You are at home, pregnant, when your nose picks up that typical stinky feet smell.

Being preggers, with all its stresses and strains, is already tough enough as it is so you blame your husband for being inconsiderate.

In a displeased tone you command him to wash his feet for Chrissakes.

Your enhanced sense of smell picks up such nasty odors immediately and your spouse aerating the home with his stinky feet is not something you also want to deal with right now.

It doesn’t take long before  a little shame is your part when, with red cheeks, you find out about the dirty, smelly truth…

..it’s your own feet that are the source of that foul odor.

How can that be possible?

You have never had stinky feet before in your life.

And yet it’s true, your feet smell like you have been walking barefoot in your Uggs, continuously for a week.

You are not alone, many pregnant women suffer from stinky feet. Even if you have never had smelly feet before, not even during earlier pregnancies, the stinky feet syndrome may all of a sudden rear its ugly head.

When do smelly feet during pregnancy occur?

It depends. Some pregnant women never have to deal with it.

Other women notice already notice in the first trimester their feet start to smell while others find that the stench starts to set in during the third trimester.

The cause?

You sweat three times more than normal because of increased hormones. (Teenagers often have to cope with smelly feet for the same reason)

Other reasons are that your body temperature is raised, you weigh more, and you have more blood volume.

Also a zinc deficiency may cause foot fetor during pregnancy.

How to cure your stenchy tootsies

Your feet smelling like a ripe raw milk roquefort is something you will probably want to find a cure for.

And if it’s not you who is grossed out then probably your bf will want you to take action. So here are some proven methods to keep the funk at bay.

Take zinc

Add zinc rich foods to your diet to solve a zinc deficiency. Or take a zinc supplement. Foods high in zinc include; dairy, walnuts, cashews, peas, lima beans, and ginger.

Zinc is generally considered safe for pregnant women. According to the MayoClinic the recommended daily allowance is 11 milligrams for women older than 19 years.

Soak your feet in apple cider vinegar

Soak your feet in apple cider vinegar. Submerging your feet in this stuff creates an acidic environment that bacteria have a hard time thriving in. Their population will reduce and the smell will diminish.

Commonly about 6 cups of warm water and a half cup of apple cider vinegar are mixed. You could use white distilled vinegar too.

Wash with antibacterial soap

Wash your feet with antibacterial soap. Or take a foot bath with antiseptic soap since washing your feet can be a daunting task, especially when you are a long way in your pregnancy.

Sprinkle with foot powder

You can buy foot powders but baby powder, talcum powder or baking soda are also commonly used. Make sure to treat your feet with the powder when they are completely dry.

Listerine soak

Dilute Listerine in water and soak your feet in it once or even better twice a day. Make sure to thoroughly dry your feet afterwards since the bacteria that cause the smell love moist environments.

Black tea foot baths

Make strong tea from at least two black tea bags. The tannic acid in tea may help block the sweat glands in your feet, thus reducing the amount you sweat.

I tried the black tea cure myself and didn’t find it very effective but everybody is different so it may be helpful to you.

Wash your feet with vodka

Wash your feet with vodka on a wash cloth. The vodka will ward off bacteria and disinfect your feet.

In an episode of Mythbusters, Adam’s feet were washed with either a commercial foot powder wash and a vodka wash. The experiment showed that the odor was eliminated on both feet.

Use a deodorant

Deodorants do not prevent sweating but are helpful in reducing foul foot odor. Most are considered safe to use during pregnancy.

Wear the right socks

Cotton socks are better than synthetic socks with the exception of synthetic sock liners and wool socks. Here’s more on the best socks for sweaty feet.

 

Not recommended

aluminum chloride hexahydrate
I commonly recommend aluminum chloride hexahydrate solution or antiperspirants (e.g. Drysol, Mitchum, Odaban) containing this substance since it chemically and or physically blocks sweat glands and thus effectively reduces sweat secretion.

However, the topical use of this substance could better be avoided during pregnancy because it falls in FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby.

 

Do you suffer from smelly feet during pregnancy too? Do you have another cure worth sharing? Drop your comment below..

Image: Huffington Post.