Conference moira::parenting

    Yes!  I couldn't stand the smell of mint when I was pregnant.  It made
    me so sick everytime I smelled it.  My boyfriend always carried minty
    breath spray and seemed to always have the need to use it whenever we
    were in close quarters (i.e. the car).  I couldn't stand it!  To this
    day (my son just turned 2 last week) I still cannot stand the smell of
    mint.
    
    Lori B.

    It's funny you should bring up this subject. I am pregnant right now
    and almost from the day I found out I was pregnant to today, I have
    had a terrible problem with smells. Its the only part of the pregnancy
    that bothers me. The aversions are so severe with me that my husband
    and I have had to spend alot of money making things smell different.
    
    All of a sudden I could no longer drive my car, I thought the gas fumes
    were going to kill me. We paid almost $200 to have something done to
    the gas tank, but it still didn't work for me. I now drive my husbands
    car which doesn't bother me.
    
    I have also had to have a couple of rooms in my house repainted because
    I could smell a primer that was put under the paint over a year ago,
    I ask people all the time when they come in the house if they could
    smell it and they say no, it really drives me nuts.
    
    I made my husband put a new wax ring under the toilet, which involved
    taking the whole toilet up from the floor, I complained that their were
    fumes comin up from the floor that made me sick.
    
    I also can't stand my expensive perfume. I was a coffee addict and that
    makes me ill now. We just moved to a new DEC site and I can't stand the
    smell of our building. There is some kind of disinfectant here that
    really makes me sick. Also, one night I went to visit my husband in the
    town he works in and the first words to come out of my mouth were,
    "Oh honey, Tewksbury smelled!!" We both laughed, but it was true.
    
    The only food now that still makes me shudder even to think of it, is
    Honey mustard!! Don't ask me where this aversion came from, I never
    even
    ate it before I was pregnant, but the sight, and thought of it make me
    sick and I could never imagine eating it.
    
    Its been a tough four months, but everyone says its worth it. 
    
    This smell thing was getting to my husband so much that he ended up
    calling my DR. to see if there was some kind of operation I could have.
    Luckily the nurse just listened to him and laughed and he didn't waste
    the Drs time by talking to him, but I actually think hubby was serious.
    
    Just thought I would share this, really, the bad smells have brought me
    to tears on some days.
    
    Good Luck,
    
    Debbie

    In my case it is food, Pizza.   Before I became pregnant, I would eat
    pizza by the truck load, I loved it so much.   I could not eat it
    during my pregnancy without getting sick.   I was looking forward
    to having some after, but unfortunately, I still cannot eat it, I don't
    know why I turned against my favourite food.
    
    
    Bernie
    

    For me, it was the other way around...
    
    I NEVER liked Blue Cheese dressing.  When I was pregnant with my
    second child, I couldn't get enough of it and I still love it!
    
    She's now almost 6 years old.  

    Mine isn't something I loved, but I have always loved the smell of a
    clean house.  When I was pregnant I couldn't use Pins-Sol.  My husband
    used it once and I was sick for 2 days and ended up in the hospital on
    Iv's for fluids.  To this day I have to leave the house when my mom
    cleans.  Even the slightest sent of it will make me ill.
    
    virginia

    
    I remember my husband getting up one saturday while I was pregnant and
    making this wonderful breakfast of pancakes,  I was gagging with the
    smell, we had to open all of the windows in the house, it was really
    bad.  
    
    Lisa

    I loved corn...could eat a plateful.  HATED it when I was pregnant!
    My husband used to give it to me anyway to get some vitamins...I 
    don't like alot that's good for me!  I would just push it around!
    Also the very thought of hotdogs and kielbasa made me sick...doctor
    said good...these things aren't good anyway.  I am back to my usual
    taste buds now.

    With my first child, I had to stop eating in the cafeteria.  All the
    mingling smells made me want to wretch.  With subsequent pregnancies,
    smells didn't bother me as much.
    
