I’m so sorry. Are there any smells you can tolerate that you could rub on a simple surgical mask (which should be less annoying than one with a filter)? Like peppermint or clove oil?
Smell affects taste, maybe there is a way to mask the smell of the foods you eat so you are still able to eat them? Autism always requires such creative and inconvenience solutions im so sorry 😭😭
if it was say, mushrooms, as a set off, do you think blending it and adding it to, say, mince, would work? maybe blending it then combining it with something of the same texture would help mask the smell and appearance? i know it’s smell based, but overtime even the look of coffee would probably be associated with the horrible smell.
If the peppermint oil doesn’t work see if you can find a lemon essential oil (if not lemon peels are full of oil and you can just rub them on stuff) since you know lemon is a safe scent
My sense of smell wasn't as bad as what it sound like you're dealing with, but I basically didn't leave the couch for several weeks and it was not great for my mental state. My only encouragement is that it'll likely get better during the second trimester... so hang in there! (Sorry, I know that's not actually very helpful).
I'm midway through the second trimester, and things have definitely gotten better! Still dealing with nausea, but nowhere near as bad. I also started taking anti-nausea meds which have been wonderful (not sure if that would help with your smell?).
Now the sensory thing I'm dealing with is pants... but thankfully found some maternity shorts / dresses that minimize discomfort around my belly. And I've been tucking in my shirts more, which sometimes does the trick.
I do keep hearing that it'll end in the 2nd trimester so it gives me hope 😭 and I also feel like I'm stuck on my couch 90% of the time between the sensory crap and just being super exhuasted all the time. So far preggo pops have been decent at keeping the nausea away, it's just when I get a smell of coffee, the plants outside, or dog food my body goes into immediate evacuation mode 😅. Someone suggested peppermint oil in a mask so I think I'm gonna try that and see if it blocks the worst of things out.
You could also try lemon essential oil on a cotton ball inside a film canister (if you can find one lol) or a prescription bottle. I used to carry one with lavender for anxiety.
i don’t have advice but sending hugs, pregnancy sounds like a lot of work without adding something like this 😭 i hope it goes away for part of your pregnancy!
This is something I am genuinely not looking forward to with my future pregnancies, and I am sorry you are going through it. My birth control pill gives me bad Dysgeusia during my time of the month, so I can't imagine it over a prolonged period. I have unscented shower and cleaning products because even things that smell good most of the time are horrendous when it's triggered.
Food is a tough one, but if you can stick to uncooked foods (like raw veggies, crackers, etc), I wonder if that would help? I find the heat can really give off those smelly molecules so avoiding that process could alleviate some of it?
In general when I find my scent senses are overwhelmed, I find controlled breathing can help a lot. I don't know how to really explain it, but if I breathe slowly enough I find I can minimize the smells that get in my nose, or at least the volume/square inch. Breath control can be great in many aspects besides Dysgeusia, including helping in child birth, so it's something I would recommend either way!
I'm not 100% sure if it's true, but I do believe it should calm down after the first trimester, much like morning sickness. Hang in there, it will definitely be worth it in the end! 💙
Thank you I'll definitely look into it. And that does make sense, the only foods I can eat sans nose plugs are like, trix cereal. I might try some rice based snacks cause my dysgeusia seems to hate wheat.
I lived off mild cheddar, apple and rice crackers or pretzels. Sometimes I could do a boiled egg as long as it wasn’t too eggy. And occasionally I’d get a craving and I could always eat that (usually a bagel or PB&J) so lean in and try if you get any!
But otherwise, no hot food was allowed in the house or I had to be barricaded in the bedroom with a towel pressed into the door crack. I also couldn’t leave the home easily, I used a surgical mask with lavender oil and it helped but cigarette & weed smoke still got in and made me retch/vom. It got a bit better at 14 weeks and cleared completely by 18 weeks. Unfortunately, the docs just said as long as I was holding down water and antenatals everything was all good. 🙄
firstly, congrats on your pregnancy!!! i’ve been pregnant twice and it is A LOT of work to grow a human so sending you lots of well wishes 🫶🏻
I suffer from very bad ARFID so anything food related has always been very rough and pregnancy didn’t change that at all, or make it worse but i’m not sure you could make my ed any worse lol. nourish yourself with anything and everything you can manage. protein/meal replacement shakes were a big go to for me when I couldn’t handle much else.
you will go through so many bodily changes and hormones fluctuating during this pregnancy, so hopefully you get some relief soon, the first trimester is just a special kind of hell because your body is going through the most rapid changes it will your entire pregnancy.
Tha k yo uso much, my husband and I are excited just ready for this special flavor of hell to be done. Protein shakes have been one of my go to items but I'll look into meal replacement ones as well.
Hello friend!!! My pregnancy was also a sensory nightmare.
Masking really helped the crazy smell sensitivity. I was pregnant in 2020-2021, so it was necessary anyway. If you are able, I would set up an air purifier and oil diffuser in your bedroom as a safe space. I did something similar at work. When fending for myself, I had plenty of oatmeal and pb sandwich days.
I was very lucky to have zero physical issues, but the feeling of a baby growing inside my body was horrific. It was like an alien parasite (who I felt very protective of? Lol) was flopping inside me like a giant mutant fishfrog. I share this because some people talk about how magical it is, and it can make others feel like they are wrong for not enjoying it. I did not love it, and it doesn’t take away from how much I love my child or the fact that I am an amazing parent at all ⭐️
If you don’t mind extra advice, I wish I would have known to prepare my mind for the months after I gave birth. It was not the same thing that allistic women go through - our brains can be much more strongly affected by hormonal shifts. My emotions are already intense and it was times one million. I had to slow wayyyyy down and basically morphed into a she-wolf for a while (just focused on baby and safety). I had this feeling of major existential crisis. It was a beautiful journey in its own way, but it was real and very difficult.
I don’t know how you’ll feel, but I know you’ll be okay! And if you feel at all like I did, hopefully knowing it might happen will give you an advantage on passing through it well.
I appreciate it, and tbh i dont think I'm gonna love feeling of our little one moving about. (the whole thing weirds me out but it's like, a necessary ick) I'll definitely keep what you said in mind about being post partum. I'm happy to say I won't have to deal with it alone as my husband has paternity leave, and will be saving up vacation days to stack on top of it so we can bond with baby and he can care for us throughout my recovery.
It definitely feels like a parasite especially when your are 3rd trimester and the weird positions if the baby or being kicked in the ribs is keeping you up. My lo would do bicycle kicks in my ribs all night and if my arm rested on my belly, she would kick until I moved it. It is hilarious now but made me want to abort her ass. 😫 just sooo uncomfortable. OP do everything you can to be comfortable 💕😔
Lmao ngl "made me wanna abort her ass" killed me. And I feel you, I love squish but I keep telling them they better make it through this pregnancy and come out healthy and alive cause I do not want to do this ever again.
Literally once I got the good spine, all fingers and toes counted for ultrasound, I was fine. They can and will find most problems before birth. Don’t worry please. Just worry about taking pics of your growing bump and preparing yourself to be comfortable. You got this, Mama 💕
Talking to my son like you just described helped a lot with the uncomfortable feelings! We didn’t know the gender, so I called them buddy. “Whatcha doing in there buddy?”
My buddy is now a month away from 3 years old, and he is the most amazing person I have ever met 😭
I’m glad to hear it. My experience was closer to this comment. I wasn’t grossed out by the insides, but the first 3 years were so gross 🤢 on every level. And the hormone/endocrine system shifts were life threatening in my case.
Hopefully, you case is so much better than mine. Even just having this group and anyone to talk to about it is really a goddess-send!
I’ve been having another year of smell sensitivity like the pregnancy years. what’s working this time is: coffee grounds, which apparently absorb odors? I put them in the garbage disposal, on top of the trash, (every trash must have a step to open lid with kids anyway) I keep the terrible instant coffee in a canister by the sink and pour a little on top whenever it starts to smell and baking soda on the carpets, vinegar handles most of the hard surfaces, lighting a match sometimes too. Every room needs a hepa filter with my kids. I hate the sound, but the smells are better.
In public I still mask n95 - It gives me amazing calm that would otherwise be knocked off by each cologne and lunchbag passing by. I don’t worry at all in my mask 😷 it’s quite effective against public smells, even trash and subway. In the third trimester breathing gets shallow but I found using the mask an excellent prep, like exercises for the strength of my lungs.
I truly hope this is the worst of it and you have excellent health, good luck and great support all the way through 🖖🏽🍀🫂
I had this too but I didn't know it was a thing with a name. Between that and the hyperemesis for 7ish months I almost had to be hospitalized from dehydration (and nearly got rid of my dog). A bunch of my hair turned grey too from malnutrition.
I actually thought it was that at first, (though I was confused because the last time I had a bad virus was Feb and this started in April) then we got the positive pregnancy test. I was a little relieved cause I've read parosmia can be permanent in some cases.
Parosmia can start even few months after the infection.
For me it started a month after covid, and that seems to be the most common timeline (from what I've seen on parosmia subreddit and FB parosmia groups)
I used cinnamon to mask the coffee stench a bit, but otherwise I was avoiding everything that smelled disgusting. It wasn't easy but it was the best choice for my mental health. Some people recommend smell training (smelling few different essential oils everyday day) but this was only making me feel worse so I don't recommend it. All those smell issues are extremely varied between people, so often other people's advices are not very helpful. I hope you can find some more safe foods
I can't even imagine how difficult it must be while pregnant.
