Reasons for embarrassing postpartum body odour changes

It is something that no one talks about. That is probably because it is embarrassing but postpartum body odour is a real phenomenon. It is real to the women experiencing and often just as real to those closest to them!

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Is it normal to smell postpartum?

Yes, it is perfectly normal to start to smell different postpartum. After giving birth, a lot of women may start to notice that their body does not smell the way it used to. In fact for some women, they may notice a difference during pregnancy.

In this article, we will look at some of the reasons why your body odour changes postpartum and what you can do to counteract that change.

Body odour change after pregnancy can be caused by a few different factors. One or more of these causes may be true for you.

4 Causes of postpartum body odour

Take note that postpartum body odour is not always a negative thing. It may simply be a change. It does not necessarily mean that you smell bad now. You may just smell different. However, it may not be a new smell that you are happy with.

More sweat. Your body odour change postpartum may be directly related to the fact that you are sweating more now than you did before you had a baby. Both for hormonal and situational reasons, you might be producing more sweat. We know that sweat , while perfectly normal, can lead to body odour.

Fall in hygiene standards. With a new baby and an upheaval to your usual lifestyle and daily routine, it is no surprise if your hygiene standards have fallen a little. Do you have less time to groom? Will your baby not let you put them down long enough to have a shower? You are not alone and this is a struggle that many moms know.

13 Sanity-saving tips for first time moms

Hormonal changes. Your body odour change postpartum could also be put down to all the changes going on in your body right now. The hormones in your body are creating a variety of changes in your body and one of those changes may be the way you smell.

Heightened sense of smell. I personally started to experience a heightened sense of smell during pregnancy (probably in my very first week of pregnancy) and carried on right through postpartum. For you too, the heightened sense of smell may affect you postpartum. You may simply be smelling your natural scent far more strongly than you did before and be struggling with that.

How long does body odour last postpartum?

The answer to this will vary from woman to woman. It is all about how long it takes for your hormones to level back out after childbirth.

However, how long your different body odour lasts postpartum may also be affected by the steps or actions you take to address your body odour once it starts to bother you postpartum.

When do hormones level out postpartum?

Again, this varies from woman to woman. Generally, hormones could level out postpartum around 8 weeks. Like most things pregnancy-related though, it is not a one size fits all situation. For some women, it could take as long as six months to a year or for as long as they continue to breastfeed, for example.

How your sex drive changes postpartum — Photo by Ava Sol on Unsplash

5 Ways to deal with postpartum body odour

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Drink plenty of water. Attack it from the inside out. Your body is working double time trying to adjust to its new state and especially if you are breastfeeding, you are expending a lot of body’s water. You need to replenish it. Be diligent about drinking water. It will help your body to easily release any toxins that may be contributing to your postpartum body odour.

Clean clothes. You might be managing to sneak in showers often. Daily even. However, if you are cleaning your body and getting right back into the same clothes, it will not help body odour issues.

More frequent showers. It is perfectly understandable that when you have a new baby who is completely reliant upon you, even managing to shower daily might seem like a level of self-care that is unattainable for you. Once you start to notice a body odour postpartum that you do not like though, try to fit in at least one shower a day. You are not giving yourself a chance to smell any better otherwise.

Hair removal. Hair can trap odour-causing bacteria and this is why some people take hair removal so seriously. If you decide to try hair removal as a way to improve your body odour postpartum, do your research thoroughly and use a safe method.

Change your deodorant. You may find that underarm odour after pregnancy is fixed very easily by simply changing your deodorant. No, you do not have to find a sweeter, more highly fragranced product. Sometimes, a natural, scentless and perspirant deodorant could work better than the scented products you find in the shops.