Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think this is perfectly normal? (warning - a bit gross)

37 replies

AQAHistory · 15/12/2024 14:13

Can you distinguish your family members by their smells? Including by the smell of their farts?

I was having a laugh with a friend, and she claims that it's weird that I can tell, by the smell of a fart, or by a used bathroom, which member of my family (3 kids and DH) produced it. I can also tell who has worn something just by the smell. None of them is a smelly person, they just have their own smells (not BO or products. Just their smells). Turns out she also thinks it weird that, when the kids were babies, I could smell a day before they came out with a virus that they were about to get unwell.

AIBU to say this is is all pretty normal for women?!

OP posts:
AllTangledUpInTinselAndTiaras · 15/12/2024 14:49

Smelling illness coming on is quite normal, but not for everyone IYSWIM, as is distinguishing between body odours/pheromones. The other things...eh I've not heard about that.

HollyChristmas · 15/12/2024 14:47

I could tell when my kids were unwell by their smell but not when older.

Didimum · 15/12/2024 14:44

Yes I can smell people’s individual smells and can smell an oncoming cold on my kids. Never tried with farts before because … yuck.

SmileEachDay · 15/12/2024 14:40

Try going to a primary school. The kids can all tell who a discarded jumper belongs to by smell 🥰

desperatedaysareover · 15/12/2024 14:36

Donald Sutherland, quoting someone or other, said he knew his wife’s farts. Managed to make it seem romantic. I can also identify the family bowels by waft. Is there a gameshow in this?

What is weird is, my bathroom now smells, after me, the way the toilet at home used to after my mum had been in 🤔 Is it hormones?

Shakeyourbaublesandsmile · 15/12/2024 14:21

…oh and I could tell when my daughter was due to get her first period her smell just changed

Shakeyourbaublesandsmile · 15/12/2024 14:19

Not at all weird to me….i have a very sensitive sense of smell. I can smell things other people can’t but to be clear they are not phantom smells. For example I will detect an odour first that other then smell such as smoke, food eg BBQ. So I trust me sense of smell

I can tell who has been to the loo etc the same as you describe. I can also smell when my DH is going to be ill he just smells sort of off.

This hyper sense has got worse since I had Covid and it can be frustrating if I can’t source a smell. I am very selective about what smells are in the house, fragrance wise as I find some overpowering- I can be completely overwhelmed if near a member of the great unwashed where I feel quite nauseated and kind of suffocated.

Yourinmyspot · 15/12/2024 14:17

Definitely agree about the individual person smells and I can still tell when DD is unwell as she smells completely different.

AQAHistory · 15/12/2024 14:17

Spaceid · 15/12/2024 14:16

My husband has the same.

Oh that's interesting. I thought it was a woman thing

OP posts:
Spaceid · 15/12/2024 14:16

My husband has the same.

ObtuseMoose · 15/12/2024 14:15

Bloody hell.

littlebirdiex · 15/12/2024 14:14

no, i don't think this is weird, it's totally normal and i have this myself! :)

Swipe left for the next trending thread