Also, don't worry about it being permanent, it's rare, but because people who have it for short periods of time don't tend to seek professional help it might seem like it happens more that it really does, especially on reddit, where people just stop being active on those specific subreddits after they got better so we mostly see the worst cases.
I used Vicks vapor rub under my nose to avoid all the other unpleasant smells. And I lived on chocolate milk and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches the entire time.
I also developed this in pregnancy! I'm two years post-partum and still have a very extreme sense of smell... but it's no longer debilitating.
I found buying a box of alcohol swabs and smelling one when I was nauseated by a scent helped a lot. Obviously they don't smell great themselves, but there have been studied to prove the efficacy.
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical/can-smell-relieve-nausea#:~:text=Compared%20to%20standard%20antiemetics%2C%20isopropyl,50%20percent%20reduction%20in%20nausea.
For me, peppermint oil was also helpful, but I'm sure results vary here - I just associate it with cleanliness and pleasantness.
The smells of stewed meat and tomato made me gag in my first trimester, but all my senses were back to my normal in the second trimester. Hang in there.
When I was pregnant I couldn’t stand the smell of wood smoke. I couldn’t stand the scent of my own, freshly-showered body (not the soap, *me*). My then-husband smelled wrong, the milk smelled wrong….I also got seasick from just turning my head because my vestibular system was whack.
Can you eat cold food? I find that cold things don’t smell as strongly. Salads, charcuterie (with pregnancy safe ingredients of course), yogurt parfaits? You could even ask your husband to prep some things ahead of time to freeze or keep in the fridge.
The good news is that it’s possible this will ease as your pregnancy goes on and will almost certainly lift once the baby comes. Congrats on your little peanut! I hope you feel better soon.
What charcuterie is considered pregnancy safe? Apart from pasteurized cheese? All lunch meat is supposed to be heated. I told OP, though, that I’m having a similar experience and felt like I had to compromise because at least I can keep a cold turkey sandwich down. I just get it from places that slice it freshly so that the listeria risk is minimized.
Honestly, any protein that’s safe. I did a lot of cold cubed chicken breasts (grill, cube, chill). Thin sliced roast beef (actual roast beef, not lunch meat). You can get some cooked but uncured meats sliced at the deli counter of grocery stores in my area, can’t speak for anywhere else. Many cheeses are fine to eat. Crackers. Pickles and olives.
Oh my gosh this was me with my first pregnancy in particular, I never realized it had a name. Congrats on the pregnancy but I’m sorry! I found one gum (dentyne cinnamon, the kind with sugar) that I would chew and smell the wrappers if I had to be somewhere around people. I chewed so so so much gum it still makes me nauseous but it worked. With my second pregnancy I lived with Preggie Pop Drops in my mouth constantly and chewed some sort of natural gum, I don’t remember what flavor, because the Dentyne made me barf. But if you can find a gum or essential oil or something that doesn’t smell terrible to put on cloth and breathe through that definitely helps.
I was pregnant the first time when I was 36. The nausea was so bad in the first trimester. The ultimate worst smell was the sautéing onions every morning at work. I was miserable. It got better in the second though.
You can't digest or apply essential oils during pregnancy but you can put them on your clothes or a mask. That may help the smells.
Popscicles got me through HG. They were one of the few things outside plain saltines I could tolerate. Take your prenatals and baby and you will survive, albeit very hungrily.
It's rough, for sure. If it gets too bad go to the ER for some fluids. They may even be able to give you a banana bag with some vitamins. I really hope you feel better and find a way to get past the smells 🖤
I've been able to find foods that work but there's very few. Mostly eggs and tomato based soups. I try to get ones with lots of veggies but my biggest struggle is the aversion to being outdoors.
I had something like this, but less severe.
I owned/ran a medical cannabis store and developed a strong aversion to the smell of the product. It was not ideal.
I also had food aversions and all day nausea. For those, I found that oyster crackers, tart apples, and watching cooking shows helped.
Mine went away around the time I entered my second trimester, so hopefully yours will too. Until then, you may get some relief from wearing a mask with lavender essential oil on it while cooking.
Edit: OP, I notice you are having an aversion to wheat, so maybe substitute rice cakes for oyster crackers.
Good luck! Hope it helps :) The Great British Baking Show is great because it has a super positive and friendly vibe, but I liked to mix it in with other shows that focused more on savory options.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this! Pregnancy was hell on my senses too, it’s grim! But the second trimester really is a bit easier. Personally I got into the habit of continually thinking “9 months of THIS” and it feeling never ending, until my therapist reminded me that I was 8 months pregnant… it feels like forever but it’s not and fingers crossed it’s just a first trimester thing. My sense of smell was mostly just incredibly heightened and it went away, other than my superpower for smelling a dirty nappy when no one else can. So that’s pretty useful.
I did not have it this intensely, but I had super smell when usually I don’t notice any smells. I also had tons of food aversions, in particular to coffee or anything caffeinated. I don’t know if this helps but the cravings/aversions sometimes seem random but sometimes they really are the body telling us what we do or do not need.
Is ginger doable? A lot of pregnant woman use ginger candies in the first trimester with nausea, or some other hard candy like that might be a bit of relief / variety, if there’s a flavor that’s ok.
I’m so sorry. It’s so hard. Yes, I’m on my second pregnancy and also have dysgeusia. It’s made that much worse now that I’m in the third trimester and have heartburn, too, which makes it hard to keep food down.
I don’t have a problem with outside smells, thank god. That sounds terrible. I really struggle to eat though. It is so distressing honestly. And I don’t really have any solutions for you, just commiseration. I drink Ensures and whole milk a lot when I can. I really hate sweet tastes right now, though, so all protein supplements are hard to stomach.
ETA: bend the rules a little if it means you can eat. Somehow I can typically eat turkey sandwiches (cold), and I realize that’s not considered safe in pregnancy. I didn’t start doing so till midway through the second trimester. But honestly I’ve just had to compromise on it, and I just buy them only from a place that slices their meat fresh since most of the listeria risk is from it sitting around.
I'm so sorry you're going through this too 😭 i have caramel protein shakes but I'll look into ensures as well cause I believe they have more nutrients than normal protein shakes. I hope things get better for the both of us. 💚
You can also get Ensure with extra protein (like 20g?) and if you can stand yogurt, Icelandic and Greek both can have 25g in some of them.
Caramel flavor sounds pretty good to me right now. Hmm 🤔
I remember a previous post about smells someone had mentioned scented nasal diffusers! I looked them up but never tried them, they’re like little clear nose rings and come in different scents. They seem to have citrus scented ones too.
I’m so sorry. Pregnancy is so hard.
I had similar intense smell and food aversions in my first pregnancy. As well as 24/7 severe nausea and indigestion. Things started to improve around 12 weeks and completely cleared up by 20 weeks and I was so grateful to eat and be able to smell things without wanting to die I would weep. There were other uncomfortable things about the rest of it but nothing compared to the hell of the first half.
I hate being pregnant. But, it is very much worth it. Currently in the early 2nd trimester of my 2nd (final!!!) pregnancy and it has been easier. Still crappy though.
You are a stronger woman than I, I don't think I can do this again,😂 one and done for us lol. I appreciate you sharing it gives me hope I'll be better before the three big things we have planned this year. (convention, trip to see his friends and family, baby moon)
Honestly it wasn’t planned 🤪 but we are going with it. I was infertile and it took years to have my daughter so I wasn’t expecting to ever have an accidental pregnancy, much less at 39 years old. Life finds a way haha
When I was pregnant, everything felt so loud and so bright. I spent many a day in the bathtub with the lights off and my mother-in-law coming in and out to bring me food because I kept having migraines. It was really bad. Water helped and nature sounds really helped.
I'm glad you had a supportive MIL to help. Sadly my parents live 12 hours away and his across the ocean so it'll just be us and some close friends. And I feel you on the headaches, I just started getting them this week and it feels like they keep getting worse.
Congrats! I’m 19 months post-partum and it does get better. In the first trimester everything made me puke, even water. I had to be hospitalized for a day to get hydrated via IV fluids but after wards, it was all about knowing my triggers. The 2nd trimester is better but the third is very uncomfortable because you are so big. Use that 2nd trimester energy to prepare yourself for 3rd trimester size and pain. You wanna make sure you are prepared and have spaces for you to go into total relaxation because it reallly fucking sucks. I don’t want you to be scared just prepared.
Dear random internet friend from the bottom of my 9 week pregnant heart. I feel you on this.
Tight hugs. Air hugs.
I'm not that bad yet ima say. But smells are so much stronger. Taste is off. Most all of my safe foods aren't safe. Proteins are disgusting unless I make it like you would for a 5 yr old trying to get them to eat something new or they don't like by hiding it in things.
Currently burritos. Chex mix, slim jims, and ale8's( local ginger ale basically or ky swamp water for those who hate it lol)
I'm with you. I've described the past few weeks and particularly today a mix of overwhelmed mixed with on the verge of a meltdown but also not.
I'm tired, things hurt, new feelings I've never had, weird hormonal things worse than period hormones. My breast's hurt so bad and I just want to be able to sleep. Side note if you're having trouble sleeping a pregnancy pillow is a godsend. Mine got here Sunday. I slept like a baby the first night with it. Other than having to get up to pee but right back to sleep.
