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The good news? These shifts are completely normal and are typically transient. The not-so-good news? They can be pretty intense! And this chronicling of how your senses and your feelings act during pregnancy is a story that deserves telling, from suddenly loathing a signature scent to weeping at a dog food commercial.
So let’s dig into what’s going on behind the scenes in your brain, your nose, your mouth and, yes, your heart, too, when you’re growing a little human.
Why Does Pregnancy Magnify Smell, Change Taste & Evoke Emotion?
So what is the main player in all of these crazy senses and moods? Hormones. The moment you get a positive test, your body starts flooding with these hormones: oestrogen, progesterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), now coursing through your system in surges. These hormonal shifts affect the brain’s sensory processing centres and lead to what many refer to as “super senses.”How Being Pregnant Alters Your Sense of Smell
Many pregnant women also experience a heightened sense of smell, a condition medically referred to as hyperosmia. It can start as early as the first trimester and generally varies throughout pregnancy.Here’s how your sense of smell gets altered:
- Hormonal rush: Increased levels of oestrogen sharpen your olfactory system, so everything smells a whole lot stronger.
- Protective mechanism: Some researchers think this sensitivity is nature’s way of helping you detect harmful substances like spoiled food or smoke.
- Nausea triggers: Certain strong smells can trigger nausea (or even vomiting), especially in the first trimester. Other common culprits include perfumes, cooking smells, fish and eggs.
- Personalised response: While some women find they can't bear coffee, others may suddenly crave the scent of petrol or fresh paint (yes, it's a thing!).
- Stay away from strong odours, like food courts or cleaning aisles in supermarkets
- Ensure good ventilation in your living space
- Avoid scented products or use the mildest scents
- Use a handkerchief scented with something soothing, such as lemon or peppermint
How Pregnancy Changes Your Sense of Taste
Pregnancy also wreaks havoc with your taste buds. This condition, known as dysgeusia, can cause your favourite foods to taste metallic, bland or downright strange.Here’s what’s going on with your taste buds:
- More oestrogen: It’s not only your sense of smell that oestrogen affects, your taste is also affected, especially sweet and bitter tastes.
- More saliva: Ptyalism gravidarum, or excessive salivation, is common in early pregnancy, which can alter the taste of your food
- Prenatal vitamins and supplements: Iron pills or calcium-rich supplements can also give a metallic taste
- Acid reflux: When your baby grows and presses on your stomach, acid reflux may change how you taste flavours
Common taste changes include:
- Unusual metallic or sour taste in the mouth
- Distaste for particular textures or tastes
- Not enjoying foods you once loved
How to Deal with Changes in Taste During Pregnancy:
- Use lemon drops or mints to suck on
- Gargle salt water
- Eat cold foods, if hot foods exacerbate the metallic taste
- Drink more water to stay hydrated and cleanse lingering flavours
How Pregnancy Impacts Your Feelings
When you’re pregnant, your emotions can feel like you’re in a tornado of feelings, often all in the same day. You are euphoric one second, and ugly crying about your favourite restaurant being closed in the next.Why does this happen?
- Oestrogen and progesterone: These hormones affect neurotransmitters in your brain, including serotonin and dopamine, which help control mood
- Sleep disruption: Difficulty sleeping from discomfort or anxiety can leave you feeling crankier and more emotional
- Physical discomfort: Nausea, back pain, or fatigue can be debilitating
- Anticipatory anxiety: The thrill of becoming a mother comes with anxiety about labour, parenthood, lifestyle changes
- Identity metamorphosis: Pregnancy marks a change of self, one that can be both inspiring and disorienting.
Some common emotional changes are:
- Reactivity to comments or criticism
- Being more tearful (even over ads on television)
- Outbursts of happiness or sadness
- Having excessive concerns about the health of the baby
- Being mentally and physically exhausted
How to manage your moods during pregnancy:
- Do mindfulness or guided meditation
- Try to read when there is free time
- Try to write when there is free time
- Sleep well and rest when you can
Eat well and stay hydrated
- Communicate honestly with your partner or a close friend
- Seek therapy if you are feeling consistently low or anxious
- Sign up for a prenatal yoga or mothers-to-be group
When to Speak to a Doctor
Although most sensory and emotional changes in pregnancy are benign and temporary, there are times when it’s prudent to seek a professional:- You have extreme mood changes or prolonged feelings of sadness
- If you lose your sense of smell or taste completely
- When food aversion causes nutritional deficiencies
- If your anxiety or stress is impacting everyday life
FAQs on How Your Sense of Smell, Taste and Emotion Change With Pregnancy
- Is it common during pregnancy to hate foods I liked before?
Yes, this is very common and typically the result of hormonal changes altering your sense of taste and smell. - Why do some smells make me feel sick to my stomach?
Increased sensitivity to smell (hyperosmia) is common in pregnancy and may result in nausea, especially in the first trimester. - Can emotions affect the baby during pregnancy?
Chronic stress can take a toll, but day-to-day emotions such as crying or mood swings aren’t harmful in general to your baby.”
