Aversion to husband's smell - help!

[SpringCrane]

I can't stand the way my husband smells. Before I was pregnant, I always loved his smell. I had really strong smell aversions in the first trimester, but this one is sticking around still. =/ We used to sleep cuddled up all night, and now I have to be on the very opposite edge facing away from him. It's making it really difficult for me to want to be intimate. My sex drive is pretty low as it is, but even when I do feel like it, I really struggle with my stupid nose!

Any ideas? He showers each night after his run and before dinner. I'm thinking maybe it's related to me smelling dinner on him? He of course brushes his teeth before going to bed. If I think there's a chance of me having energy to have sex, I ask him to use mouthwash... it barely helps. Ugh. I've mentioned it to him (back when I had smell aversions to everything), and while I know he understands it's not something I can help, I can tell it hurts his feelings. I don't know what to do! I can't handle hating the way he smells until July! (And it better darn well go away after this baby comes!) I don't even want to kiss him anymore. This makes me so sad... I love him to pieces!

Help!!

 

[Abigail8673]

Same problem. Mine got a little better by about 19 weeks. My OH felt pretty sad too but he got over it lol

 

[MiraclesHappn]

I'm glad its not just me!! I feel so bad but I constantly notice his shoes smell awful, and his breath, and BO. Ugh. I tell him sometimes but I feel bad so I try and keep to myself but I also have a hard time laying with him or kissing him. It's even worse cause he works nights so I go wake him up when I get off work and that's when he smells the worst :-/ I spent a couple hours reading on the internet about the best ways to get rid of shoe smell. Needless to say his work boots ended up being smothered in baking soda and spent the night in my freezer this weekend

 

[MomPepperdine]

Just kinda get him some nice guy body spray and maybe that will help? My dh hardly wears it but when he does it helps my sex drive that's really low too

 

[LilMamaCG]

OMG! lolololol if he is fresh out the shower its fine...but once the day is half way over...i'm like ok, someone needs another shower. n those shoes and feet! it has gotten a lot better tho. but those first 14 wks were hard!

 

[AllieM]

I love this becuase I have the same issue. For some reason my hubby always smells like garlic (even within minutes of getting out of the shower). I've had a real aversion to garlic since pregnant! I feel bad when I tell him that, poor guy!

 

[Fortune Cooki]

I like DH to be fresh out of the shower but cannot stand strong fragrance. In my opinion it's not good to be breathing in strong fragrance anyway. I asked him to stop using Axe deodorant, because it was just giving me a headache! The attraction to someones natural body smell is a science in and of itself. A few years ago I read up on how ones attraction to someone via smell can change based on hormones. Especially if a lady is taking birth control and then goes off of them. You may end up not being as attracted to the smell of your partner. I've noticed how different ethnic groups have specific smells. I used to travel and live overseas. I have a feeling that diet plays a good part in it, but wouldn't say it's all due to diet. I tend to wonder what my DH thinks of my smell. I think pregnant ladies also end up smelling different due to the hormonal change.

 

[qpaulina42]

me too. poor hubby.
Years ago when I was in college I did a research project on sexual selection in humans. There was some research back then to indicate that when we are not pregnant or on the pill (which can mimic a pregnancy) we find a certain male smell attractive, the smell of the men we might want to mate with, they are usually as genetically distinct from us as possible. Then when we are pregnant we tend to find a completely different smell 'pleasant', which is usually the smell of close relatives. Anyway, not sure if that was ever confirmed but I am reminded of this during pregnancy when I find husband 'icky'.

ETA: oops, just noticed Fortune Cooki already talked about this.

 

[Amberyll23]

My sense of smell is always ultra sensitive when pregnant. Last pregnancy with my DD I ran around the house for a solid week looking for the source of what I swore were dirty socks/shoes, drove me crazy!!

MY DHs smell has not as of yet put me off, but dinner smells that linger drive me crazy. And certain perfumes. Before my DD, I would wear my favorite perfume every day--and every day since she was born and into this pregnancy, I can't stand it. I feel bad, because DH bought me a full bottle of it for my Bday, and it has sat unopened! Hopefully after this little lady is here, I can wear it again!

So it is not your fault, it is part of being pregnant. All you can do is assure him that it is not him, it is your pregnancy nose, and it should get better!