    A lady I work with said her husband had to empty the dishwasher because
    she couldn't stand the smell.  I think she said it made her want to
    pass out...
    
    

I love steamed mussels always have.  Im only 3 months pregnant but in the past
month Ive had the opportunity to have mussels twice and both times I stopped 
after the first one.  They just didnt taste the same.

Maureen

    Here's a strange one....can't say I used to love it but for
    the first few months everytime I looked at anything the color
    'red' I'd get nauseous.....All my red clothes were hid in
    the back of my closet.....strange, huh?
    
    Kristen

There was a dish in a particular restaurant I used to love, until I was
pregnant with Elise.  All of a sudden, I couldn't even drive past the
restaurant.

A year after her birth, I tried eating it again.  I could keep it down, but
I've never eaten at that restaurant since...

Pat

    There are two of our Compact Disc's that my husband bought when I was
    first pregnant.  They made me sick just listening to them.  To this day
    I can not listen to them.  If I hear any of the songs from them on the
    radio I have to change the station...FAST.
    
    There was also this one sweater my husband wore alot that I made him
    get rid of.  Whenever I saw it I woud be sick.
    
    Everything smelt different and most things smelt/tasted really gross to
    me.  However, I did obtain a taste for ham and tuna which I never
    really liked.  Afterwards I went back to not liking it again.
    
    I think this subject is interesting.  I wonder why things are just
    different when pregnant?
    
    Kathy
    

    When does this aversion to sights, sounds, and smells typically kick
    in? At five months, my wife hasn't turned against anything yet....
    
    Mike

    
    Ahhhh...Mike...she's saving up all those raging hormones...and sometime
    soon she's going to *pounce* on you, verbally tearing you limb from
    limb......
    
    Just kidding...
    
    My wife likes a glass of wine at the end of the day, she had
    absolutely no interest in it during her whole pregnancy. She tried a
    glass at 3 months, thinking it was what she wanted, but the taste and
    the smell didn't agree with her.
    
    Chris
    
    

    Maple syrup.  I used to love it on pancakes and waffles and such, but
    when I was pregnant I couldn't stand it.  I would even have dreams
    about maple syrup, and while asleep I felt that I could smell it and
    felt nauseous.  Even now (Johnathan's 21 months) I still get turned off
    by it.

    OK it's my turn, I adore that first cup of coffee, still do.  But while
    pregnant I still had the desire, but could barely handle half of a very
    small cup.  I ended up pouring half a cup of coffee, adding equal
    amounts of milk and water.  It was more like milk water, with a vague
    coffee flavor.
    
    With AJ we were living with my inlaws.  MIL is a real great cook,
    trouble was her spagetti sauce.  She made it with (Ithink) pork meat or
    bones.  Every time without fail I would be up by midnight worshiping
    the porceline god!  I've had her sauce since with no problem, but do
    still have some problem with roast pork occationally.
    
    Cravings were for chocolate-inparticular TWIX bars, I also became
    addicted to Tobin's blueberry muffins and cranapple juice with lots of
    ice.  none of which I care for when not pregnant.
    
    Lyn

>    When does this aversion to sights, sounds, and smells typically kick
>    in? At five months, my wife hasn't turned against anything yet....
    
Mike,

	My wife has had two 9+ month pregnancies, and, as far as I know, 
never experienced what is being described in here.  So it may not happen to 
your wife either.

Frank

    What Luck!!!!!
    
    	I was two months pregnant when I went to the doctor to get some
    thing for this stomach flu I couldn't shake.  That was when I found out
    I was pregnant.  I guess my aversions started from the word go.
    
    virginia

    With my first pregnancy, chicken in any form made me gag.
    After Nicole was born, I could eat chicken again (lucky for me - a
    friend of mine brought over a chicken casserole :-) ).
    
    With my second pregnancy almost EVERYTHING tasted awful.  I have an
    incredible sweet tooth, and even sweets tasted awful.  Meat always
    tasted spoiled.  I lived on anything with tomatoes, and pineapple juice.
    I also had to avoid the cafeteria because of the smells, and couldn't
    stand the smell of ANY perfume.
    
