Early Pregnancy and Your Sense of Smell

A heightened sense of smell is a common first-trimester pregnancy complaint. Suddenly, you can barely tolerate the smell of a coworker's perfume or (gag) the burnt sludge at the bottom of the office coffee pot.

Fortunately, this too shall pass—and sooner than you might think. You'll likely find that you're less bothered by odors once the peak period of morning sickness passes (around the end of the first trimester, for most women).

In the meantime, you can always fall back on a trick that worked for your great-granny—carrying around a handkerchief dipped in lemon juice and applying it to your nose whenever you're accosted by an overpowering odor that might otherwise cause you to lose your lunch (or your breakfast or your dinner).