Why does smell increase during pregnancy

Is there anything an expectant mom can do to tame the effects of her new bloodhound-like schnozz? Bohn recommends avoiding strong smells and doing the things that minimize morning sickness. What else can you do? Try washing your clothes often since odors cling to fibers , switch to unscented cleaners and toiletries and surround yourself with the scents that you still like. Lighter scents like lemon and mint might help quell your nausea. Like many early pregnancy symptoms , a superhuman sense of smell usually recedes in the second trimester.

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Most Common Pregnancy Symptoms. The hippocampus was smaller in pregnant rats, and also related to deficits in spatial memory. No studies have imaged the brains of pregnant woman to examine potential changes in the human hippocampus, though. Some have postulated that sleep deprivation or the new-found stress of dealing with a major life change could contribute to absentmindedness during pregnancy. Stay tuned for Pregnancy Brain: Part 2, which will cover clumsiness, cravings, and moodiness.

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More about Pregnancy Morning sickness. Already subscribed? Log in. For instance, scientists have hypothesized that for some women, this heightened sense of smell can trigger morning sickness. One study even found that women born without a sense of smell anosmia don't suffer from morning sickness when pregnant. Who knew? As with so many pregnancy symptoms, when it comes to your keener sense of smell, you can once again blame those pregnancy hormones.

In this case, estrogen can make every little scent that wafts your way feel like an all-out assault on your nostrils. You can't cut off your nose, but you can try to avoid scents that drive you crazy especially those that ramp up your nausea and other pregnancy symptoms. Some strategies to try:. This is one of those mom-to-be experiences you'll have to wait out until the later months or after your baby is born.

Think of it as your very own pregnancy superpower! For many women, sensitivity to strong and sometimes icky smells starts to subside fairly quickly and early in pregnancy. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations.

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