Garlic Overload

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A Note About Perfume While Pregnant

For a few days I started to smell an odor I hadn’t noticed before.  I’d give it a slight thought and flippantly go back to work, thinking one of my co-workers had forgotten their deodorant or had too much garlic the night before.   

In our open and clean workspace of cubicles, all smells had to draft from an individual.  The cleaners left the open area spic and span after their late night rendezvous.

The lingering smell persistently stayed past a week but, oddly, I noticed it once I’d gotten to work, cleaned and showered.  I smelled my long tresses of red hair and sniffed my armpits when no one was looking.  No signs of body odor.  

More perplexed than ever, the smell continued to follow me.  

Days turned into weeks and my co-workers enjoyed the light banter that this expecting mama was going crazy.

One morning in our office that annoying odor floated back into my senses.  I’d had it; not again.  I sniffed my hair, my pits, my clothes; finally looking at my co-workers and saying, “Do you smell garlic?  

"I don’t smell anything out of the norm," they said, and good-naturedly chuckled and made pregnant jabs, yet again.  My supervisor leaned over and said, “All I smell is heavy perfume.”  

A light went off!

I sprayed “Pink” from Gap on my wrist and neck every morning before work.  Many of my sweaters carried the light lingering of citrus, as I’d wear my cardigans more than once before throwing them in the wash.  That made complete sense.  It was the only smell that followed me even on days I didn’t spray.

As soon as I stopped wearing pink and washed my clothes, lovely waftings of garlic stopped comin’ a callin’.  Thank goodness!  

I wish I could say I have recovered and my favorite womanly scent is now wearable.  Sorry ladies; I still smell garlic whenever I’m graced with “Pink.”

And, even now that I am not pregnant, I still loath the smell of garlic!  Ughhh, garlic!  Fresh garlic; not in my house.  Garlic powder, in light doses, is about all I can handle.

I no longer wear perfume and highly recommend that if you have a favorite scent; do not ever, by any means, for any reason, even for a special occasion, ever, ever wear it while you are pregnant!  You will only be disappointed to find another one of your favorite pleasures is not wearable with your new, oddly shaped body.   

Kelly is a recent mommy of one and loving every minute of it.  Her Savior, husband and little girl are the delight of each new day.  Every unpredictable morning and moment only make life more precious.  Editor of the blog, “Abiding.”