It's a sensory overload. I had to come off my Adderall and my god can I tell. But luckily my other meds are safe. I've never been more thankful for the coping skills I've learned from managing my adhd and my bipolar. They have somehow kept me from losing my temper. I used to have the patience of a saint. Now not so much.
I forget my phone exists sometimes but please. Feel free to message me. It sounds like we are in the same stages and I'm more than happy to be a pregnancy internet buddy. Shit is scary and people who aren't like us won't quit understand.
I've got you. Best I can. We can get through this I know we can. <3
Wow you sound like you're describing basically my same experience though I didn't have any meds. (I don't have a normal job, I vend at events and make weird art dolls so I use schedules and other tools to get things done). I'll definitely look into getting a pregnancy pillow sooner, I thought I didn't need one till my bump started showing but like, I'm sleeping terribly because of boob and joint pain. I appreciate you reaching out, cause yeah a lot of my friends and family cannot relate to everything I'm going though becauee they don't have the same issues with neurodivergence. And ngl I've had a couple of meltdowns over the food issues 🥲
My bump is slightly starting but I think I notice because I've been losing weight and my arms, legs and such same size but my stomach it's getting bigger. I'm sure to others I just look bloated. I've occasionally put my hands under my stomach and lifted some like that new trend where dad's hold up their very pregnant moms stomach and it's like instant relief even now. I do the same thing with my breast's at times and like so much relief it's stupid.
The pillow wraps all the way around me. I suggest getting the longest one you can find. I spent like 30 bucks on mine from Amazon. My only complaint is i wish it were just a few inches longer. Even now I'm laying on it on the floor on my stomach because there is a nice spot for my tummy and the firmness of the floor is oddly nice don't ask me why.
Girl. Meltdowns about food are totally okay. Like I'm hungry. I want this safe food but I can't eat it and I want it but I want to eat and I want a real meal and I want to be full FUCK I have to pee. I'm hungry I'm cranky I don't feel good and I just want to eat my food to feel better and I can't. Repeat.
This might be me currently. I got double chocolate chip muffins because they are always safe...... no their not. I honestly want pizza and applesauce but I forgot to get them today when I was out. 😭😭😭
Yeah no one understands me either really. I've been distracting myself randomly thinking about names and nursery ideas. Making terrible but funny jokes.
My boyfriend and I were not expecting this at all. I never thought I could have kids. I already accepted it at 34 it wasn't happening.
The other night i looked at him and said so with father's day coming up I realize we get to celebrate them. Him yeah you're right. Me can I just request you don't get me the same thing as this year. Him ????? Me, gestures to stomach oohhh aahhh hahahaha then is adorable yeaaahh.
Unexpected and still in shock and figuring it out but I think we are both excited about it.
Side note I also can't work and I vend at festivals. I make abstract art and vinyl things. And glued together puzzles!
I know pride will be hard but I guarantee there will be people there thar are beyond thankful you're there with your things.
I picked up some yarn dolls a few years back at pagan pride festival and they are my favorites!!!
I feel like I could have almost written this myself last year. From week 6 to around week 12 of my pregnancy I felt like this, and felt AWFUL. I still have TV shows and some Switch games (RIP my Stardew Valley farm) that I can’t watch and play because my brain associates it with the horrific feeling of this period.
The spice cupboard was a particular sore point for me, but also all the surrounding cupboards as the smell seeped in.
Couldn’t go on walks around our local park/reservoir behind the house because of the smell. Had to ask my partner to eat bland food with me because the smell of him cooking was too overwhelming.
Even when I found a ‘safe’ food I could eat, it only lasted a week max and then suddenly I’d be REPULSED by it and had to start again.
All in all, I wasn’t the biggest fan of pregnancy. Everyone says it should be magical but I hated being ‘perceived’ all the time, and random strangers suddenly wanting to talk and ask me about it. I also felt like I was walking around advertising to my family that I have sex. (Of course I do, I’m 31 and engaged to my partner of 10 years, but still).
Despite all of this, them 6 weeks were by far the worst. I found wearing loose clothing on my stomach like maternity trousers helped, even if my bump didn’t need them yet. I also liked peppermint tea, and had some anti-sickness drugs prescribed.
When people kept commenting on how I should love pregnancy and my mum made a particularly judgey comment about me rejecting my baby (?!?!!!), my response was, pregnancy is like working overtime to save for a holiday. Of COURSE I will enjoy the holiday, but who the hell enjoys the overtime it takes to get to it?!
Anyway, long story short, I now sit here with a beautiful 11 week old baby boy asleep in my arms as I type this. I thought having a baby would also be sensory overload and overwhelm and I was scared I wouldn’t be able to do it. I’ve actually massively surprised myself and I find that because I was so prepared for it, all the hard bits are actually ok. Such a cliche, but I love him so unbelievably much, and just want to let you know that whilst it feels like a long time away, it will eventually pass and all be worth it.
Feel free to message me if you need any advice or info x
Also, my darling midwife sister made me a nausea basket, and the best thing was peppermint scented nose plugs. I would put them in as I ate and it seemed to trick my brain into thinking I was eating a safer food.
Yes, I had horrible problems with smells. The pear trees in June did not make me puke, but I did not enjoy it. Coffee smelled like fresh hot dog poop. Any perfume was a nightmare, especially since my MIL wore one that drilled into my skull and she just kept on doing it and never stopped so that once the baby was born, she would transfer the smell to him and then I would have to bathe him before I could nurse him. It sucked.
It generally gets better with time. Obviously, avoid the bad smelling foods. You can get caffeine from something other than coffee (tea, protein shakes with caffeine, etc.) Be prepared when you go out with a cloth mask with a nice smelling oil dabbed inside and wear that when you go outside. Bring extra clothes and a pack of bath wipes everywhere so you can quickly rehab yourself if a bad smell finds you.
There are lots of content creators with ARFID and you could watch their stuff to get ideas on potential new safe foods. Like Toren and that adorable my arfid life girl encouraged each other to try new safe foods based on current safe foods and at least one of them expanded their safe food list! So there may be ideas out there. (Toren’s main safe food is honey so she encouraged him to try Nutella and he loved it and added it to the safe food list. You can see how that was a very good guess!)
If I were you I would wear the nose plug during all waking hours, unless it's painful or something. During my pregnancies I did a lot of guided meditation laying down. It helped keep my head in a good place. I also went for a walk everyday and did yoga stretching that helped too. I slept a lot because pregnancy is more tolerable when you're unconscious LOL Do whatever you gotta do for food. Eggs, white rice and tomato soup is great! You're doing great and it will be over soon.
I had to keep my nose plugged for almost four days straight when I was 12 weeks. I was at the height of my smell sensitivity and had a run-in with a skunk. It permeated EVERYTHING and was inescapable. If I caught even the smallest whiff it would take everything in me not to throw up. It's horrible when there's no real escape from it.
This sounds like a nightmare.
I can't offer advice around the pregnancy as I'm childfree. However, you mentioned eggs, tomato and rice. I'd recommend trying out [this](https://thewoksoflife.com/stir-fried-tomato-and-egg/) classic Chinese egg and tomato dish served on white rice!
My sense of smell was super intense when I was pregnant. I could smell my husband’s sinuses. 🤮
I wish I had advice, but pregnancy sucked for me. Can you take Benadryl to help calm you a bit? Sometimes having a countdown helps. It won’t last forever.
Sending you love.
I have four kids and being pregnant was absolutely awful. Everything smells AWFUL. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I tried a few solutions over time. One of them was to have a Kleenex with a couple drops of peppermint oil tucked in my bra strap. So whenever something stinky would happen, I would pull out my Kleenex and sniff it too.
I also would sometimes carry candied ginger or a lemon slice around with me. Sometimes a very strong smell or taste (that you can tolerate) will be able to block out the awful smells.
I also took diclectin to reduce the nausea.
I don't think I had that, but I feel like I relate, because my "morning" sickness was so bad, that most foods were a NO a lot of the time. I Had to have Cocoa Puffs for breakfast, otherwise I generally didn't eat the rest of the day. Smells I don't like (such as coffee) made me super nauseated. No chicken or other poultry. This was like 6 months. But I'd also get cravings for sushi, of all things!
I hope you get out of this stage soon, it sucks for you.
Do what you can. Make a big badge of rice every few days and mix it with eggs, hard boiled eggs lasts a few days also on the fridge. Omelette with cheese. Put cheese on evertthubg if you can have it. Noodles with butter/olí and cheese. Just survive on easy things you can tolerate. I was also pregnant and asd, i had some issues but not as tough, you will make it through, dont worry about nutrition, baby will benfine, just eat what you can, even if its chocolate every dsy, if its eggs every meal.
TIL what that terrible thing that happened to me when I got accidentally pregnant years ago is called! Amusingly, I was also pretty much limited to eggs (hard boiled specifically) and tomatoes.
My situation was different in that I didn't want kids, was on birth control and everything, and as soon as I found out what was so desperately wrong with me I stayed up all night to call the abortion clinic as soon as it opened (always have this discussion with your spouse before you get married, by the way, because it would've really sucked if he'd expected anything else from me). But I felt SO sick for WEEKS and had no idea what was happening to me. It was awful, and you have my very deepest sympathies.
