Baths and not so fresh smell

[nutti]

I know we all experience it from time to time. My 16 year old asked me what she is supposed to do when she is "not so fresh" down there. I was surprised as I did not have that problem when I was a teen. She is not sexually active (had to toss that out there). She is on birth control for period relief and only gets her period once every three months. Could this be why she has a faint odor from time to time? What can I tell her to do to stop it? She showers every day, sometimes twice a day. She never takes a bath though - would this help?

 

[Cassia]

If the odor is persistent, then you might want to consult the doctor. It could be a sign of infection or something like that. As for remedies, avoid wearing tight-fitting underwear and clothes to prevent irritation. Wear cotton panties. Wipe from front to back to prevent the spread of bacteria, which may cause odor and infection.

 

[Primrose]

You didn't say if she had a discharge or not but odor usually comes from some kind of discharge. If there is nothing physically wrong, as infection, then a panti-liner may help the odor. She could carry these with her and change several times a day. She could also use baby wipes every time she goes to the bathroom.

 

[freshfoodie]

It might be something she is eating too. People tend to overlook the fact that your smell often times comes from things you put in your body. Baths have a tendency to promote bacterial growth down there so I wouldn't recommend that.

 

[nutti]

There is no discharge at all (I asked that first). I did buy her some wipes and she is using them when she feels she needs to. I wonder if it is something she is eating. She said it's only one week out of the month. If the things don't help I will take her to the doctor. I told her I would call and make an appointment but she was too embarrassed.

 

[SoftRain]

I would agree with checking the diet first. Cotton panties are better than other kinds. If it's only one week out of the month, is it the week her period would normally be due? Perhaps it is hormonal.

 

[Lyra]

If it is happening regularly, it sounds like it could be hormonal. I would question if she really smells unpleasant or if she just assumes any smell is bad. Most everything in the world has an odor of some kind! Is it possible she just needs reassurance?

Another possibility is that she is having a recurrent, low-level infection. They can be caused by medication or some of the things mentioned in previous posts. Though I personally believe "infection" is the wrong term, as it is almost always really an imbalance of the normal flora of a healthy body.

 

[chabella]

Diet sounds like the key here to me too. I wondered about "which week" too but it seems to be rare. I remember my niece had a similar issue when she was on one specific type of birth control pill (she is a year younger than me, her mother and I have a 17 year age difference). I don't remember the type of pill she was on but when she switched the issue went away.

 

[nutti]

She did just change her birth control so that could be it too. I bought some fresh wipes and she is using them. So far she thinks that is working. She does have her checkup in a month. I will be sure she brings it up to the doctor.

 

[detoxing]

If this is happening one week out of the month, it sounds to me like it is probably related to her menstrual cycle. Even though she's only actually flowing every three months, her body may be trying to get things started on the off months, resulting in a slight odor or discharge.

 

[endosurvivor]

Probiotics may help. Birth control is notorious for causing yeast infections

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