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Original poster

Questions about my 3 month old and my breastfeeding body odor

5 replies

breastfeedingUSmama · 13/10/2025 00:02

TMI

An embarrassing thing that happens to a lot of women who are breastfeeding is a strong and unique body odor. It's really embarrassing and I fear people think I'm unclean.

But the topic for today is my daughter and my husband. My husband claims our daughter is in a better mood when I really really smell. I'm not sure if that's true, and my husband has a conflict of interest on that topic.

I'm open to all opinions.

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Lavender14 · 13/10/2025 00:05

That's certainly interesting! What's his conflict of interest?

I guess the point of it is to help her identify exactly where the milk is and she knows she's close to you and therefore safe so I guess from a biological perspective in theory, it might make her feel better/ more settled when you're extra scented! I didn't really get this with nursing ds so can't really say for sure!

Original poster
breastfeedingUSmama · 13/10/2025 00:15

Lavender14 · 13/10/2025 00:05

That's certainly interesting! What's his conflict of interest?

I guess the point of it is to help her identify exactly where the milk is and she knows she's close to you and therefore safe so I guess from a biological perspective in theory, it might make her feel better/ more settled when you're extra scented! I didn't really get this with nursing ds so can't really say for sure!

I'm not sure if my husband means it or if he's just trying hard to help me be less insecure.
He told me likes the breastfeeding body odor.

For my daughter, I have heard about the BO is to help the baby know where the milk is. But the idea that it can put a baby in a better mood is not something I've heard before.

OP posts:
fourelementary · 13/10/2025 00:18

Try not to think of it as a body odour so much as a scent like pheromones that we produce to attract us to partners. Similarly the hormones of BFing make you smell yummy to your baby, and maybe your hubby too as it might be a way to keep a protective mate interested in the period with less sex etc. (anthropomorphically speaking of course- not a comment on your marriage!)

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Original poster
breastfeedingUSmama · 13/10/2025 00:21

fourelementary · 13/10/2025 00:18

Try not to think of it as a body odour so much as a scent like pheromones that we produce to attract us to partners. Similarly the hormones of BFing make you smell yummy to your baby, and maybe your hubby too as it might be a way to keep a protective mate interested in the period with less sex etc. (anthropomorphically speaking of course- not a comment on your marriage!)

You're right. Calling it "body odor" does make me feel gross. Calling it a "scent" is better.

OP posts:
Avie29 · 13/10/2025 14:32

so glad i wasn’t the only one, i had read online that your scent is strong when baby is little but never really experienced it before last baby, but then i never fully breastfed before her, used to drive me mad, she is now 22 months (still having the odd breastfeed) but i no longer have the strong scent thankfully lol edited to add: i never really paid much attention to strength of smell- baby’s happiness but thinking back after showering a few times i had to sort of coax her to take a feed almost like she didn’t know it was me lol xx

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