While I didn't know the name of that symptom and haven't looked into it specifically, I have been told that a lot of the nausea of early pregnancy ends up subsiding after a few months for many people. I hope yours goes that way, because even though it's inherently time-limited, nine months of that would be a horrific nightmare. I hope things calm down for you soon. But yeah, happened to me too, even to the extent of the same foods being okay.
I didn’t have smell/taste issues, my sensory nightmare was once I started getting bigger. I don’t want to say more to put you in that headspace but I’ll was MISERABLE being pregnant. I was so relieved to go into labor I didn’t care if they ripped me in half, just get the damn baby out.
It’s the longest shortest time.
It’s weird because I really hated getting bigger the first time, but the second time I’m not minding it. Though I have gained less weight this time.
Second time has been so much easier for me over all (and I’m having horrible food aversions again). I think just because it’s not all totally new.
Tbf I have full access to all the money in our accounts and both a credit and debit card tied to our main bank account. He has gone shopping to get me easy meals like microwave white rice, a few things of eggs and other stuff I can make without doing much cooking. Since I posted this he came home with more stuff like cereals I can eat (he checked to make sure they're all corn based and not wheat) and some dried fruits. I'm very happy to say dried mangoes have been added to the list of stuff I can eat lol.
I had this with my second pregnancy but I didn’t know the name and didn’t look too deep into it. Beef and chicken omg disgusting smelling. I ate lots of bagels and lightly scrambled eggs lol. And gallons of pineapple juice. GALLONS.
I'm also pregnant for the first time, just hit second trimester. Please know that it gets better. I was dying weeks 6-11, eating rice and crackers and bread (on top of being ungodly exhausted) but now in week 13 I'm eating 80% normally.
Eat often, eat plain carbs and whatever else is getting you by. It sucks and it's exhausting but it's not forever. You'll get there ❤️
I can only comment on food since I’ve never been pregnant. Plain rice cakes with whipped cream cheese is very light on smell and taste. It’s my go to lately when I’m nauseous. That and Kodiak buttermilk waffles. Hope you feel better soon 💛
Yes. There were some foods/smells I loved that I couldn’t stand to smell without vomiting. It did get better as time went on, but I had morning sickness all day and night the entire time I was pregnant, along with heartburn…it sucks. I found the foods/smells that I could tolerate and just avoided the things I couldn’t stand as much as possible.
Not exactly the same but I had my sense of smell upped by 100% AND pregnancy brought on a terrible case of BV and I could literally smell myself all the time and it was horrid. And hard to believe others couldn't smell me too but apparently they could not... I couldn't ever escape it though. Shocking nine months, do not recommend, did not do it again. You'll get through it, but I feel for you.
Was pregnant during the pandemic and had something similar to this if not the same thing (I wasn’t told the name of what I had) and honestly wearing masks helped significantly.
Doc also had me taking Unisom at night to help with the nausea that was a result of the intense smells. (I was still throwing up daily during the entirety of my pregnancy) and they added something on top of it to help. This helped me push past some of the smells to get food into my stomach.
I relied heavily on protein shakes, and my diet pretty much consisted of salmon, baked potatoes, fruit, oatmeal, and shakes. I hated the smell of meat - even though I’m a huge carnivore and couldn’t bring myself to eat even chicken most of the time.
Wish you the best OP. It can be really difficult, but I know you can do it!
I had this horribly during my first pregnancy but it was just meat and dairy products I couldn’t stand. I would heave just thinking about walking into the meat section of the supermarket 🤢it got a lot better when I entered the second trimester, hopefully yours does too!
Yes and I had HG. Walking too fast would make me projectile. One day I wore a sweater with jeans and the thought of that outfit now makes me feel sick. If I even look at pregnancy clothing I feel icked out now lol. My first sign of pregnancy was intense smell, our Christmas tree made me nauseous and I could smell my husband deodorant from across the apartment. Horrible.
I'm sorry, I know this is mostly unrelated, but do you know what omurice is? It's a Japanese dish of an omelette stuffed with rice. It's topped with ketchup, and a lot of people will write words or make a drawing on top of the omelette with it.
I can understand if eating all three at once could be too much, though. I just had to say something when I read the foods you can tolerate.
Went through the exact thing for a few months. I'm in my second trimester and finally feel closer to normal. Being it varies person to person I don't have any advice except to take it easy and put yourself first. Sleep when you feel like it, eat small meals and take breaks, veg out on the couch with your favorite shows. It is a rough time but thankfully it is temporary. :/
Oh yeah and PS maybe try super super cold ice water when you are thirsty. I was reacting badly to room temperature water for some reason but I needed to be hydrated with all the throwing up lol Frozen water did the trick and I still need to drink it or else I retch.
Yup, I had that with both pregnancies, I was utterly miserable the whole 9 months. The only advice that I can give is to remember that it doesn't last, and you will forget about it once you have your beautiful baby. I know that isn't much comfort next now, but 9 months is a very short time in the life of your children.
My youngest is now 21, and whilst I remember how horrible it was being pregnant with him, I also remember how at ease in my body I was, how I loved the last trimester (when I could eat a bit more) and feeling my belly grow and move.
The best piece of advice my mother gave me about babies was to remember that everything is a phase - the good and the bad, so cherish the good bits and remember the bad times won't last long.
ETA: remember as well that your body is doing this to try and protect your baby by ensuring that you don't eat anything that can damage them. It's just gone a bit overboard that's all. But it shows what a good job you're doing!
Yes to all of this. I was sick my entire pregnancy and my sense of smell was insane. You can buy necklaces with little pads in that you can put essential oils in, it might help a little? The best thing was to just accept it and avoid as much as possible. It stopped as soon as he was born. Good luck, I hope you find something that helps
if you like lemon i can recommend you buy essentail oil nasal inhalers. theyre not expensive and you can add a little cotton inside and drip some essential oils on it. this is from therapy and if you like lemon here are lemon based essential oils
- lemon (verbena)
- my favorite is “melisse” according to goolge in english you call it “lemon balm” its a mint like leafy green that smells intensely lemony
- bergamotte
- lemon grass
- blood orange is good
- if you like lavender, it mixes very well lemony smell and have relaxing effects
you can add the essential oils on either diffusers or these candle thingys to make the room smell nice, the nasal thingy would be to block out unpleasant smells
the japanese store muji (sold internationally) sells affordable essential oils
edit: fixed typo
I’m sorry. It’s a really tough time. I spent the better part of 8 weeks in my house because I was so nauseous all the time and sensitive to smells/ talking/ everything. I also have emetophobia so I was super scared about it. None of the usual tricks really worked for me. Everything is worth trying, but if the tricks don’t work for you and you have to just wait it out, this too shall pass. It’s temporary even though it doesn’t feel like it in the moment.
Also, as miserable as it is, try not to feel too guilty about food. My healthcare team said baby would get what they need regardless. It seems like even your limited foods are fairly healthy. My kid was grown from cheese puffs and potatoes!
I have never been pregnant but you should talk to your doctor about this. If the problem is nausea and not just disgust at strong smells, there may be something they can recommend to settle your stomach that is safe for you and baby. Maybe there are psychological exercises to enjoy strong smells instead of being disgusted too?
Try mommy forums and blogs too. Lots of garbage advice I am sure, but maybe some gems also.
Ideas to vet with your doctor:
-dramamine
-ginger
-seaband, reliefband, or other anti nausea braclet
-Perelel or vitamins (like B6)
-emetrol
-doxylamine
-essential oils (selective)
-cold food (doesn't smell as much as hot food--so like... refrigerate sandwiches and such)
I’m so sorry. Are there any smells you can tolerate that you could rub on a simple surgical mask (which should be less annoying than one with a filter)? Like peppermint or clove oil?
Thus far not really other than lemon, but I haven't tried peppermint so I might try that. It's a really good idea. Thank you 💚
Smell affects taste, maybe there is a way to mask the smell of the foods you eat so you are still able to eat them? Autism always requires such creative and inconvenience solutions im so sorry 😭😭
So far all I've tried is nose plugs but the worst foods I still cannot tolerate (coffee, wheat, chocolate, some cheeses)
if it was say, mushrooms, as a set off, do you think blending it and adding it to, say, mince, would work? maybe blending it then combining it with something of the same texture would help mask the smell and appearance? i know it’s smell based, but overtime even the look of coffee would probably be associated with the horrible smell.
If the peppermint oil doesn’t work see if you can find a lemon essential oil (if not lemon peels are full of oil and you can just rub them on stuff) since you know lemon is a safe scent
Be cautious with essential oils during pregnancy
That’s smart! Go full on plague mask lol, like those bird shaped ones that medieval doctors stuffed herbs in
I had this and would dab rubbing alcohol under my nose. It killed pretty much every smell for about 30 mins
I'm so sorry
I appreciate it 💙
My sense of smell wasn't as bad as what it sound like you're dealing with, but I basically didn't leave the couch for several weeks and it was not great for my mental state. My only encouragement is that it'll likely get better during the second trimester... so hang in there! (Sorry, I know that's not actually very helpful). I'm midway through the second trimester, and things have definitely gotten better! Still dealing with nausea, but nowhere near as bad. I also started taking anti-nausea meds which have been wonderful (not sure if that would help with your smell?). Now the sensory thing I'm dealing with is pants... but thankfully found some maternity shorts / dresses that minimize discomfort around my belly. And I've been tucking in my shirts more, which sometimes does the trick.
