I have heard that the tree tea oil drops help many things. Tree tea oil even helps dry scalp from what I had read before. I'm sorry you are going through and being pregnant just limits the use of so many things.

All paps before and after pregnancy have been normal. When I've had it treated by a OB it was only by the symptoms or me telling them about the smell.
When I did the tea tree oil douch, that was after I had my last child. My midwife suggested it.

Paps don't diagnose BV or any other form of vaginitis...they only diagnose cervical abnormalities (pre-cancerous lesions). Usually they do a culture/stains/look under the microscope of a vaginal smear to diagnose infections.

But in any case, no more medical advice from me. Good luck! I get very self conscious when I smell a vaginal odor coming from me. I often wonder if other people can smell it as much as I do. It's definitely a time of the month thing for me.

I've always been self conscious about it because I could smell it and I would take 2 showers a day. Since doing the tea tree oil douche, its only apparent when we're being intimate but its not as strong as before.
This isn't an infection, its a PH imbalance. I was going through years of treatment for an on going UTI. The reason I decided to seek natural methods is because antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria. Around that time (11 yrs ago) I was single and not sexually active at all.
It wasn't till Aug of last year that I changed my diet and was able to naturally (by accident) rid my body of the UTI. It might've been a combination of diet and the tea tree oil that lessened the smell....don't know.
Its a major turn off for dh and (now in the past 2 weeks) its also the case for myself. Since it doesn't start till we're doing stuff, I'm paranoid that he can smell it but I don't feel comfortable asking "Do you smell it?" while we're in the act. Twice this week dh has gotten turned off while in the act.
I feel so depressed, I feel like I should write on my forehead "Unclean, don't come near me."

from my research bacteria vaginosis can be caused by many things: antibiotics, pregnancy, birth control, and lubricants. There's probably others. But they can throw off the acidity or flora, in your body.

Rachel...I'm so sorry you are going through. I feel bad for you as you already have enough to deal with being pregnant and raising your other children. My heart goes out to you Does your midwife have anything to suggest?

BV is very common and even though you feel bad about yourself...please dont. You CANNOT help this! btw...men's stuff doesnt have the greatest odor itself....i'm just sayin...

OMG! You are sooooo right about that! Men's stuff stinks!

Rachel I feel really sorry for you and your situation. If hubby and you are really wanting to be intimate, how about he puts some vapour rub under his nose?

Please don't feel bad about yourself or unattractive. You are bringing a new baby into this world, which is the most amazing thing women can do and for that, you are beautiful!

I've heard about a few drops of tea tree oil being used with the yogurt and tampon also. Maybe after pregnancy, which lets face it, is screwing all your bodies chemicals up anyway, you can try a few treatments and see if this clears it.

Please try and keep your spirits up! Baby #5 will be here before you know it!

Thank you everyone. I feel better today, last night my dh was very affectionate with me. We cuddled a lot. He says he still wants to be intimate with me no matter what.....he just has to get past the smell if it is there. I just don't feel like trying, twice he's gotten turned off mid way. With the changes that pregnancy brings (especially then your darker skinned), I don't want to look at myself much less show it (my body) to him.
I love my growing baby and love to see my belly growing, its just the s*xual parts that I'm now self conscious about. And the fact that I feel helpless when it comes to the BV because of the pregnancy.

i had this same problem (w/o da preg). mines switched between BV and yeast infections and i started taking AZO YEAST pills per a pharmicist recmd at walgreen's and it knocked my problem right out! that was about 4mths.

its a daily pill but it worked wonders on me. hope this helps!

Per my midwife's instruction. she gave me the go ahead to try the tampon drenched with yogurt and also try (if this doesn't work) a tampon drenched in Hydrogen Peroxide over night. She also said that I should cut out all simple carbs, which would mean my beloved sweets.
She instructed me to also take garlic supplements along with everything else.
she is planning on doing a culture at my next visit, next week to make sure it is BV we're dealing with.
From my research it does look like the culprit is the sweets that's keeping this thing around. Because dh told me that he remembered that back when I cut out all simple carbs and sweets (sugar and fruits) that the smell had disappeared. This will be a hard thing to do while pregnant and with all my cravings. But its either cutting out my sweet tooth or my s*x life.

I follow a low carb diet and have cut out all simple carbs....you can do this! It will also be healthier for you and baby! You don't need those foods anyway! I feel much better not eating sweets. Good luck with everything....hope it all works for you

Yup, I was on Atkins before getting pregnant. I upped my carbs due to the pregnancy. Now to think back to those days and figure out what I was doing. I would have to switch back from coffee to unsweetened raspberry tea (hate black coffee) and no fruits or sweets at all. I know the first 2 weeks are hard because you go through like a detox period where its all you think about. Not looking forward to it at all.
What other fruity teas are there that taste good besides raspberry hot tea?

I like a mango black tea that I get from Trader Joe's, but I don't think that I've ever had a fruit flavored (unsweetened) black tea that I didn't like.

Hi Mom4life,
I was wondering if the return of your BV was because your husband is now carrying the virus also and when you have intercourse he re-infects you after you've taken your antibiotics?

Men can carry the bacteria that causes BV without symptoms. Doctors say that men do not, but in the past I got BV from a man!>;(

You might ask your doc if he would put you both on antibiotics at the same time to rid both of you?

I hope this is helpful.

Rebecca

I've tried the hydrogen peroxide suggestion in the past when I had a really bad BV infection. It worked for me.