Did you know.....?

[pumpkinhead]

That breastfed babes actually *SMELL* different than formula fed ones?

I was told this in a pre-natal class and didn't really think overmuch about it until recently. I have two friends who've recently had new babes. One is ff and one is BF and they do IN FACT smell different! I don't just mean the poo, just their actual smell. It's so weird . I don't mean for this to be a ff bashing thread, I'm just amazed!

Honestly, I initially dismissed this as a load of hooey. All babe's have their own smell, don't they? Well, yeah they do, but the BF'd babe smells just like my ds did at that age! It was amazing. I couldn't believe it! IT brought back so many memories . Made me want another one...well, almost .

The ff babe, while he doesn't smell *bad* per se he just smells SO VERY *different*. I'm amazed there's that much of a difference! Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. BM and formula are quite a bit different...but still!!

Anyhow, I just felt compelled to share that with all of your . Whewf! I feel better now!

[noodle4u]

I noticed the same thing, that they smelled different.
And I hope I dont hurt feelings by saying this- I prefer the BF smell.
The 2 FF babies I came in contact with (after having a BF babe) I noticed a distinct difference, and the one baby was kinda gross smelling.
I dont remember if I noticed a difference before having BF'd my own.

[hallesmom]

Oh, I've noticed this too.
Some friend's of ours have a DD that is a few days older than our DD and you can definately smell the difference! Strange!
It's also that way with diapers (I'm sure you all know that!) but, I didn't until we switched to cloth. Strange, strange.

[pumpkinhead]

hallesmom,

Oh yeah, I notice the diapering thing as well, BIGTIME! We use both cloth and sposies (til I can get a bigger stash) and wet sposies (the unscented kind) smell GROSS when wet!!!

I remember my babe's breath (when exclusively BF'd) smelling sweet. I'd sit there and smell it after a feeding and dh would laugh at me. This FF babes breath wasn't offensive, it just didnt' smell 'sweet'. I dunno if it's a good thing or a bad thing. Just different.

And, I'm biased, but of course I preferred the smell of my own babe ...but I think that would be true if my babe was ff as well...but that, I don't honestly know.

[mraven721]

The other day I was visting with a mom who has twin boys (4 months) who are FF. I almost had to turn my head in the opposite direction of the baby he smelled so bad. My DH told me the same thing later.
I just always took it for granted that my baby smelled good, not anymore!

[Overproducktion]

I LOVE the smell of my beautiful breastfed baby!!

My nephew was ff and wow--what a difference!:

[eilonwy]

My dh was pleasantly surprised to learn this; he also dismissed it as a bunch of hooey. He and his friend (who wasn't a parent at the time) had another friend who had a ff baby, and they were always saying "babies smell awful, especially the poop!" I kept insisting that this wasn't true of breastfed babies, but none of them believed it until they met Eli, who smelled lovely and who's poopiest diapers went completely unnoticed by those who weren't right there to see them. :LOL I am *so* looking forward to the days of stink free poop again! :LOL

[eilonwy]

Originally posted by pumpkinhead
I remember my babe's breath (when exclusively BF'd) smelling sweet. I'd sit there and smell it after a feeding and dh would laugh at me. This FF babes breath wasn't offensive, it just didnt' smell 'sweet'. I dunno if it's a good thing or a bad thing. Just different.

And, I'm biased, but of course I preferred the smell of my own babe ...but I think that would be true if my babe was ff as well...but that, I don't honestly know.

:LOL I used to sit and smell Eli's breath too; so did Mike. Eli spent a fair bit of time sucking on a finger when he was new, and I can remember Mike falling asleep smelling his finger, fresh with Elibreath. :LOL So cute!

It's true that you'll prefer the smell of your own baby... unless they're on nutramigen, in which case you'll wonder how early you can start using mouthwash. My sister said that one of the reasons she didn't want her second daughter to get formula (her first did after 3.5 months) was that the smell of ff babies was so much less pleasant.

[carrietorgc]

I love julia's sweet milky breath even now that she gets solids at lunch and dinner, the 6x a day she nurses really give her that fresh milky breath again :LOL I love it!

My aunts twins were bf but mostly were on neosure, and that has got to me the smelliest stuff ever. my mom used to joke with me about how foul that nursery smelled.

[RachelGS]

I'll never forget that sweet, exclusively-breastfed smell. It makes me tingle to think about it. Where's some sperm?! I gotta do this again.

[pumpkinhead]

Yeah, I hafta agree, sweet milky breath is the best . I actually made a colleague of mine *smell* a poopy dipe cuz he didn't believe there was almost no scent. He was a little weirded out, but had to agree .

ah, stink free poo...such memories :LOL

Originally posted by eilonwy
:LOL I used to sit and smell Eli's breath too; so did Mike. Eli spent a fair bit of time sucking on a finger when he was new, and I can remember Mike falling asleep smelling his finger, fresh with Elibreath. :LOL So cute!

That is too cute !!! BTW, eilonwy, your babe has the most beautiful eyes!!!!!

[pumpkinhead]

RachelGS!!!! "Abigail Rose" was going to be ds's name had he been a girl!!! Too cool!

[RachelGS]

It was inspired. I just knew it was her name. I know that both have gotten poular, but I didn't even look at the lists when I chose it. Rose is to honor my grandfather, his sister, and my mom, and Abigail was just her name. I think it's beautiful.

[hipumpkins]

Even at 17 mos my DD who does eat solids and nurses has a very sweet smell. Someitmes I just smell her head and she thinks I'm funny.

[jeca]

you know, I had someone tell me before that DD smelled like a breastfed baby, I didn't question her further but didn't really understand what she meant.

[liz-hippymom]

actually- long before i became miss-breastfeeding-advocate , i got pregnant with Ds and i decided to breastfeed, just because i thought FF babies were stinky. i had babysat alot and couldnt stand the smell of the formula or the babies!so that was my origional reason for nursing..i remember back then saying i would wean him when he got teeth. HAHA! i nursed him till 2 1/2, with a full set of teeth!

[rareimer]

i haven't really had the chance to smell a ff babe since i've had jasmyn, but i'd be really interested in just seeing the difference!

on another board i post at, some ff moms were talking about their babies' bad breath...i don't think jasmyn has ever had bad breath in her life...in fact it smells so sweet and beautiful, even though she now eats a bit of solid food. and just in general, she smells like heaven--i love to smell her! just one of those things you don't think much about!

i miss the days of exclusively bf baby poo! it smelled like buttered popcorn jelly bellies!

[pumpkinhead]

Originally posted by rareimer
i miss the days of exclusively bf baby poo! it smelled like buttered popcorn jelly bellies!

:LOL I'll never look at Jelly Bellys in the same way EVER again!