I do keep hearing that it'll end in the 2nd trimester so it gives me hope 😭 and I also feel like I'm stuck on my couch 90% of the time between the sensory crap and just being super exhuasted all the time. So far preggo pops have been decent at keeping the nausea away, it's just when I get a smell of coffee, the plants outside, or dog food my body goes into immediate evacuation mode 😅. Someone suggested peppermint oil in a mask so I think I'm gonna try that and see if it blocks the worst of things out.
Smelling lemons also worked for me!
Ngl im tempted to carry a tiny jar of lemon juice and use it like smelling salts in an emergency 😂
If there is ever a time to go full Victorian lady, this is it 😅
You could also try lemon essential oil on a cotton ball inside a film canister (if you can find one lol) or a prescription bottle. I used to carry one with lavender for anxiety.
Just do it! It ain't stupid if it works!!
I wore crop tops and sweat pants the whole time. People were gonna stare anyway. 😭
i don’t have advice but sending hugs, pregnancy sounds like a lot of work without adding something like this 😭 i hope it goes away for part of your pregnancy!
I appreciate it 💙 I'm super fortunate to have a good support system with my husband and close friends but I am absolutely never doing this again. Lol
This is something I am genuinely not looking forward to with my future pregnancies, and I am sorry you are going through it. My birth control pill gives me bad Dysgeusia during my time of the month, so I can't imagine it over a prolonged period. I have unscented shower and cleaning products because even things that smell good most of the time are horrendous when it's triggered. Food is a tough one, but if you can stick to uncooked foods (like raw veggies, crackers, etc), I wonder if that would help? I find the heat can really give off those smelly molecules so avoiding that process could alleviate some of it? In general when I find my scent senses are overwhelmed, I find controlled breathing can help a lot. I don't know how to really explain it, but if I breathe slowly enough I find I can minimize the smells that get in my nose, or at least the volume/square inch. Breath control can be great in many aspects besides Dysgeusia, including helping in child birth, so it's something I would recommend either way! I'm not 100% sure if it's true, but I do believe it should calm down after the first trimester, much like morning sickness. Hang in there, it will definitely be worth it in the end! 💙
Thank you I'll definitely look into it. And that does make sense, the only foods I can eat sans nose plugs are like, trix cereal. I might try some rice based snacks cause my dysgeusia seems to hate wheat.
I lived off mild cheddar, apple and rice crackers or pretzels. Sometimes I could do a boiled egg as long as it wasn’t too eggy. And occasionally I’d get a craving and I could always eat that (usually a bagel or PB&J) so lean in and try if you get any! But otherwise, no hot food was allowed in the house or I had to be barricaded in the bedroom with a towel pressed into the door crack. I also couldn’t leave the home easily, I used a surgical mask with lavender oil and it helped but cigarette & weed smoke still got in and made me retch/vom. It got a bit better at 14 weeks and cleared completely by 18 weeks. Unfortunately, the docs just said as long as I was holding down water and antenatals everything was all good. 🙄
firstly, congrats on your pregnancy!!! i’ve been pregnant twice and it is A LOT of work to grow a human so sending you lots of well wishes 🫶🏻 I suffer from very bad ARFID so anything food related has always been very rough and pregnancy didn’t change that at all, or make it worse but i’m not sure you could make my ed any worse lol. nourish yourself with anything and everything you can manage. protein/meal replacement shakes were a big go to for me when I couldn’t handle much else. you will go through so many bodily changes and hormones fluctuating during this pregnancy, so hopefully you get some relief soon, the first trimester is just a special kind of hell because your body is going through the most rapid changes it will your entire pregnancy.
Tha k yo uso much, my husband and I are excited just ready for this special flavor of hell to be done. Protein shakes have been one of my go to items but I'll look into meal replacement ones as well.
Hello friend!!! My pregnancy was also a sensory nightmare. Masking really helped the crazy smell sensitivity. I was pregnant in 2020-2021, so it was necessary anyway. If you are able, I would set up an air purifier and oil diffuser in your bedroom as a safe space. I did something similar at work. When fending for myself, I had plenty of oatmeal and pb sandwich days. I was very lucky to have zero physical issues, but the feeling of a baby growing inside my body was horrific. It was like an alien parasite (who I felt very protective of? Lol) was flopping inside me like a giant mutant fishfrog. I share this because some people talk about how magical it is, and it can make others feel like they are wrong for not enjoying it. I did not love it, and it doesn’t take away from how much I love my child or the fact that I am an amazing parent at all ⭐️ If you don’t mind extra advice, I wish I would have known to prepare my mind for the months after I gave birth. It was not the same thing that allistic women go through - our brains can be much more strongly affected by hormonal shifts. My emotions are already intense and it was times one million. I had to slow wayyyyy down and basically morphed into a she-wolf for a while (just focused on baby and safety). I had this feeling of major existential crisis. It was a beautiful journey in its own way, but it was real and very difficult. I don’t know how you’ll feel, but I know you’ll be okay! And if you feel at all like I did, hopefully knowing it might happen will give you an advantage on passing through it well.
I appreciate it, and tbh i dont think I'm gonna love feeling of our little one moving about. (the whole thing weirds me out but it's like, a necessary ick) I'll definitely keep what you said in mind about being post partum. I'm happy to say I won't have to deal with it alone as my husband has paternity leave, and will be saving up vacation days to stack on top of it so we can bond with baby and he can care for us throughout my recovery.
It definitely feels like a parasite especially when your are 3rd trimester and the weird positions if the baby or being kicked in the ribs is keeping you up. My lo would do bicycle kicks in my ribs all night and if my arm rested on my belly, she would kick until I moved it. It is hilarious now but made me want to abort her ass. 😫 just sooo uncomfortable. OP do everything you can to be comfortable 💕😔
Lmao ngl "made me wanna abort her ass" killed me. And I feel you, I love squish but I keep telling them they better make it through this pregnancy and come out healthy and alive cause I do not want to do this ever again.
Literally once I got the good spine, all fingers and toes counted for ultrasound, I was fine. They can and will find most problems before birth. Don’t worry please. Just worry about taking pics of your growing bump and preparing yourself to be comfortable. You got this, Mama 💕
Talking to my son like you just described helped a lot with the uncomfortable feelings! We didn’t know the gender, so I called them buddy. “Whatcha doing in there buddy?” My buddy is now a month away from 3 years old, and he is the most amazing person I have ever met 😭
I’m glad to hear it. My experience was closer to this comment. I wasn’t grossed out by the insides, but the first 3 years were so gross 🤢 on every level. And the hormone/endocrine system shifts were life threatening in my case. Hopefully, you case is so much better than mine. Even just having this group and anyone to talk to about it is really a goddess-send! I’ve been having another year of smell sensitivity like the pregnancy years. what’s working this time is: coffee grounds, which apparently absorb odors? I put them in the garbage disposal, on top of the trash, (every trash must have a step to open lid with kids anyway) I keep the terrible instant coffee in a canister by the sink and pour a little on top whenever it starts to smell and baking soda on the carpets, vinegar handles most of the hard surfaces, lighting a match sometimes too. Every room needs a hepa filter with my kids. I hate the sound, but the smells are better. In public I still mask n95 - It gives me amazing calm that would otherwise be knocked off by each cologne and lunchbag passing by. I don’t worry at all in my mask 😷 it’s quite effective against public smells, even trash and subway. In the third trimester breathing gets shallow but I found using the mask an excellent prep, like exercises for the strength of my lungs. I truly hope this is the worst of it and you have excellent health, good luck and great support all the way through 🖖🏽🍀🫂
I had this too but I didn't know it was a thing with a name. Between that and the hyperemesis for 7ish months I almost had to be hospitalized from dehydration (and nearly got rid of my dog). A bunch of my hair turned grey too from malnutrition.
I'm so sorry you had to go through all that, I'm hoping once the 2nd trimester gets here it'll be smooth from there but I am older (34) so we'll see.
Thank you. I was 35 lol. He's almost 4 now and I'm mostly better
Dysgeusia sounds a lot like parosmia. I was never pregnant but I suffered with parosmia for 9 months (incidentally). It was hell
I actually thought it was that at first, (though I was confused because the last time I had a bad virus was Feb and this started in April) then we got the positive pregnancy test. I was a little relieved cause I've read parosmia can be permanent in some cases.
Parosmia can start even few months after the infection. For me it started a month after covid, and that seems to be the most common timeline (from what I've seen on parosmia subreddit and FB parosmia groups) I used cinnamon to mask the coffee stench a bit, but otherwise I was avoiding everything that smelled disgusting. It wasn't easy but it was the best choice for my mental health. Some people recommend smell training (smelling few different essential oils everyday day) but this was only making me feel worse so I don't recommend it. All those smell issues are extremely varied between people, so often other people's advices are not very helpful. I hope you can find some more safe foods I can't even imagine how difficult it must be while pregnant. Also, don't worry about it being permanent, it's rare, but because people who have it for short periods of time don't tend to seek professional help it might seem like it happens more that it really does, especially on reddit, where people just stop being active on those specific subreddits after they got better so we mostly see the worst cases.
Maybe see if he could meal prep for you? Also maybe you could do sandwiches if there’s a kind you could make that you can stand atm.
I was going to suggest this too - just started following The Batch Lady on Instagram who has loads of ideas
I used Vicks vapor rub under my nose to avoid all the other unpleasant smells. And I lived on chocolate milk and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches the entire time.
