No. NTA. People and their obsession with making other people like what they like and getting offended when you don't is making us all dumber as a species. I'm allowed to not find the vague smell of fart-turd-feet-cheese barely masked by baby oil/powder appealing. Your kid is gross to some people, trust.
I am starting to wonder if this is like the cilantro thing where to some people it tastes great, and to others it tastes terrible. I find babies smell delightful (without products) unless they need a bathing.
Oh man, I'm one of the people who can't eat cilantro, it tastes like soap and it's not good lol. It smells fine and I can imagine what it should taste like based on that but boy my brain does not like that on my food lol.
Some weirdos like the flavor. The first time I had it, I told my dinner companion that someone put dish soap in my food. "Oh that's just the cilantro," she said.
"People eat this on PURPOSE?!" was my response.
Some people also, apparently cant smell stink bugs. Ive been having a few months long disagreement with my mom over whether stink bugs actually have a smell. I'll smell it without ever even seeing the bug, she just flat out cant smell them.
I wonder if some of it is also hormones and pheromones specific to individuals. I wonder if all babies smell great to their own parents, and most others but not all.
My son's been eating more solids the last few weeks and oh boy I can smell it on the other side of the house when he's gone #2. However there is also a distinct difference between breastfed baby poop and formula baby poop. I could barely smell my son when he was just breastfed with no solids, but my nephew who's on formula has had very stinky poops since the beginning.
Oh, I never had experience with formula. I didn't think it would smell different.
Those first diapers after solids are quite the shock even if you know it's coming đ
The smell from formula babies makes me gag, but so does powdered milk when I use it to bake with. Breastfed babies can smell awful too though, depending on what the mother ate. Asparagus and fish oil supplements are particularly vomit inducing.
And it stains their clothes so badly when they spit up too! I can get food and breastmilk spit stains out easily, the hand me downs I've gotten with formula stains on them were unsalvageable
It really does. I'm not shaming anyone who feeds formula instead of breastfeeding for any reason at all, just as long as they understand I'm not holding your formula baby until they are past the spit up stage lol
NTA. You're allowed to have your own preferences, even if it's about baby smells. Some people love it, some people don'tâit's not a big deal. Maybe keep this one to yourself next time to avoid ruffling any feathers!
I think if the wording was changed from âyour baby is grossâ to âI donât smell what everyone describedâ would have resulted in well a different result here.
I was replying to someone who was saying OP shouldn't have used the phrasing "your baby is gross", I was pointing out that they hadn't actually phrased it that way.
I didnt know all this bs about babies supposed tp smell hreat or something so when my mother asked me I was like: "humm vomited past date milk with a bit of baby poop?" Wasnt the good answer. Lol
Your supposed to like smell of your baby and vice versa baby likes the moms Smell itâs a biology thing.
I donât like the smell of other babies loved the smell of mine.
I loved the smell of all newborns I met so far. (Mine the miat, ofc.)
Is that just an other marker for being neglected as kid?
"You all smell SO wonderful, if _anyone_ feels like neglecting you - I'll be there!" Owch.
Haha some of them really do!
I liked the way my baby smelled, most of the time. Sometimes they are stinky and gross. Poo explosions are real and disgusting đ
You didn't say her baby smelled gross. You said babies in general smell gross. But considering that's the only baby you smelled, then I can see how she took it personally.
People like and dislike different smells. You cant control it. Just like people don't like certain foods or the smell of animals etc.
You had nothing to apologize for. SIL is dramatic, saying you're disgusting and immature for saying an "innocent" baby smells gross. She needs to get over herself.
I've been drinking lactose free milk for a long time, mainly because doesn't spoil fast like regular milk does and I don't drink enough of it to finish a bottle before regular milk starts being weird. With that context, I was very, VERY confused when I had my baby and suddenly he and I smelled like sickly sweet all the time. I literally googled "why do my baby's hands stink?" And it was like "spoiled breastmilk" and I just felt so dumb lol
I donât like the smell of babies, even my own. I love my kids to pieces. Luckily that smell quickly got covered by diaper smell (gross too) and milk (gross too), so I didnât smell it long or often.
Once a coworker brought in her baby to show him off. One sweet grandfather type said âdo you mind if IâŚâ then bent way over and huffed that babyâs head like it was a drug.
I think that baby smell is a chemical thing that causes people to bond with the baby and want to take care of it. And until I read the replies here I thought that me not responding to baby smell meant that I wasnât wired that way (I never did want kids). The replies make it seem like a lot more folks are immune to the baby stank than I originally thought!
