Pregnancy is such a beautiful, magical time in a woman's life. Your body is creating life and you get to share that joy with your partner, family and friends. But along with the excitement, come some… unexpected smells. Yep, we're talking about pee smell.
Now before you start feeling embarrassed or ashamed - let us just clear the air: pregnancy pee can be smelly. It's nothing to be ashamed of; it's just something that happens when you're growing another human being inside of you. So let’s dive deeper into pregnancy pee smells...
The Science Behind Pregnancy Pee Smells
Before we talk about what causes pregnancy pee smells, let’s first take a look at how urine is made.
Urine is made up of water and waste products from the kidneys filtering out toxins from our bloodstreams....zzzzz….sorry I dosed off there for a bit! But don't worry folks we'll spare ourselves further scientific snooze-fest by getting straight to the point: during pregnancy there are significant hormonal changes happening (we know right? who would have thought?) which cause fluctuations in estrogen levels which in turn affect how strong or pungent your urine may smell.
For example, if your body produces more hCG hormone during pregnancy this can make your urine appear cloudy due to increased protein content - hence why pregnant women are encouraged to drink more fluids than usual as well as bladder training exercises like Kegels help build pelvic muscles capable of holding larger volumes of urine...
What Exactly Makes it Stink?
Okay not so fast now comrades..it turns out that even though hormones play a huge part in making preggo pees more 'fragrant'- there’s actually other factors too!
One study conducted showed an increase in intake of foods rich in sulfur amino-acids caused subject's urine to become increasingly foul odored over time. Such foods include cauliflower, cabbage, onions and eggs to name a few.
Additionally, some smells are even impossible for pregnant women themselves to differentiate from the outside world! For instance, many expectant mothers report being able to smell their own placentas (which hold your baby) when they come out during childbirth - while simultaneously not realizing how bad their pee actually is!
Is There Anything I Can Do To Reduce The Smell?
Freaking out about smelling like a public restroom is definitely NOT something you should be doing in addition to growing human beings inside of you - there IS good news my friends: No matter what level of funkiness we’re talking about here; there are ways in which you can decrease or eliminate unwanted odors wafting around your private parts (shudders).
- Frequent Changes: The longer urine stays in contact with skin the more likely it becomes that bacteria will start breeding on it which leads us all yes – smelly discharge as well other unfortunate conditions….Make sure you have no interest at all in getting up close and personal with ye-old undies after changing them frequently every day!
- Good Hygiene Habits: AKA wash yourself often...this may sound straight forward but yep just one enough way to help keep everything (including peeing smells) under control.
- Watch Your Diet/Fluid Intake: Avoid or limit known offenders such as spicy or heavily processed food items whilst maintaining high intake of fluid - this aids flushing toxins quicker leading less hangtime within urinary track
- Alternative Protection? We get asked this wise question regularly so allow us enlighten thy mind ! Many women opt wearing period pads between dry clean pairs underwear leading absorption keeping fresh until next swap
When Should I Talk To My Doctor?
If fear persists about unexpected pregnancy pees affecting daily living activities ; couples find trouble becoming intimate, upping responsibility of housekeeping activities or cannot maintain general hygiene then it’s time to approach skilful healthcare professionals:
Your doctor can run tests which determine any underlying issues that might be contributing to urinary tract infections [UTIs] and offer diagnosis accordingly. Sometimes UTI symptoms may come across as sexually transmitted ones hence best practice to seek a professional if unsure!
Conclusion
So there you have it folks; while yes - pregnancy pee can indeed smell, the reasons behind such odorous fumes don’t necessarily need medical intervention. Practice good hygiene, pay attention to diet/fluid intake , look at alternative options for keeping yourself clean…all these strategies should help reduce if not eliminate unwanted smells quickly.
And remember - this is nothing new moms haven't dealt with before! Even though having people inside you cooking from scratch makes one (ahem) rather pungent smelling in nature , we promise once BABY arrives – smelly urine will be last thing gnawing away at those brain cells.
We hope we were successful in helping allay potential future worries regarding smell concern!. And of course please feel free pass on all valuable information onto loved ones or preggo friends 🙂
Stay golden (and hygienic!), lovely readers.