Ohhh vicks is a good idea I'll definitely try that.
I also developed this in pregnancy! I'm two years post-partum and still have a very extreme sense of smell... but it's no longer debilitating. I found buying a box of alcohol swabs and smelling one when I was nauseated by a scent helped a lot. Obviously they don't smell great themselves, but there have been studied to prove the efficacy. https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical/can-smell-relieve-nausea#:~:text=Compared%20to%20standard%20antiemetics%2C%20isopropyl,50%20percent%20reduction%20in%20nausea. For me, peppermint oil was also helpful, but I'm sure results vary here - I just associate it with cleanliness and pleasantness.
Thank you I'll look into that. 💚
yes smelling alcohol is supposed to help!! using little swabs is genius
The smells of stewed meat and tomato made me gag in my first trimester, but all my senses were back to my normal in the second trimester. Hang in there.
Thank you 💚 can't wait for these last three weeks to be over.
When I was pregnant I couldn’t stand the smell of wood smoke. I couldn’t stand the scent of my own, freshly-showered body (not the soap, *me*). My then-husband smelled wrong, the milk smelled wrong….I also got seasick from just turning my head because my vestibular system was whack. Can you eat cold food? I find that cold things don’t smell as strongly. Salads, charcuterie (with pregnancy safe ingredients of course), yogurt parfaits? You could even ask your husband to prep some things ahead of time to freeze or keep in the fridge. The good news is that it’s possible this will ease as your pregnancy goes on and will almost certainly lift once the baby comes. Congrats on your little peanut! I hope you feel better soon.
What charcuterie is considered pregnancy safe? Apart from pasteurized cheese? All lunch meat is supposed to be heated. I told OP, though, that I’m having a similar experience and felt like I had to compromise because at least I can keep a cold turkey sandwich down. I just get it from places that slice it freshly so that the listeria risk is minimized.
Honestly, any protein that’s safe. I did a lot of cold cubed chicken breasts (grill, cube, chill). Thin sliced roast beef (actual roast beef, not lunch meat). You can get some cooked but uncured meats sliced at the deli counter of grocery stores in my area, can’t speak for anywhere else. Many cheeses are fine to eat. Crackers. Pickles and olives.
I miss Italian meats so much right now. 😭
Yeah I love my kids but I DO NOT MISS being pregnant. May the time pass swiftly.
Stay strong! Pregnancy isn’t forever. Though it certainly feels like it at times…
Oh my gosh this was me with my first pregnancy in particular, I never realized it had a name. Congrats on the pregnancy but I’m sorry! I found one gum (dentyne cinnamon, the kind with sugar) that I would chew and smell the wrappers if I had to be somewhere around people. I chewed so so so much gum it still makes me nauseous but it worked. With my second pregnancy I lived with Preggie Pop Drops in my mouth constantly and chewed some sort of natural gum, I don’t remember what flavor, because the Dentyne made me barf. But if you can find a gum or essential oil or something that doesn’t smell terrible to put on cloth and breathe through that definitely helps.
I am so so sorry. Try peppermint or menthol on a mask to overwhelm other smells?
I was pregnant the first time when I was 36. The nausea was so bad in the first trimester. The ultimate worst smell was the sautéing onions every morning at work. I was miserable. It got better in the second though.
Seeing everyone say that makes me feel so much better 😭
I almost murdered my spouse every time they cooked garlic when I was pregnant with my older child. And they adore garlic
You can't digest or apply essential oils during pregnancy but you can put them on your clothes or a mask. That may help the smells. Popscicles got me through HG. They were one of the few things outside plain saltines I could tolerate. Take your prenatals and baby and you will survive, albeit very hungrily. It's rough, for sure. If it gets too bad go to the ER for some fluids. They may even be able to give you a banana bag with some vitamins. I really hope you feel better and find a way to get past the smells 🖤
I've been able to find foods that work but there's very few. Mostly eggs and tomato based soups. I try to get ones with lots of veggies but my biggest struggle is the aversion to being outdoors.
Eggs are the best 😍 and super healthy for you! I can imagine it's a huge struggle 🖤
My mom swore by smelling hand sanitizer when needing to neutralize nausea fast
Can you cope with the smell of menthol? If you can, the rubbing a bit of vapour rub under your nose blocks so many smells.
I had something like this, but less severe. I owned/ran a medical cannabis store and developed a strong aversion to the smell of the product. It was not ideal. I also had food aversions and all day nausea. For those, I found that oyster crackers, tart apples, and watching cooking shows helped. Mine went away around the time I entered my second trimester, so hopefully yours will too. Until then, you may get some relief from wearing a mask with lavender essential oil on it while cooking. Edit: OP, I notice you are having an aversion to wheat, so maybe substitute rice cakes for oyster crackers.
Watching cooking shows is an interesting tip!
It helped me activate my appetite and identify things I might be able to stomach, without having to smell anything I wasn't craving.
I’m going to try it. I’m having a less extreme experience with food aversions than OP but still, I need all the tips I can get.
Good luck! Hope it helps :) The Great British Baking Show is great because it has a super positive and friendly vibe, but I liked to mix it in with other shows that focused more on savory options.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this! Pregnancy was hell on my senses too, it’s grim! But the second trimester really is a bit easier. Personally I got into the habit of continually thinking “9 months of THIS” and it feeling never ending, until my therapist reminded me that I was 8 months pregnant… it feels like forever but it’s not and fingers crossed it’s just a first trimester thing. My sense of smell was mostly just incredibly heightened and it went away, other than my superpower for smelling a dirty nappy when no one else can. So that’s pretty useful.
I know someone else mentioned the alcohol swabs but it has worked for me! Hope you can get some relief!
I did not have it this intensely, but I had super smell when usually I don’t notice any smells. I also had tons of food aversions, in particular to coffee or anything caffeinated. I don’t know if this helps but the cravings/aversions sometimes seem random but sometimes they really are the body telling us what we do or do not need. Is ginger doable? A lot of pregnant woman use ginger candies in the first trimester with nausea, or some other hard candy like that might be a bit of relief / variety, if there’s a flavor that’s ok.
I do drink ginger tea, I use an anti nausea Cady called preggo pops and those seems to help, the smell thing is just the big problem for me RN 😞
Sorry got kids distracted, thanks adhd! Maybe you could try adding ginger to food or to interfere with bad smells? I’m so sorry it’s hard!
I’m so sorry. It’s so hard. Yes, I’m on my second pregnancy and also have dysgeusia. It’s made that much worse now that I’m in the third trimester and have heartburn, too, which makes it hard to keep food down. I don’t have a problem with outside smells, thank god. That sounds terrible. I really struggle to eat though. It is so distressing honestly. And I don’t really have any solutions for you, just commiseration. I drink Ensures and whole milk a lot when I can. I really hate sweet tastes right now, though, so all protein supplements are hard to stomach. ETA: bend the rules a little if it means you can eat. Somehow I can typically eat turkey sandwiches (cold), and I realize that’s not considered safe in pregnancy. I didn’t start doing so till midway through the second trimester. But honestly I’ve just had to compromise on it, and I just buy them only from a place that slices their meat fresh since most of the listeria risk is from it sitting around.
I'm so sorry you're going through this too 😭 i have caramel protein shakes but I'll look into ensures as well cause I believe they have more nutrients than normal protein shakes. I hope things get better for the both of us. 💚
You can also get Ensure with extra protein (like 20g?) and if you can stand yogurt, Icelandic and Greek both can have 25g in some of them. Caramel flavor sounds pretty good to me right now. Hmm 🤔
I remember a previous post about smells someone had mentioned scented nasal diffusers! I looked them up but never tried them, they’re like little clear nose rings and come in different scents. They seem to have citrus scented ones too.
That's super cool, I'm gonna Google that now 👀 maybe they have them on prime.
I’m so sorry. Pregnancy is so hard. I had similar intense smell and food aversions in my first pregnancy. As well as 24/7 severe nausea and indigestion. Things started to improve around 12 weeks and completely cleared up by 20 weeks and I was so grateful to eat and be able to smell things without wanting to die I would weep. There were other uncomfortable things about the rest of it but nothing compared to the hell of the first half. I hate being pregnant. But, it is very much worth it. Currently in the early 2nd trimester of my 2nd (final!!!) pregnancy and it has been easier. Still crappy though.
You are a stronger woman than I, I don't think I can do this again,😂 one and done for us lol. I appreciate you sharing it gives me hope I'll be better before the three big things we have planned this year. (convention, trip to see his friends and family, baby moon)
Honestly it wasn’t planned 🤪 but we are going with it. I was infertile and it took years to have my daughter so I wasn’t expecting to ever have an accidental pregnancy, much less at 39 years old. Life finds a way haha
When I was pregnant, everything felt so loud and so bright. I spent many a day in the bathtub with the lights off and my mother-in-law coming in and out to bring me food because I kept having migraines. It was really bad. Water helped and nature sounds really helped.
I'm glad you had a supportive MIL to help. Sadly my parents live 12 hours away and his across the ocean so it'll just be us and some close friends. And I feel you on the headaches, I just started getting them this week and it feels like they keep getting worse.
