If you've noticed a new vagina smell pregnancy made happen — or at least, you swear it did — you're not wrong. This can be due to hormonal changes; your pH levels can be affected by estrogen, progesterone and prolactin. And these can cause brand-new vagina smells.
Increased blood flow to your vagina and changing levels of pregnancy hormones, like estrogen, progesterone and prolactin can affect your pH level and cause new smells. Postpartum vaginal odor is common.
While pregnant, a fishy odor either in your urine or vaginal discharge is a potential sign of a urinary tract infection or BV. Left untreated, the condition could lead to preterm birth or low birth weight. Following childbirth, the development of a fishy vaginal odor may be from a postpartum infection.
Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) is an uncommon condition that causes an unpleasant, fishy smell. It's also called "fish odour syndrome". Sometimes it's caused by faulty genes that a person inherits from their parents, but this isn't always the case. There's currently no cure, but there are things that can help.
Your super-keen sense of smell should diminish by the end of the first trimester, around the time morning sickness usually fades, and as your hormones stabilize.
Treatment for an imbalanced pH involves making changes to your diet, increasing physical activity, drinking more water, and more intensive treatments to improve seriously low or high pH levels.
Smelly discharge during pregnancy
If it is the hormones causing the smelly discharge when pregnant, then this will likely go away on its own once your baby is born. In the meantime, it is a good idea to wear loose fitting, cotton underwear and avoid perfumed soap to best prevent the smell.
Popular alkaline drinks include water, dairy, some juices, some teas, and almond milk.
BV is a bacterial infection that occurs when your healthy lactobacilli get out of balance and grow too much. Symptoms include thin vaginal discharge that has a strong fishy smell and a little itching or burning when you urinate. BV is treated with an antibiotic.
Why? Because as strange as it might sound, moms-to-be are known to have an uncanny sense of smell—in fact, it's often one of the first signs of pregnancy. So if you're suddenly gagging at the scent of garlic or ground beef (or can't even stomach a simple stroll through the grocery store), you might just be expecting.
Vaginal odor can be caused by diet, sweating, menstruation, or pregnancy. It can sometimes also be caused by infections like bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis.
Bacterial vaginosis is an overgrowth of bacteria typically present in the vagina. It's a common vaginal condition that can cause vaginal odor. Trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted infection, also can lead to vaginal odor. A yeast infection usually doesn't cause vaginal odor.
Many women become concerned that other people can detect the odor around their vulva and vagina. In reality, women are most sensitive to their own odor, and it's very unlikely that others who don't have intimate contact with them can smell it.
Semen can also upset your vaginal pH balance. A healthy vagina is normally acidic, while healthy sperm are alkaline, which can throw off the balance of bacteria in your vagina.
BV is a result of an imbalance of “good” and “harmful” bacteria in a vagina. Douching, not using condoms, and having new or multiple sex partners can upset the normal balance of vaginal bacteria, increasing your risk for getting BV.
Cranberry juice
Compounds in cranberries could balance the vagina's pH level, and its acidic property helps fight bacteria that cause infections. Just read the label and buy pure cranberry juice without added sugar.
"Sex sometimes leads to BV if your partner's natural genital 'chemistry' changes the balance of bacteria in your vagina and causes the bacteria associated with BV to grow,” Dean explains. “If you have BV, your sexual partner(s) with a penis generally does not need treatment for BV.
Drinking lots of clean, pure water is a good way to restore your pH balance. It is also a good idea to introduce more whole plants food into your diet that are cooked at home.
The easy and accurate way to measure your pH level is by using pH urine strips. HealthyWiser pH Test Strips provide a convenient method for you to monitor your pH levels in the privacy of your own home and get fast results.