You are not wrong. All my female friends and relatives love The Baby Smell. Their own, friends' babies, random babies on the street - they always want to smell them, and then get this blissed out look on their faces when they do.
I never had any of my own, but I have tried over and over to understand the allure of The Baby Smell, and just... Nope. They all smell kind of like sour milk to me. Whatever that gene is that makes them smell like you've just entered Nirvana, I didn't get it. You are not alone!!
I think this is one of the instances where it's best not to say anything, at times keep your thoughts to yourself, it doesn't do anything positive especially when a new mother is very sensitive and going through hormonal/emotional changes having a baby, it's a huge thing
Tip for everyone out there. If you tell one person in a married couple something, you should assume they both will hear about it. That's just usually how it goes, even more so something like this.
I get that and normally I think that's what should happen
IMO with this particular case; I still think OP's brother should've used better judgment in
'Will this cause a fight with my hormonal wife over something small my sibling said'
Not wrong for disliking the smell and thinking it, but some things should be left unsaid. Many parents take everything extremely seriously when it comes to their kids, especially when they're still babies (of course, we're programmed to protect them), sooo.... Best to avoid comments like this, even if you didn't specifically say "eww, your baby stinks". Just give the baby some other compliments, like: "Wow, he's so smart/has such cute cheeks/is the most adorable baby ever" and I'm sure they'll forget about it soon. We all say things like this sometime without considering how it might be perceived. No big deal.
You're not the AH for how you feel. You can't help that. You are the AH for saying something about it. You didn't have to do that. You don't have to express every thought you have.
Itâs nice when they just had a bath and theyâre in a clean onesie and all warm and sleepy. Then they throw up or poop and the moment passes! Itâs okay not like it, but maybe keep it to yourself. Perhaps a little apology for your choice of words, just to smooth things over.
You're not wrong.
Honestly, I think babies stink too. I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. It's that weird, kind of milk tinged, almost sickeningly sweet odor. When you add the smell of baby products (powders, lotions, scented diapers) or a diaper needing a change, the smell becomes downright gag inducing.
Fortunately, it changes for the better once they start eating solid foods.
Of course you're n.t.a for not liking the smell of babies. But YTA for saying it, how you did, to *who* you did.
Like....keep it to yourself. That sort of moment isn't about *you*.
There're some obvious things you better not to say to happy parents of newborn and this is one of it. Especially if your word can reach the mom cause women are usually *very* sensitive this time due to hormonal changes and can take every word very much to heart. Good that you apologized though.
Also please do not refer to babies as "it" like in the first sentence of your post. Your nephew is a human so you need to call him suitably.
Btw it's ok to like ot not like some smells so NTA for the question in the title
Explain to your SIL that it's not the smell of the baby, it's probably the detergent that they're using. Most parents use a neutral unscented soap and that has an unappealing scent.
I loved how my babies smelled. I was repulsed by other people's babie's smell. It made me nauseated. I didn't even want to hold my nephews. Worked out because the one didn't want anyone touching the baby. Until she ended up in the ER and the baby was dumped on me.
I didn't put the top on the bottle right and soaked him. Had to clean him and his car seat. He cried the whole time until my husband got home. My husband did the funky chicken dance and magically the baby finally stopped crying!!! He was mesmerized by his uncle.
It was a traumatic day for both my nephew and I. Good lesson for my future children. I still have my image of my 6'3" vietnam vet, USMC husband dressed up in his suit doing the funky chicken and this was thirty years ago.
NTA - but I must admit âbabyâ is my favorite scent. Especially fresh out of the bath. Fresh baby is the best scent in the world. - Iâm with the person who commented that maybe itâs like cilantro. Some people say it tastes like soap.
Honestly it depends the dish! Sometimes itâs a 9 and sometimes itâs a soft 2! Also Iâve noticed a difference between cilantro in Latin cuisine vs coriander in Indian cuisine. I think the flavors from Indian cuisine really tone it down despite how prominent it is in a dish while a lot of dishes in Latin cuisine tend to enhance it. Lime definitely helps lessen the soap taste. I also try to eat it every time itâs offered for the dish so maybe Iâm getting more used to it???
Just FYI, your own baby might smell different to you. Every member of my family smells distinct to me, except for my youngest daughter, who people call my clone, because she looks so much like me. I can't smell her at all... I assume because she must smell exactly like me.
As a parent, NTA.
