Everyone knows that pregnancy comes with side effects, but some - like morning sickness and swollen ankles - are far more common than others.
A pregnant woman is opening up about her little-known health problem, that means she is unable to kiss her husband without physically gagging.
Maxi Ducer, 25, first noticed that her other half made her stomach churn when she was carrying their first child, a baby boy named Jimi, in June 2020.
The mum-of-one now has a second child on the way, but is unfortunately experiencing the exact same issue that 'puts her off' her loving partner, Jones.
Maxi has spent the last five months unable to smooch him, and blames it on the smell of his breath - despite him brushing his teeth multiple times a day.
"His breath smelt bad throughout the entire [first] pregnancy," Maxi, from Hobart in Tasmania, Australia, said.
"And the second time around it smells the same. It smells like he hasn't brushed his teeth for over a month and he has eaten a lot of junk food.
"It smells really, really bad. It smells a lot worse than morning breath. If I would go close to him I felt like I was going to puke.
"Even thinking about it makes me gag. It lasted throughout my whole first pregnancy and happened pretty much straight away.
"It was one of the very first signs I was pregnant so I just knew I was pregnant the second time when he tried to kiss me goodbye and I didn't want him too.
"It's got everything to do with my hormones. I wasn't feeling him and was put right off him."
The nurse said the issue is caused by her hormones changing during pregnancy, which has heightened her sense of smell.
Despite Jones, 33, trying to alleviate the issue during the first pregnancy by brushing his teeth four times a day, Maxi said it made no difference at all.
Now, almost two-thirds through her second pregnancy, Maxi doesn't even bother to kiss Jones, as it makes her feel unwell.
"I'm a very touchy person, so this was weird to happen. When it happened in my first pregnancy it was a bit of a shock to be honest," Maxi said.
"I had just married him [my husband] and moved in with him and I felt like I didn't love him.
"We didn't struggle to be intimate in other ways but we did do it without kissing and I had to tell him to just not breathe in my face.
"I just want to tell people that this can happen whilst you're pregnant because it came to me as a shock and it's good for the man to know too as it can be hard."
Maxi said her love language is 'physical touch' so it was a big change for the couple when she first fell pregnant.
"I think it's good for people to know it can and have the information out there so they can prepare themselves and know it is just the pregnancy causing it," she said.
"For some it only lasts their first trimester and for some it lasts the whole pregnancy."
Maxi has learnt that it's common for pregnant women to experience bizarre and unexpected changes to their senses, so it less worried second time around.
"We have a catch phrase and I say 'it's coming' and he knows to give me some space. He told me it's not easy but he understands," she explained.
"Because he's been through it before with me it's a bit easier and he knows it's not me."
The couple's baby girl is due to be born at the end of October and Maxi is looking forward to being able to kiss her husband again without gagging.
"I know it is very weird but as soon as I gave birth [to my first child] it felt like a veil was lifted off my face," she said.
"I looked at my husband and was like I don't hate you anymore and this was the man I married.
"As soon as I have my baby I'm back in love with my husband again and I feel different.
"I can't wait to have my baby girl so I can kiss my husband again. That would be so lovely, to kiss him and mean it."
Do you have a pregnancy story to share? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
