How much do lactating women smell???

[Hokulele]

Ok, so I get that when you are a BFing mama you have a certain scent. And of course I can see that animals can smell it strongly. But how much can other humans detect the smell??

DD1 is 5yo and whenever I give her a hug or she gets near my breasts she tells me I smell like boobie. She says this all.the.time. I am no longer nursing her, but I am still nursing her 2yo sister.

I have a very good sense of smell, but of course have never detected this smell on myself. I probably just smell of it all the time and so I don't notice. DH is no help to me - he has no sense of smell at all.

I'm starting to get paranoid... can everyone I interact with tell that I'm a nursing mama? Or even if they don't know what it is, can they smell something on me?!?!??

[lifeguard]

I've never noticed it on other women & have never had anyone comment about it on me. I know my own nursing smell but it's not unpleasant. Likely your daughter just recognizes what it is because she remembers it.

[ShwarmaQueen]

I wouldn't doubt that she's remembering your unique scent from the hours and hours she spent snuggled up next to you. That's really sweet.

I probably wouldn't worry about other people noticing though.

[RiverSky]

I can definitely smell my own breastmilk on myself (it is lessened by daily showers, fresh nursing bras, etc.). Right now, I am 38 weeks pregnant and have been leaking colostrum for a while and I can definitely smell it. I do have a pretty good sense of smell though and really notice scents. I doubt anyone else can smell my colostrum until they put their nose right up to me, though, and not even necessarily then.

[kcstar]

I notice my own. A couple of times, I think I've noticed other babies and <2 yr olds smell my milk and seem interested, but not often.

I've never noticed any adult noticing.

[akind1]

I can smell my own milkiness, if that is a word. and I know other BF babies smell me, because, if hungry, they fuss and root, where non-BF don't (and the BF babies don't try that with non-lactating women). I haven't had any adults comment on it though.

I know DS knows BF babies from FF babies; he always tries to sniff/eat/lick the heads of BF babies! it is so funny!

[patronus]

Originally Posted by Hokulele

DD1 is 5yo and whenever I give her a hug or she gets near my breasts she tells me I smell like boobie. She says this all.the.time.

this is so cute

i know the smell you're talking about and i don't think any adults would notice. i smell it on myself when i open my bra to pump. i love it because it reminds me of nursing dd (and also helps letdown i think).

other adults don't usually have their noses in our shirts/bras, and if they did "nursing smell" probably wouldn't be my top concern.

[CherryBombMama]

i was just wondering about this. i feel like my milk smell is more of a spoiled milk smell, and i really dont want people thinking that i dont shower

i personally have never smelled other BFing mamas, so im crossing my fingers that no one can smell me

[Quinalla]

I have smelled it on myself when naked/topless, but I doubt an adult would notice except maybe your DH. Remember kids have much more sensitive noses than us adults anyway

[Guthu]

I have noticed it on other moms, then again I have a super nose.

I don't mind it, if anyone notices, it should not matter. Just makes me want food when I smell it and snuggles. lol

mmmm snuggles

[amyjeans]

I must not be around other nursing mamas because I have never smelled it on someone else. I can smell myself- and my skin, but not the milky smell I guess.
I think it is sweet, though that your little one remembers your smell. I bet it stays with her forever. One of those smells, she may encounter one day when she's an adult and it will make her stop in her tracks and get all warm and fuzzy...all because of you! (like granma's cookies, ya know?)

[ps4624]

It's so funny - I read your post last night and thought it was interesting (i.e., a little weird ). This morning my DD woke up, leaned over, smelled my nipple and said "Yum!". I guess you're on to something!

[indie]

I work with bfing women all day and never smell it. Maybe I'm not paying attention or not getting close enough.

[GardenStream]

Odd, my 4 year old told me yesterday morning that I smelled like "boo milk." I thought he was being silly. Now I'm wondering if he really did smell me. We were all lying in bed and I was nursing DS2 and DS1 was cuddling up to me. DS1 weaned a few months ago, maybe I do smell like breastmilk....

[skyewriter]

wow just talked about this!

Was telling DH how scent of baby was was amazing & how it is more intense when baby is asleep.... it almost like a sip of wine or something when you smell them while they sleep on you! euphoric. So he thinks I'm nuts... but bet its like that when they smell us, my 11 yr old leans in and just relaxes like a baby, and yes he is sniffing baby and me... he loves it!

[Mama2mc]

My newborn niece used to snuggle and try to nurse when I held her, she never did that with other non-breastfeeding adults, I'm sure she smelled my milk. But I doubt the smell is noticed by other people.

[JamieCatheryn]

I've had DH and other men say they didn't know what we were talking about with the baby head smell. I think mainly babes are attuned to even notice mommy milk pheromones and moms are mainly attuned to notice baby heads. DS2 has always loved to be with anybody (no separation anxiety ever) and my friend who's had 5 kids and is done would usually hold him at church as an infant, I looked over and saw her taking long blissful sniffs of his head sometimes lol.

[cheenya]

One of my favorite things about extended breastfeeding has been being able to hear from my children about their experinces. When I told DD that I was pregnant with DS2 she was still nursing and said "I thought so, your milk smells like you're pregnant, just like it did when J was in your belly." She was 5 at the time. I had never thought of the smell of milk changing before that. I agree though, infants are tuned in to the smell of breastmilk, but very few adults would notice it.

[rhiOrion]

I can smell it on me, sometimes. Mostly just a slightly sour (but not always in a bad way) milk smell. I doubt other adults ever notice because they don't generally get all up in my boobs.

Probably if you walked into my bedroom you'd be able to smell it, though. Lots of washable nursing pads in the laundry, nursing bras, plus it's where DD nurses the most.

However, I've never thought DD's head smelled like anything. She has an oddly scentless head!

Generally I'm just glad when I smell like anything but baby puke.

[cappuccinosmom]

I've never noticed a "smell" and I've been around a lot of nursing women. I think it is more of a "sense" than an in-your-face odor, kwim?

My dh has commented on it once. He just leaned over (in chuch ) and said "Wow, you sure smell good." I asked what I smelled like, because there was no perfume or even lotion. He didn't know how to describe it, so he said "Well, uh...you smell like a mom. And it's good". That was one of the best compliments I've ever gotten. So sweet.