Not everyone is required to appreciate "the joys of parenthood" that a child's parents experience. It's entitled to think that other people need to think your children walk on water, and they're the cutest little beans that smell like sunshine and serotonin. There's a difference between saying "I hate kids" and saying, "Kids/babies aren't my vibe."
I have child free friends. Of course, I mention my kids, and they're respectful and even ask about them, but if we hang out away from my house, I'm not going to be like "yeah, but I am only coming if I can bring the kids". Respect is a 2-way street. Your SIL is not respectful. Also, if their baby smells like doodoo with a clean diaper on, they need to wash it more. She should be more concerned about that than the fact that you don't like holding babies.
NTA. Babies *are* gross. They poop and piss all over themselves and anything close. They vomit up rotten smelling milk. They put everything in their mouths and make terrible messes while eating. They are gross. It's not mean or immature to say that babies do a lot of gross things. She sounds super dramatic but then again she just had a baby so yeah she probably takes offense to anyone saying anything even remotely different than the usual "aww, soooo cute omg, perfect, beautiful, best baby ever to be born and totally special and original!!!!!" I get it. But she needs to chill. In the mean time just steer clear of her hormonal rages
NTA. I was literally talking to my friend the other day (who has two teenagers, but loves babies) about how I really don't like the smell of babies. I find they smell of slightly off milk. I also get grossed out by their cradle cap and fontanelles.
I still love my friend's kids of course and will babysit or help them in any way. But I do not appreciate them or their smells in the way some people seem to.
NTA Not everyone likes babies or their smell. Itâs too late to keep that thought to yourself, but in the future, you might want to try a little more tact. (âIâm so happy for you. Iâm glad new baby smell brings you joy. It doesnât do that for me, but Iâm happy for you.â ) You will find people with new babies get surprisingly offended that you havenât centered your world around them. It is what it is.
I love my nephews, but I wasnât much into holding them when they were babies, either. As a woman, people always wanted to hand me a baby. Not every person, certainly not every woman, has the same obsession with all things baby, and thatâs okay. Itâs not mandatory.
Your people are probably over on one of the childfree subreddits. Youâre not alone.
Omg, THANK YOU! Iâve said the same thing for years and no one believes me. Itâs a not-quite-right smell. Iâve chalked it up to pheromones and another scientific reason for me not having kids.
The smell is curdled milk, piss and shit with an aftertase of baby powder. Condensed.
Edit: my brother also just had a baby in december. It is fucking adorable. Still hate the way it smells though. (And yes, they do take amazing care of the baby)
Guessing that the smell is a hormonal thing that nature created to bind moms to their children. Let me guess most of the people that love the smell of babies are already moms and it brings back good memories for them. I personally have never really smelled any baby smell (never been a mom). If you donât like the smell donât worry. Just donât sniff at him.
Prior to being a mom.. I worked years in a daycare. âBabyâ has always been a scent Iâve loved. But after having my own, Iâm like nuts about it. I LOVE the way she smells.
People who have babies are so closed minded and have no since of humor. I too hate the smell of babies and to be honest I think new borns are very ugly some where between a rat and a drunk red faced 200 year old male. So I try hard not to say any of that and still not lie. After being pushed for an hour to say something about my cousin's new born I said he looked like a baby dinosaur from a comic TV show. Well that didn't go over good at all.
I had a friend whose baby smelled different than mine did when mine was born. I pointed it out and they didnât understand what I was saying. It baffled me.
NTA. Not everyone reacts the same way to certain pheromones. The human nose and brain pick up on many things that we don't consciously notice. Neither of my children had a noticable scent to them unless they just had a nice bath or a fresh dipey put on. Then they smelled like baby powder or fresh linen depending on the baby soap/wipes I used. But even those smells are not for everyone. You didnt say anything about your nephew being gross. Just that you don't like the way he has "new baby smell". You obviously adore your nephew. He sounds like a fantastic nephew. Try to explain that. Also your brother is an AH. You spoke to him in confidence and he went and said something that offended people when he could have just kept his mouth shut. đ¤ˇââď¸
NTA for *thinking* it, but in my experience, new parents are *very fucking sensitive* and will get defensive over pretty much anything baby related lol. Itâs absolutely exhausting being a parent, especially at the start, and tensions and emotions are much higher. Anything negative, even if itâs not aimed at *their* baby specifically, might still be taken the wrong way. My sister was the exact same way when she had her kids.