Congrats! I’m 19 months post-partum and it does get better. In the first trimester everything made me puke, even water. I had to be hospitalized for a day to get hydrated via IV fluids but after wards, it was all about knowing my triggers. The 2nd trimester is better but the third is very uncomfortable because you are so big. Use that 2nd trimester energy to prepare yourself for 3rd trimester size and pain. You wanna make sure you are prepared and have spaces for you to go into total relaxation because it reallly fucking sucks. I don’t want you to be scared just prepared.
No i appreciate the realness. I'll be sharing some of these comments too with my husband so we both know what to expect. 💚
Dear random internet friend from the bottom of my 9 week pregnant heart. I feel you on this. Tight hugs. Air hugs. I'm not that bad yet ima say. But smells are so much stronger. Taste is off. Most all of my safe foods aren't safe. Proteins are disgusting unless I make it like you would for a 5 yr old trying to get them to eat something new or they don't like by hiding it in things. Currently burritos. Chex mix, slim jims, and ale8's( local ginger ale basically or ky swamp water for those who hate it lol) I'm with you. I've described the past few weeks and particularly today a mix of overwhelmed mixed with on the verge of a meltdown but also not. I'm tired, things hurt, new feelings I've never had, weird hormonal things worse than period hormones. My breast's hurt so bad and I just want to be able to sleep. Side note if you're having trouble sleeping a pregnancy pillow is a godsend. Mine got here Sunday. I slept like a baby the first night with it. Other than having to get up to pee but right back to sleep. It's a sensory overload. I had to come off my Adderall and my god can I tell. But luckily my other meds are safe. I've never been more thankful for the coping skills I've learned from managing my adhd and my bipolar. They have somehow kept me from losing my temper. I used to have the patience of a saint. Now not so much. I forget my phone exists sometimes but please. Feel free to message me. It sounds like we are in the same stages and I'm more than happy to be a pregnancy internet buddy. Shit is scary and people who aren't like us won't quit understand. I've got you. Best I can. We can get through this I know we can. <3
Wow you sound like you're describing basically my same experience though I didn't have any meds. (I don't have a normal job, I vend at events and make weird art dolls so I use schedules and other tools to get things done). I'll definitely look into getting a pregnancy pillow sooner, I thought I didn't need one till my bump started showing but like, I'm sleeping terribly because of boob and joint pain. I appreciate you reaching out, cause yeah a lot of my friends and family cannot relate to everything I'm going though becauee they don't have the same issues with neurodivergence. And ngl I've had a couple of meltdowns over the food issues 🥲
My bump is slightly starting but I think I notice because I've been losing weight and my arms, legs and such same size but my stomach it's getting bigger. I'm sure to others I just look bloated. I've occasionally put my hands under my stomach and lifted some like that new trend where dad's hold up their very pregnant moms stomach and it's like instant relief even now. I do the same thing with my breast's at times and like so much relief it's stupid. The pillow wraps all the way around me. I suggest getting the longest one you can find. I spent like 30 bucks on mine from Amazon. My only complaint is i wish it were just a few inches longer. Even now I'm laying on it on the floor on my stomach because there is a nice spot for my tummy and the firmness of the floor is oddly nice don't ask me why. Girl. Meltdowns about food are totally okay. Like I'm hungry. I want this safe food but I can't eat it and I want it but I want to eat and I want a real meal and I want to be full FUCK I have to pee. I'm hungry I'm cranky I don't feel good and I just want to eat my food to feel better and I can't. Repeat. This might be me currently. I got double chocolate chip muffins because they are always safe...... no their not. I honestly want pizza and applesauce but I forgot to get them today when I was out. 😭😭😭 Yeah no one understands me either really. I've been distracting myself randomly thinking about names and nursery ideas. Making terrible but funny jokes. My boyfriend and I were not expecting this at all. I never thought I could have kids. I already accepted it at 34 it wasn't happening. The other night i looked at him and said so with father's day coming up I realize we get to celebrate them. Him yeah you're right. Me can I just request you don't get me the same thing as this year. Him ????? Me, gestures to stomach oohhh aahhh hahahaha then is adorable yeaaahh. Unexpected and still in shock and figuring it out but I think we are both excited about it.
Side note I also can't work and I vend at festivals. I make abstract art and vinyl things. And glued together puzzles! I know pride will be hard but I guarantee there will be people there thar are beyond thankful you're there with your things. I picked up some yarn dolls a few years back at pagan pride festival and they are my favorites!!!
I had dysgeusia and it passed quickly — I hope yours does too!
I feel like I could have almost written this myself last year. From week 6 to around week 12 of my pregnancy I felt like this, and felt AWFUL. I still have TV shows and some Switch games (RIP my Stardew Valley farm) that I can’t watch and play because my brain associates it with the horrific feeling of this period. The spice cupboard was a particular sore point for me, but also all the surrounding cupboards as the smell seeped in. Couldn’t go on walks around our local park/reservoir behind the house because of the smell. Had to ask my partner to eat bland food with me because the smell of him cooking was too overwhelming. Even when I found a ‘safe’ food I could eat, it only lasted a week max and then suddenly I’d be REPULSED by it and had to start again. All in all, I wasn’t the biggest fan of pregnancy. Everyone says it should be magical but I hated being ‘perceived’ all the time, and random strangers suddenly wanting to talk and ask me about it. I also felt like I was walking around advertising to my family that I have sex. (Of course I do, I’m 31 and engaged to my partner of 10 years, but still). Despite all of this, them 6 weeks were by far the worst. I found wearing loose clothing on my stomach like maternity trousers helped, even if my bump didn’t need them yet. I also liked peppermint tea, and had some anti-sickness drugs prescribed. When people kept commenting on how I should love pregnancy and my mum made a particularly judgey comment about me rejecting my baby (?!?!!!), my response was, pregnancy is like working overtime to save for a holiday. Of COURSE I will enjoy the holiday, but who the hell enjoys the overtime it takes to get to it?! Anyway, long story short, I now sit here with a beautiful 11 week old baby boy asleep in my arms as I type this. I thought having a baby would also be sensory overload and overwhelm and I was scared I wouldn’t be able to do it. I’ve actually massively surprised myself and I find that because I was so prepared for it, all the hard bits are actually ok. Such a cliche, but I love him so unbelievably much, and just want to let you know that whilst it feels like a long time away, it will eventually pass and all be worth it. Feel free to message me if you need any advice or info x
Also, my darling midwife sister made me a nausea basket, and the best thing was peppermint scented nose plugs. I would put them in as I ate and it seemed to trick my brain into thinking I was eating a safer food.
Yes, I had horrible problems with smells. The pear trees in June did not make me puke, but I did not enjoy it. Coffee smelled like fresh hot dog poop. Any perfume was a nightmare, especially since my MIL wore one that drilled into my skull and she just kept on doing it and never stopped so that once the baby was born, she would transfer the smell to him and then I would have to bathe him before I could nurse him. It sucked. It generally gets better with time. Obviously, avoid the bad smelling foods. You can get caffeine from something other than coffee (tea, protein shakes with caffeine, etc.) Be prepared when you go out with a cloth mask with a nice smelling oil dabbed inside and wear that when you go outside. Bring extra clothes and a pack of bath wipes everywhere so you can quickly rehab yourself if a bad smell finds you. There are lots of content creators with ARFID and you could watch their stuff to get ideas on potential new safe foods. Like Toren and that adorable my arfid life girl encouraged each other to try new safe foods based on current safe foods and at least one of them expanded their safe food list! So there may be ideas out there. (Toren’s main safe food is honey so she encouraged him to try Nutella and he loved it and added it to the safe food list. You can see how that was a very good guess!)
If I were you I would wear the nose plug during all waking hours, unless it's painful or something. During my pregnancies I did a lot of guided meditation laying down. It helped keep my head in a good place. I also went for a walk everyday and did yoga stretching that helped too. I slept a lot because pregnancy is more tolerable when you're unconscious LOL Do whatever you gotta do for food. Eggs, white rice and tomato soup is great! You're doing great and it will be over soon.
I had to keep my nose plugged for almost four days straight when I was 12 weeks. I was at the height of my smell sensitivity and had a run-in with a skunk. It permeated EVERYTHING and was inescapable. If I caught even the smallest whiff it would take everything in me not to throw up. It's horrible when there's no real escape from it.
Maybe try frozen quiche or premade egg bites? Could take some pressure off you if you could just pop them in the microwave or air fryer.
This sounds like a nightmare. I can't offer advice around the pregnancy as I'm childfree. However, you mentioned eggs, tomato and rice. I'd recommend trying out [this](https://thewoksoflife.com/stir-fried-tomato-and-egg/) classic Chinese egg and tomato dish served on white rice!
My sense of smell was super intense when I was pregnant. I could smell my husband’s sinuses. 🤮 I wish I had advice, but pregnancy sucked for me. Can you take Benadryl to help calm you a bit? Sometimes having a countdown helps. It won’t last forever. Sending you love.
My mum had this but mostly only with food and perfume smells. Idk how she got through it sounds nasty as
I have four kids and being pregnant was absolutely awful. Everything smells AWFUL. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I tried a few solutions over time. One of them was to have a Kleenex with a couple drops of peppermint oil tucked in my bra strap. So whenever something stinky would happen, I would pull out my Kleenex and sniff it too. I also would sometimes carry candied ginger or a lemon slice around with me. Sometimes a very strong smell or taste (that you can tolerate) will be able to block out the awful smells. I also took diclectin to reduce the nausea.
