. Nice to know I’m not the only smelly Susan out there haha!! It’s making me feel even sicker to be honest.

It probably is hormones. In the last 2 days my boobs are killing me again, my skin has broken out and I’ve had a permanent banging headache. I had started to feel better and then wham.. it all started again

I came to say same as @AdventuresAwait. I was the same as could smell sweaty BO smell on myself and this was around the same time as you mention, tried different shower gels and changed deodorant which made no difference. I think it only lasted a 2-3 weeks though which was a relief.

Hi op

I can relate to you on this. I've noticed I'm sweating a lot and have a slight smell too. Hopefully it will change xx

Between 9-14 weeks I stunk!! I’d shower, deodorant, used baby wipes to clean, more deodorant... I just smelled so bad! Think it was hormones but it has got better.

I couldn't stand my own smell in the first trimester either. I was changing clothes about 3 times a day! Could also smell DH across a room.

Definitely try changing to bar soap. The plainer, the better - I use Waitrose own brand Sensitive Skin one.
When I used shower gel, (plus anti perspirant) in the morning, my pits would be rank by 4pm.
With soap, they are still OK by evening time.

Use bar soap I use detol soap to make extra sure I don't smell then use Mitchum cream deodorant.

Goes on dry and doesn't feel slimy like regular roll on deodorants can.

Just coming back to this thread to say that using dettol sensitive soap bar and then a roll on deodorant worked wonders so far. Haven’t been to work again yet but hopefully it works at work too!! Thanks for all the advice everyone