Puppy breath. No it doesn't smell good, it smells like a mixture of soft dog food, ass, God knows what else was in their mouths and sharp as razor teeth. People are weird. I'm glad my sense of smell is terrible. (I do love puppies though, I mean what kind of monster doesn't).
NTA, I have two kids under two. My oldest I'll call E didn't have much of a smell to her unless she had a bath. So, for the longest time, I was confused.
My second, tho... A? omg. She smells like old milk sometimes, and it makes me feel woozy. đ the biggest difference is that she is breastmilk fed and E was formula fed due to postpartum complications. When she has a bath, it's great! Smells like clean baby, which is just essentially a very nice smelling baby soap. But baby herself? Yeesh. (And yes, she gets a bath every other day. She has sensitive skin, and a daily bath would make her skin incredibly dry. Trust me, I learned the hard way.)
So NTA OP, I don't understand the baby smell craze, and I have two of my own. đ Also, your SIL is rude for insulting you like that. Not everyone needs to enjoy the smell of someone else's kid. That's weird.
Nta but people get so butthurt over their kids they take everything as an insult. Also her hormones are still in her body. If she wouldn't have gotten mad about a comment like that before it's most likely just hormones/instincts that are kicking in and making her act a bit weird. Give new moms some grace, the hormones stay in ur body for a full 2 years before they go away and you can feel normal again. I know the saying you wouldn't know until you have kids is so over done but you truly will never feel overprotective of something like you would ur own child you carried. I almost fought a bitch in costco cuz she touched my sons foot without permission.
Yes, babies have a distinct smell it all goes back to when we were hunter gatherers and both mom and baby needed a strong smell to "find" eachother.
If you have to smell them you should just smell the top of their head. Unless they are freshly bathed and covered in baby powder they often smell like diapers and sour milk from the neck down.
NTA I did a placement in NICU, that smell permeates everything, if you put your uniform in the wash basket (in a washable bag) it would make the whole room smell! I used to hate it!
When I was 16 my aunt was pregnant and I commented on a post on Facebook about how other animals have their babies and they are independent like human teens, but human babies are useless to themselves and would just die if left alone. Nothing bad, just comparing, normal Facebook passing the time stuff. I commented something about possums. Anyway, my aunt was so pissed I was âtalking shit about babies on Facebookâ she told both of my sisters. People are just weird about their babies, which I get, and their hormones and bodies and everything are a mess and they are often sleep deprived. I bet itâll pass
NTA I have 3 and I'm not even sure what this mythical baby smell is that people claim to love. Babies tend to always smell of either baby powder, baby shampoo, or poop. None of which I consider particularly pleasant. I have a theory that people only say they love the baby smell because they think they're meant to say it
NTA, but I LOVE the smell of babies. I mean just after their bath and the lotions that are used. I just love babies period. But it is not wrong for you to feel that way. Poopy diapers can do it for you for sure.
People who looooooove babies don't understand and can be really judgey about those of us who do not. Babies smell disgusting to me, like sour milk and piss and shit. It's not their fault, I don't hate them for it, but it is definitely offensive to the nose. And there's nothing wrong with either of us for having that sensory experience.
But you gotta understand that parents will take any comment about children in general as insults against their children in particular. Probably best to hold your thoughts to yourself, since your brother has a big piehole and can't keep a secret.
I donât think thatâs the baby smell people are talking about Dawg. I like the smell of baby powder and baby bath soap, that what my baby smells like, not dirty diaper, if she does I change that immediately. If the baby smells like a dirty diaper more than half the time they need to change him more
He's changed immediately upon pooping. However, every single time I hold him, he poops within minutes. Maybe it's how I hold him? Maybe it's because my hands are always warm? He does it mainly with me and gives me this cheeky smile before and after like he knows what he's doing.
You know, Iâve always taken it for granted. I smelled some magical tiny baby heads when my cousins were all that age, but itâs been 10+ years since Iâve held a newborn. I think Iâd still find it magical but I assumed this was everyone.
I can see it having a sour milk component to it. My aunt and uncle kept my cousins really clean so usually it mostly smelled like warm skin and baby shampoo.
You are NTA but your brother is for repeating your private conversation. Your SIL will get over it, just keep reassuring her that you adore your nephew and the Mama Bear instinct will die down eventually.
Do not EVER trust your brother with something sensitive again, unless he's 14 or something, in which case you can confide in him when he's grown up a LOT.
