SURPRISE CHANGES

New moms tell us how their senses of smell and/or taste have changed while pregnant...

“I used to love my fiancé’s sweaty smell– I absolutely loved it when he’d come back from a workout. But then all of a sudden I hated it; his armpits or anyone’s armpits – it was nauseating. And I could smell paint or petrol at the office before anyone else. It didn’t make me vomit, just infinitely more aware of my surroundings.” ~ Jecel Austria, architect and mom of one boy

“I’ve always had a strong sense of smell, but one of the first clues I might be pregnant was that everything was strong smelling. I had to run to the bathroom on quite a few occasions. Once I even got sick in the sink while washing my hands, just because the soap smell was so powerful.” ~ Carmen Kapeta, teacher, expecting her first baby in October “Eggs were my biggest issue with this last pregnancy. I could usually eat them any time of the day, but when I fell pregnant, I could even smell if someone had used eggs in the cake they’d made. I’d feel like I was eating them raw.”

~ Lydia Oyier, restaurant manager and mom of three girls

“My husband would have to shower twice a day because I’d feel nauseous at the scent of his skin, and washing powder was also a huge deal. I had to find something that didn’t have a strong scent.” ~ Melissa Fourie, makeup artist and mom of one boy

“My sense of taste hasn’t changed, but my sense of smell has gotten stronger for sure – if someone has been sitting in my chair at work and they had a burger with onions on it for lunch, I can smell that long after they’re gone!” ~ Jessica Funk, hair stylist and mom of one boy