    Sure is strange !

    Gee, mine never went away!  My husband used to wear Lagerfeld cologne.
    I started to get sick from it, and still cannot tolerate the smell. A
    man walked by me in NYC the other day and was wearing it...I almost got
    sick!
    I also was extremely sensitive to the smell of deep-fat frying, and the
    taste of deep-fried foods.  The only things I can tolerate still are
    french fries, fried dough, and shrimp.  
    This all started when I was 1 month pregnant, and is still going on
    now, 3 years later!  The deep-fried thing came in handy when trying to
    lose those remaining pounds, but it's really annoying sometimes.
    Especially when I have to leave a restaurant when the smell gets too
    strong...my poor husband has had many a meal by himself in a
    restaurant, while my dinner was packed "to go".
    Sarah  

    
    
    	I had to ask my husband to change deoderant when I was pregnant -
    the smell of his made me queasy, even though I never really had any
    morning sickness!  He went back to his old deoderant and the smell
    doesn't bother me any more.
    
    	I didn't like ANYTHING sweet, except chocolate.  I couldn't eat
    spaghetti sauce out of the jar because it was TOO SWEET.  This
    sweet-aversion has stuck (but I still love chocolate.)
    
    	And I CRAVED cranberries!  ANYTHING with craberries was great - and
    I HATED cranberries before this!  Still like cranberries- I'm waiting
    for Thanksgiving to come so I can stock up on fresh cranberries (they
    freeze well.)
    
    	Justine
    

    When I was pregnant, I suddenly hated coffee, and the smell of what
    was  my favorite perfume gagged me big time!  Coffee, I love again,
    but  never never  could I stand that perfume.  Oh yeah, it was Tabu!
    blech!  I also developed a craving for raw carrots and vinegar, kind
    of a carrot salad. THAT made a guy I worked with sick!  I also started
    loving fresh vegetables, salads, etc.  This guy used to say, "If
    you keep eating like that you're gonna get healthy or something!"
    I had previously been famous at the office for being  a junk food
    junkie.
    
    memories!  That was ten years ago!
    
    Kim
    

    When I was pregnant I gave up drinking coffee but occasionally would
    drink a cup of decaffinated coffee.  I could not stand the taste of
    decaffinated coffee but now that I am not pregnant I can only tolerate
    the taste of decaffinated coffee.
    
    Joyce

    Before Chris, I never liked Nachos, but when I was pregnant with
    him, I couldn't get enough. Even after he was born, I still love
    them. Weird!
    
    -Sheila
    

    When I was first pregnant we had a super bowl party and I made my
    favorite lasagna.  I took one bite an gagged I could not eat anything
    with tomato sauce the rest of my pregnancy.  After I had Brad it was
    one of my favorites again.
    
    Sasha

    When I was pregnant with Jessica I could not look at, touch, smell or
    eat fish.  When I was 3 mos along we went to Florida to visit my
    Mother-In Law.  All we did was fish.  I couldn't even take them off my
    hook.  My husband and I have always enjoyed fishing until then.
    
    I can now look at it and prepare it for my family but I cannot stomach 
    it.  I still like lobster however.
    
    Angie

    
    For me it was Taco's and barbecued ribs. I loved them both before I got
    pregnant. When I was 3 months along, I remember cooking ribs for my
    husband in the crockpot,the smell of them all day long was awful. 
    And as for the Taco's, when my stepson would stay with us on weekends
    we always ate them but for my whole pregnancy we couldn't have them because 
    I couldn't stand the smell of them either, my stepson greatly
    appreciated them after the baby was born. I felt bad that he had to
    suffer because of me! As for me, I eat both foods now with no problem.
    Gee, I wonder what it will be next time!
    
    
    Sandy

    When I was about two months pregnant with Hollis, Mike stained the
    back steps, right outside the kitchen door.  Gag City!!!  Even to
    this day (Hollis is 13 months), on a hot day I can still smell
    the stain he used and the brackish oily "underscent" and it STILL
    makes me turn!
    
