Quick answer
Smell sensitivity is a common pregnancy symptom, and it can be particularly difficult when you are experiencing Pregnancy Sickness.
Foods, perfumes, cleaning products and other everyday smells that never bothered you before can suddenly trigger nausea or make you gag.
Hormonal changes are thought to play a role, although the exact reason some smells become such powerful triggers is not fully understood.
Why do smells suddenly make me gag during pregnancy?
One minute you can happily walk past your favourite restaurant, open the fridge or make yourself a cup of coffee. The next, the smell is enough to make you gag.
If this has happened to you during pregnancy, you are definitely not alone.
A sensitivity to certain smells is a recognised pregnancy symptom, and smells can also act as triggers for nausea and vomiting during Pregnancy Sickness.
You might suddenly find that you cannot tolerate:
- The smell of cooking food
- Coffee
- Meat or fish
- Perfume or scented toiletries
- Cleaning products
- Your fridge
- Your partner's aftershave or deodorant
- Food that you used to love
Sometimes it isn't even a particularly strong smell. It can be something incredibly ordinary that suddenly makes your stomach turn.
Why does this happen?
There isn't one simple answer. Pregnancy causes major hormonal changes, and these are thought to contribute to nausea and vomiting as well as changes in appetite and food preferences.
Research into Pregnancy Sickness has also shown that the hormone GDF15, which is produced by the placenta, plays an important role in nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. How sensitive someone is to this hormone appears to influence how severely they experience Pregnancy Sickness.
But that doesn't mean there is a single explanation for why the smell of toast suddenly makes you gag while your partner can happily sit beside you eating it.
For some people, particular smells simply become powerful nausea triggers during pregnancy.
And when you are already feeling nauseous, it can take very little to tip you over the edge.
What can help when smells make you feel sick?
You don't have to keep exposing yourself to smells that make you feel ill. If you know your triggers, avoiding them where possible can be a useful part of managing Pregnancy Sickness.
Get someone else to cook
If the smell of cooking is a major trigger, ask someone else to prepare food if you can.
Opening windows, using an extractor fan and keeping the kitchen door closed can also help reduce cooking smells around the rest of the house.
Try cold foods
Hot food tends to produce more noticeable smells. If the smell of a hot meal is making you gag, you may find that cold or room-temperature foods are easier to tolerate.
This could be as simple as sandwiches, crackers, cereal or whatever food you can currently manage.
Switch to unscented products
Pregnancy can suddenly make perfume, shampoo, shower gel, washing powder and cleaning products unbearable.
Try switching to fragrance-free or unscented versions while your symptoms are bad. You don't have to change everything at once. Start with the products that are causing the biggest problems.
Keep your environment as smell-free as possible
If there are particular smells that you know will trigger you, don't feel guilty about avoiding them.
It might mean asking your partner not to cook a particular food, staying out of the kitchen while dinner is being prepared or asking someone else to empty the bins.
These might sound like small changes, but when you're already feeling constantly nauseous, removing one more trigger can make a difference to how manageable the day feels.
Don't force yourself to eat foods you suddenly can't tolerate
If the smell or thought of a food makes you gag, there is no prize for forcing yourself to eat it.
Pregnancy Sickness can make your usual diet feel completely unfamiliar. You may find yourself relying on a small number of foods that you can tolerate, such as toast, crackers, cereal, rice or plain pasta.
The priority is getting through the period when you are feeling most unwell. If you are struggling to eat a varied diet or are concerned about what you are managing to eat and drink, speak to your midwife or GP.
When should I seek medical advice?
If smells are making you nauseous, that can be part of Pregnancy Sickness. But you should speak to your GP or midwife if your symptoms are stopping you from eating and drinking normally or affecting your ability to carry out everyday activities.
You should seek medical advice if you are unable to keep food or fluids down, are passing very dark urine or have not urinated for more than 8 hours, feel very weak, dizzy or faint when standing, are losing weight or are otherwise concerned about how unwell you feel.
Pregnancy Sickness can be severe. You don't have to wait until you are vomiting constantly before asking for help. There are anti-sickness medicines that can be used during pregnancy, and your healthcare professional can discuss the options with you.
From someone who's been there
Laura, co-founder of Replenish:
“I remember how ridiculous some of the smell triggers felt. Things that I would normally never even notice could suddenly make me feel incredibly sick.
The fridge was a particular problem. I'd open the door and immediately want to shut it again, and cooking smells were almost impossible to deal with. When you're already nauseous, it feels like the whole world is suddenly full of things that can make you gag.
Looking back, I wish I'd been better at simply avoiding the smells that I knew were going to make me feel worse. I think you spend so much time trying to carry on as normal that you can forget you're actually dealing with something that can affect almost every part of your day.”
How Replenish may help
Replenish is a small 28ml liquid sachet containing electrolytes, glucose, vitamin C and B vitamins, including bioavailable folic acid (5-MTHF).
For women experiencing Pregnancy Sickness who are struggling with large drinks and tablets, the small sachet can be taken directly without mixing a powder into a large drink.
It is designed specifically for women experiencing Pregnancy Sickness who may be struggling with their normal diet, large drinks and tablets.
Key takeaways
- Becoming more sensitive to smells is a common pregnancy symptom.
- Smells can also become powerful triggers for nausea and vomiting during Pregnancy Sickness.
- Cooking smells, coffee, perfume, cleaning products and other everyday smells can suddenly become difficult to tolerate.
- Avoiding known triggers, using unscented products and choosing cold foods may help.
- You don't need to force yourself to eat foods that are making you gag.
- Speak to your GP or midwife if Pregnancy Sickness is affecting your ability to eat, drink or manage everyday life.
- Help is available, including anti-sickness medication that can be used during pregnancy.
References
- NHS: Vomiting and morning sickness
- NHS: Signs and symptoms that might mean you're pregnant
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG): Pregnancy sickness
- RCOG: The Management of Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy and Hyperemesis Gravidarum
- Pregnancy Sickness Support: Coping strategies
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