Strange primal confessions of motherhood.

[Alibab1]

I have noticed a couple of fairly primal, animalistic things I have done since having children and wondered if you can report similar?

When my children were very little babies / toddlers I could smell when they were tired. They gave off some kind of unmistakeable scent and I would catch myself sniffing their heads and then that informing me on their state of energy! It's not something I do now, nor do I notice that smell. Perhaps I was more intune back then. I recall it was an intense and pleasant, but definate smell of tiredness. And very accurate!

Also, and I still do this, a kiss on the forehead is a fairly accurate measure of fever. If they felt warm via this method I would then crack out a thermometer of course But the kiss itself seems to be my first stop and my lips being a better gauge for their temp than a hand...

Anyone else got similar primal confessions?

I have two daughters two years apart. When the second one was born I used to get overwhelmingly anxious with the thought that if we were in danger I couldn't easily pick them both up atthe same time and run with them easily. I have no idea why.

Yes, I could also smell when ds's were poorly - definitely a different smell.

I also HAD (not wanted!) to grow my hair when ds2 was born. He's biologically mine (ds1 isn't) and I only got it with ds2, but from the moment he was born I just had to grow my hair - it had always been very, very short, but I grew it to shoulder length for the first time in my life. Everything in my knew he would want to grab it and hold it, so it had to be long....!

Completely bizarre and I cut it when he got older!

Congrats roar

Wow this is so interesting!

I'm pregnant with my first, but my DH and I were discussing names and there was one name that I love, but I caught myself thinking "but she just doesn't seem like an X". Which is obviously nuts because she isn't even born yet, so how could I know she doesn't suit a particular name!?

I'm spending all day and night nuzzling 4 day old Snufflet and I instinctively licked off some detritus from his cheek. I feel the urge to smell his breath and generally sniff all of him to make sure he's well.

It took me a long time to bond with DD, thanks to severe PND, but when I finally fell in love with her, I fell hard. Whenever she cried I had an almost overwhelming urge to lick and nuzzle her face, and would literally be gritting my teeth in order to stop myself. And, oh God, her smell. Absolutely enchanting, every time. I used to sniff every item of her clothing before putting it in the washing machine. When she was only 18 months, another Dad at soft play accidentally tripped over her and knocked her over. The red mist of rage rolled over me and I squared up to the poor bloke and verbally tore him a new arsehole. I could feel all the hairs on my body stiffen and my hackles were up, and I know I went bright red with fury. According to my friend, I was basically snarling and my top lip drew back to display my canines. The poor bloke was half a foot taller than me and outweighed me by about 5 stone but I swear I would have torn him apart, or died trying. Luckily, I let him live.

Nowadays, I still find our teens absolutely adorable and intoxicating, I just think they're both gorgeous. I tell them I love them every day, and sneek in as many cuddles as they, stoically, allow me. Even now, I love the smell of their hair and often have a crafty sniff.

The overwhelming need to kiss lick or just eat my daughter 😂 she is 2 and I'm just as bad now, I have heard that our bodies can detect the micro biome on their skin and therefore produce the right protection in breast milk but I didnt breast feed 😂

Re the smell thing: a
Close friend of mine smelt her young toddler's tumour. She insisted for months that DC's ear didn't smell right and saw several GP's. DC wasn't referred until they started having problems and discharge and only then did GP's realise that it needed investigating - turns out that a rare tumour was wrapping itself around the ear canal and would eventually grow and push into the DC's brain.

It needed operating on (DC is 15 now and absolutely fine) but it could have been very different. All down to her sense of smell. No one else could smell it, not even her DH.

@sirbobblysock I felt exactly the same. How bizarre. It got to the extent that I turned it into a game for my DD's - I'd get one to jump on my back and cling on and I'd see how quickly I could get baby into my stretchy sling. I had visions of me running and carrying them both to survive.

It was bordering on disturbing.