    Mexican food was something I couldn't eat during my second pregnancy.
    I had a hard time with chicken, too, which I could eat like a fool
    in my first pregnancy.  I got sick on ham salad when I was pregnant
    with James (pregnancy #1), and wasn't able to eat it again until
    this summer.  Now I like it again.  
     
    During both pregnancies, I tended to crave "good food" (Hey, Cheetos
    have cheese in them!), although the fruit jag I went on when I was
    about 6 months pregnant with Hollis made me, shall we say, a bit
    unsociable.  
    
    

    
    Mine lasted only to month 4 but I remember my biggest smell 
    aversion was cooked veggies (which I always liked) especially
    the Birds Eye Internationals ... Raw was fine and I ate
    lots of salad which I craved - good thing.. Also opening
    up my pantry in the morning was gag city....ugh!
    

    With my first pregnancy I could not STAND the smell of raw meat or look 
    at uncooked chicken, we would have to turn over the chicken in the grocery
    cart it was sooo bad, I gave up eating chicken until I was 6 months
    along!  At one point I even refused to shop for grocieries and sent hubby 
    out to pick them up.  
    
    The second pregnancy everything was fine.
    
    Shari
    
    

    Wow! I wish this note had existed during my pregnancies, when I felt 
    so sick over smells, and had no idea how much company I had! For
    me, the worst were green peppers, brewing coffee, and Chinese food.
    During my second pregnancy it was Cheerios. I really could hardly
    stand to go in the cafeteria at work because of all the competing,
    awful smells (but going hungry was worse). I made my husband do most
    of the food preparation at home. This all faded by the middle of
    the pregnancies, and I've gone back to eating all the above.
    
    Lucy  
         

    I lost my taste for coffee for about 5 months (I always drink de-caf
    but it tasted 'tinny' to me and didn't even smell good (what I used to
    think was the best part) 'til I was 5 months along. Also, I couldn't
    stand the smell of microwave popcorn cooking. If my husband ate any
    while watching TV in our bedroom, I wouldn't even let him throw out
    the empty bag in our wastebasket...it had to go downstairs. Tomatoes
    always caused major heartburn so I started avoiding them too. Oh, I
    just remembered, I also HAD to have a glass of ice water after any
    glass of milk; otherwise it was all I could do to will it to stay down.
    That was probably the worst think of all.

	I too could not stand coffee until I was about 4 months along.	
	The mere thought of chicken turned my stomach, unless it
	was boneless buffalo wings.  My husband started wearing an old
	cologne right around my second month that made me very sick and
	headachy.  I no sooner convinced him to give it up, when a girl
	at work started wearing a similar scent.

	I craved spicy foods, and still do.  I lived on Greek salads
	for my first 3 months.  I couldn't get enough salad or fresh
	vegetables.  (One night I ate a pound of brocolli for dinner, nothing
	else!)

	Karen

   During my pregnancy I also became sensitive to smells.  I was getting 
   pretty good at guessing what my husband had been snacking on when he
   started to kiss me.  Luckily, none of these smell aversions remained
   after I had Andrew.  The smells bothered me but never enough to make
   me physically sick.

   All of the foods that I liked as a kid were my favorites.  But if it
   was a food that I first had as an adult, I really didn't enjoy eating
   it. 

   My mom talks about the smell of perfume making her ill when she was
   pregnant with me.  To this day she still gets headaches if she is
   exposed to perfume smells for long periods of time.  She has no scented
   candles, incense, or potpourri in her house either.

   BTW, I can handle scents if they are light ones.  I generally walk by
   the perfume counter quickly.  (A former boyfried thought I should try
   a new perfume.  Well 1/2 hour after he squirted some on me, I had a
   headache and was searching for a ladies room so I could wash it of.)
   I wonder if there is any connection between my mom sensitivity to smells
   and me only be able handle light ones.