Stinky little boy...

[hapersmion]

This isn't a very big problem, since it's been going on for a year or two and I'm just now posting about it... but my uncircumcised son is stinky. He's almost three, cloth diapered but more than halfway potty trained at this point, and he likes to run around naked, but he smells bad when he does! I don't give him a bath every day, and maybe that has something to do with it, but I noticed the other day that he still smells even right after he gets out of the tub! He doesn't retract, and we've never tried to clean under the foreskin or anything like that. Do all little boys smell this way? (I only have one child, so I don't have any comparison.) Could it be some kind of yeast imbalance or something? Would probiotics help? I'm not good at describing smells... but I don't think it smells yeasty, just... well, like a dirty penis, I guess. (TMI!)

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I have never noticed that with ds just a stale urine smell sometimes. You might be onto something about the imbalance but I dont much about those types of things.

[2xy]

My boys are both intact and I never noticed any bad smell when they were little.

Sometimes smells linger in the skin. I wear a wrist brace to bed at night, and my hand usually smells bad in the morning (sweat, etc). It takes two or three good washings with soap and warm water to get rid of the smell. Maybe your son needs more lathering than he's currently getting; especially if he's not bathed every day.

[onyxravnos]

have you mentioned it to his ped? sometimes things like anemia make a person smell weird.

[Cutie Patootie]

My son is 5.5yo and intact. I have never noticed any smell at all. Are you sure it's coming from his penis and just not from his diaper-covered skin? Diapers can hold the smells and since they are against his skin all day? I don't know. Maybe try a "bottom" bath every day and see if it makes any difference. Also, strip your cd just to be sure they aren't holding in any stinkies.

[NaturalMindedMomma]

is it a fishy smell? The two men I have been with that are intact have snmelled that way from time to time. Usually when they are unbathed for a day or so.

Try bathing his bottom and diaper area daily.

ETA: grown sexually active men may have nothing in common with a non retracted 3 year old. Just a little insight is all

[mysticmomma]

We've been using sposies for awhile now since DS grew out of his cloth. Certain brands make him smell funny. IME, boys just smell.

[LavenderMae]

I've never noticed either of my boys smelling bad. My youngest is still in diapers. Sometimes my nephew (I take care of him during the week) smells strongly of urine but he's not what I'd call stinky either. All three of them are intact.

[thixle]

the title got me, lol

Originally Posted by mysticmomma

IME, boys just smell.

OP, if it makes you feel any better, my dd has a stinky butt, too. It's not yeasty, not fishy (bacteria), just smells like... butt... or maybe belly button (come on, we all know that smell)... and she's in underwear during the day! I do the poo-wiping (with wet cloth wipes), so I know its not that.
When we were battling yeast, I started rinsing her bottom with a squirt bottle of diluted vinegar, and that kills the smell for a few hours... I wish I could figure it out, though! I make her wear undies in the house now so she's not rubbing her stinky butt on the couch

[Dabble]

What kind of hygiene routine do you have for him? I know you said he doesn't get a bath every day - how often is he bathed with what kind of soap? Do you actively wash his bottom with a washcloth when he is in the bath? How often is his diaper changed?

Also, do you notice a stronger smell associated with eating of certain foods? i.e. if he has had a lot of dairy or sugar that day? Some people are really diet-sensitive, and it will come out as body odor. Since little ones haven't started sweating heavily through the armpits, sometimes the odor is most intense in their private area.

[Lovenest]

My son has never smelled stinky.
I would say you should look into his diet? Is he getting plenty of water to drink?

Also, my friend has a son that is 6 and he has had body odor problems in his arm pits since he was around 4. Maybe your son is sweating alot in his groin area and that is why he stinks?

[purplestraws]

Honestly, I think everyone is making too big of a deal about this.

How much does he smell? Also, how sensitive are you to stinky smells?

That's a stinky area in general. My DS is intact and he's stinky down there sometimes, but I just attribute it to the fact the area is usually surrounded by sweat, urine and poop...it's naturally going to have a little bit of a smell...especially when they're in diapers most of the day. We only give him a bath every 2-3 days in the winter to avoid dry skin issues...so, if we bathed him daily, that might make a difference.

However, I'm also VERY senstive to bad smells. VERY sensitive.

I know this is not quite the same as an adult it not the same as a child...but my circ'd DH is very stinky down there and he bathes daily. I think some people are just stinkier than others. Maybe just requires a little bit of extra hygiene.

I don't think your son's stinkiness has anything to go with his penis...at all.

[Tinijocaro]

Keep in mind that all normal genitals have an odor, unless they are thoroughly washed each day. My dd's have had some raunchy smells from time to time to the point that my 6 year old had stuck her head in her footie jammies and came out telling me it smelled like tuna in there! Boys can have a similar smell. It's just the way it is. Society makes us think we are supposed to smell like some floral product but that just isn't the way it is.

Now, a bad stench, ok, give the kid a bath and don't worry about it.

[Lovenest]

Originally Posted by Tinijocaro

My dd's have had some raunchy smells from time to time to the point that my 6 year old had stuck her head in her footie jammies and came out telling me it smelled like tuna in there!

OMG, I almost just peed my pants!

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by thixle

the title got me, lol



OP, if it makes you feel any better, my dd has a stinky butt, too. It's not yeasty, not fishy (bacteria), just smells like... butt... or maybe belly button (come on, we all know that smell)... and she's in underwear during the day! I do the poo-wiping (with wet cloth wipes), so I know its not that.
When we were battling yeast, I started rinsing her bottom with a squirt bottle of diluted vinegar, and that kills the smell for a few hours... I wish I could figure it out, though! I make her wear undies in the house now so she's not rubbing her stinky butt on the couch

: Sorry that cracked me up. I have 2 dd's and they both get stinky in the dipe/ underwear area. The smell most resembles slightly souring diary IMO. If anybody knows what that's about I'm all ears.

[robertandenith]

isnt all butts or things down would smell? I mean my dds' butts smell too! I though that was normal they get daily baths/showers except when it gets cold, obviously as soon as they are clean the smells goes away but I am sure it comes back in a few hours

[kldliam]

stinky little girl

my little girl is uncircumcised. She is stinky down there too-even when she comes out of a fresh bath! I think you may be right, it must be a Ph imbalance in some kids.

It's not yeast for her either, just smells like dirty vagina.

My uncircumcised son on the other hand always smells like a rose!!

[Greeneyes0506]

Is it a foul smell, or does he just have a certain "aroma"?

My 2 year old never stinks, but he does have a certain aroma to him. And my 10 month old is the same way.

[MommaLauraRN]

My boys get a bath every day. I've never noticed a stink except for the rare occasion they skip their bath, and then it's a butt smell, not their penis specifically. (Like if my 5 year old bends over for me to check his wipe job!) Their feet smell within an hour after their baths unless they're completely barefoot. I swear footie jammies make their feet sweat and smell raunchy! My friends with girls swear that their little girls have more stink than their intact boys!

[Cutie Patootie]

Originally Posted by kldliam

my little girl is uncircumcised. She is stinky down there too-even when she comes out of a fresh bath! I think you may be right, it must be a Ph imbalance in some kids.

It's not yeast for her either, just smells like dirty vagina.

My uncircumcised son on the other hand always smells like a rose!!