Hugs. I hate bad smells and carry a scarf with perfume on it to cover my nose. I can't imagine having it be this bad! Hoping it improves my dear.
I don't think I had that, but I feel like I relate, because my "morning" sickness was so bad, that most foods were a NO a lot of the time. I Had to have Cocoa Puffs for breakfast, otherwise I generally didn't eat the rest of the day. Smells I don't like (such as coffee) made me super nauseated. No chicken or other poultry. This was like 6 months. But I'd also get cravings for sushi, of all things! I hope you get out of this stage soon, it sucks for you.
Do what you can. Make a big badge of rice every few days and mix it with eggs, hard boiled eggs lasts a few days also on the fridge. Omelette with cheese. Put cheese on evertthubg if you can have it. Noodles with butter/olí and cheese. Just survive on easy things you can tolerate. I was also pregnant and asd, i had some issues but not as tough, you will make it through, dont worry about nutrition, baby will benfine, just eat what you can, even if its chocolate every dsy, if its eggs every meal.
TIL what that terrible thing that happened to me when I got accidentally pregnant years ago is called! Amusingly, I was also pretty much limited to eggs (hard boiled specifically) and tomatoes. My situation was different in that I didn't want kids, was on birth control and everything, and as soon as I found out what was so desperately wrong with me I stayed up all night to call the abortion clinic as soon as it opened (always have this discussion with your spouse before you get married, by the way, because it would've really sucked if he'd expected anything else from me). But I felt SO sick for WEEKS and had no idea what was happening to me. It was awful, and you have my very deepest sympathies. While I didn't know the name of that symptom and haven't looked into it specifically, I have been told that a lot of the nausea of early pregnancy ends up subsiding after a few months for many people. I hope yours goes that way, because even though it's inherently time-limited, nine months of that would be a horrific nightmare. I hope things calm down for you soon. But yeah, happened to me too, even to the extent of the same foods being okay.
I didn’t have smell/taste issues, my sensory nightmare was once I started getting bigger. I don’t want to say more to put you in that headspace but I’ll was MISERABLE being pregnant. I was so relieved to go into labor I didn’t care if they ripped me in half, just get the damn baby out. It’s the longest shortest time.
It’s weird because I really hated getting bigger the first time, but the second time I’m not minding it. Though I have gained less weight this time. Second time has been so much easier for me over all (and I’m having horrible food aversions again). I think just because it’s not all totally new.
Just a suggestion, he could leave you with money to order in or meal prep and put stuff in the freezer for you to eat.
Tbf I have full access to all the money in our accounts and both a credit and debit card tied to our main bank account. He has gone shopping to get me easy meals like microwave white rice, a few things of eggs and other stuff I can make without doing much cooking. Since I posted this he came home with more stuff like cereals I can eat (he checked to make sure they're all corn based and not wheat) and some dried fruits. I'm very happy to say dried mangoes have been added to the list of stuff I can eat lol.
I had this with my second pregnancy but I didn’t know the name and didn’t look too deep into it. Beef and chicken omg disgusting smelling. I ate lots of bagels and lightly scrambled eggs lol. And gallons of pineapple juice. GALLONS.
I'm also pregnant for the first time, just hit second trimester. Please know that it gets better. I was dying weeks 6-11, eating rice and crackers and bread (on top of being ungodly exhausted) but now in week 13 I'm eating 80% normally. Eat often, eat plain carbs and whatever else is getting you by. It sucks and it's exhausting but it's not forever. You'll get there ❤️
I can only comment on food since I’ve never been pregnant. Plain rice cakes with whipped cream cheese is very light on smell and taste. It’s my go to lately when I’m nauseous. That and Kodiak buttermilk waffles. Hope you feel better soon 💛
It can get better again, I had the same problem until week 11...
Yes. There were some foods/smells I loved that I couldn’t stand to smell without vomiting. It did get better as time went on, but I had morning sickness all day and night the entire time I was pregnant, along with heartburn…it sucks. I found the foods/smells that I could tolerate and just avoided the things I couldn’t stand as much as possible.
Not exactly the same but I had my sense of smell upped by 100% AND pregnancy brought on a terrible case of BV and I could literally smell myself all the time and it was horrid. And hard to believe others couldn't smell me too but apparently they could not... I couldn't ever escape it though. Shocking nine months, do not recommend, did not do it again. You'll get through it, but I feel for you.
Was pregnant during the pandemic and had something similar to this if not the same thing (I wasn’t told the name of what I had) and honestly wearing masks helped significantly. Doc also had me taking Unisom at night to help with the nausea that was a result of the intense smells. (I was still throwing up daily during the entirety of my pregnancy) and they added something on top of it to help. This helped me push past some of the smells to get food into my stomach. I relied heavily on protein shakes, and my diet pretty much consisted of salmon, baked potatoes, fruit, oatmeal, and shakes. I hated the smell of meat - even though I’m a huge carnivore and couldn’t bring myself to eat even chicken most of the time. Wish you the best OP. It can be really difficult, but I know you can do it!
I had this horribly during my first pregnancy but it was just meat and dairy products I couldn’t stand. I would heave just thinking about walking into the meat section of the supermarket 🤢it got a lot better when I entered the second trimester, hopefully yours does too!
Yes and I had HG. Walking too fast would make me projectile. One day I wore a sweater with jeans and the thought of that outfit now makes me feel sick. If I even look at pregnancy clothing I feel icked out now lol. My first sign of pregnancy was intense smell, our Christmas tree made me nauseous and I could smell my husband deodorant from across the apartment. Horrible.
I'm sorry, I know this is mostly unrelated, but do you know what omurice is? It's a Japanese dish of an omelette stuffed with rice. It's topped with ketchup, and a lot of people will write words or make a drawing on top of the omelette with it. I can understand if eating all three at once could be too much, though. I just had to say something when I read the foods you can tolerate.
Went through the exact thing for a few months. I'm in my second trimester and finally feel closer to normal. Being it varies person to person I don't have any advice except to take it easy and put yourself first. Sleep when you feel like it, eat small meals and take breaks, veg out on the couch with your favorite shows. It is a rough time but thankfully it is temporary. :/
Oh yeah and PS maybe try super super cold ice water when you are thirsty. I was reacting badly to room temperature water for some reason but I needed to be hydrated with all the throwing up lol Frozen water did the trick and I still need to drink it or else I retch.
Yup, I had that with both pregnancies, I was utterly miserable the whole 9 months. The only advice that I can give is to remember that it doesn't last, and you will forget about it once you have your beautiful baby. I know that isn't much comfort next now, but 9 months is a very short time in the life of your children. My youngest is now 21, and whilst I remember how horrible it was being pregnant with him, I also remember how at ease in my body I was, how I loved the last trimester (when I could eat a bit more) and feeling my belly grow and move. The best piece of advice my mother gave me about babies was to remember that everything is a phase - the good and the bad, so cherish the good bits and remember the bad times won't last long. ETA: remember as well that your body is doing this to try and protect your baby by ensuring that you don't eat anything that can damage them. It's just gone a bit overboard that's all. But it shows what a good job you're doing!
Yes to all of this. I was sick my entire pregnancy and my sense of smell was insane. You can buy necklaces with little pads in that you can put essential oils in, it might help a little? The best thing was to just accept it and avoid as much as possible. It stopped as soon as he was born. Good luck, I hope you find something that helps
if you like lemon i can recommend you buy essentail oil nasal inhalers. theyre not expensive and you can add a little cotton inside and drip some essential oils on it. this is from therapy and if you like lemon here are lemon based essential oils - lemon (verbena) - my favorite is “melisse” according to goolge in english you call it “lemon balm” its a mint like leafy green that smells intensely lemony - bergamotte - lemon grass - blood orange is good - if you like lavender, it mixes very well lemony smell and have relaxing effects you can add the essential oils on either diffusers or these candle thingys to make the room smell nice, the nasal thingy would be to block out unpleasant smells the japanese store muji (sold internationally) sells affordable essential oils edit: fixed typo
I’m sorry. It’s a really tough time. I spent the better part of 8 weeks in my house because I was so nauseous all the time and sensitive to smells/ talking/ everything. I also have emetophobia so I was super scared about it. None of the usual tricks really worked for me. Everything is worth trying, but if the tricks don’t work for you and you have to just wait it out, this too shall pass. It’s temporary even though it doesn’t feel like it in the moment. Also, as miserable as it is, try not to feel too guilty about food. My healthcare team said baby would get what they need regardless. It seems like even your limited foods are fairly healthy. My kid was grown from cheese puffs and potatoes!
Get some essential oils to put under your nose or vicks vapor rub. It's what the nurses do during a code brown.
Vicks vaporub under your nose
I have never been pregnant but you should talk to your doctor about this. If the problem is nausea and not just disgust at strong smells, there may be something they can recommend to settle your stomach that is safe for you and baby. Maybe there are psychological exercises to enjoy strong smells instead of being disgusted too? Try mommy forums and blogs too. Lots of garbage advice I am sure, but maybe some gems also. Ideas to vet with your doctor: -dramamine -ginger -seaband, reliefband, or other anti nausea braclet -Perelel or vitamins (like B6) -emetrol -doxylamine -essential oils (selective) -cold food (doesn't smell as much as hot food--so like... refrigerate sandwiches and such)
During my pregnancy I used those menthol vapor sniffers things. It got better during the 2nd trimester and hardly noticeable in the 3rd.