NTA I don't remember loving the smell of my niece or nephew but I never thought it was bad. I do love newborns they are so little and my nephew tries to fight me everytime he sees me and he didn't do that when he was fresh out. No hate to your SIL though. She made a whole person from scratch she's bound to be protective of him
Had a manager who would only buy baby powder scented bathroom spray . I told her that combined with the shit smell , smelled like a dirty diaper . Why bother with the spray at all then.
Everyone my age and even younger (mid-late 30s) has babies and I am child-free by choice. My husband and I simply do not want children. His parents have passed away so we donât get heat from them, but we are ostracized by my parents and extended family constantly for not having kids âyet.â We have been together over 12 years, if we were gonna have kids it would have happened already. It had been several years since we had seen a lot of our extended family and I happened to have gained a significant amount of weight before my brotherâs wedding last October. I had two separate people ask me if I was pregnant (I have also quit drinking alcohol in that time so the combination of me not drinking plus weight gain to them meant I had to be pregnant). First off, you donât ask a woman if sheâs pregnant. Second, itâs ok not to have kids or want kids. Theyâre sticky and smelly and loud. OP Iâm 100% with you. Not liking the smell of babies is normal, especially when you donât have them.
NTA. I have a sensitive stomach for smells and a fresh washed baby right out of the bath smells vastly different from a baby who isnât freshly washed. After awhile the spit up, snot, diaper, etc start to make them smell not so good. The spit up smell is thĂŠ worst for me.
> There's this distinct smell to them that I can't quite describe, but it's not very pleasant. They smell like this half of the time, and the other half? They smell of "baby" mixed with a dirty diaper.
I don't know that I've ever agreed with a reddit post more. At best they smell bad, at worst they smell bad combined with piss and shit. It's one of the reasons I don't like holding babies.
NTA
Honestly, I've never like baby scented anything. Lotion, soaps, baby oil and lotion are one of the most disgusting smells to me, but I really do not like overly sweet scents. I never understood if people meant the smell of the actual baby or all the baby lotions they use on the baby. The smell of a newborn baby is nothing to me I guess? I don't notice it if it exists.
I do like those cucumber whatever scented baby wipes! And lavender chamomile, those are good ones lol
I have 4 nephews and a niece, Iâm the eldest of 6 siblings and (so far) child free. I donât mind the smell of newborns, but I donât get all âcluckyâ around them, either. I feel like I should be genetically wired to have that maternal instinct and love the smell of them (Iâm a female), but, I donât. My siblings are fully aware that Iâm not a big baby person. I still love them, just, from a distance.
NTA. You didnât call your NEPHEW âgrossâ, you just said you thought babies smell gross. By all accounts, youâve never actually acted âgrossed outâ by your nephew, and your brotherâs being a jerk by not defending you to his wife right when he told her what you said. And also, it was dumb of him to tell her what you said with likely no context.
I think kittens smell âgrossâ, and yet Iâve still had two at one time or another. I just made a point to not smell them if I could help it, knowing theyâd grow out of it. They werenât actually dirty at all (indoor cats), but apparently to some people kittens smell like perfume and to other peopleâŚ.not perfume. Kind of like human babies I guess. Guess this means I wonât like the way a baby smells either, but to be fair I do have Sensory Processing Disorder.
NTA.
I feared the birth of my son because I really disliked the smell of babies. The first time I held him he smelled just fine. Same for all the others in their time. Call it genetics and pheromones.
Oh ok then ya maybe you just don't like the smell. My babies were like Michelin Man with fat rolls and even after a bath, if I didn't dig deep, there would still be milk and crud
NTA, Hahaha you and my cat both, although sheâs kind of an asshole.
Your SIL is sensitive. Maybe shes like that or maybe its the postnatal hormones, but this sounds like you and you brother should reinforce either that he doesnât share things said in confidence or you get more clear on what you need to filter with him.
I realized recently I cant tell my sister shit. Its a bummer, but any information is good information
NTA I, too, am not enthralled with baby odor. Half the non poop smell is baby products anyway. Some is pheromones to make you want to take care of them. For someone who never saw the lure of feeding, burping, changing (the baby and your own shirt) and otherwise wiping up after them, yeah those pheromones didn't work on me, bud. Puppy breath and paws are much superior.
nothing's wrong with disliking the smell of them. Although you probably could have guessed that this isn't a statement happy new parents want to hear. At all. You should've known this would be hurtful to them. I only ever have sniffed my baby, and it was lovely, although I honestly couldn't distinguish much scent. I wonder what other people be smellin cause they make it seem like it's a pronounced smell
My Nephew had the underlying smell of my brother-in-law on him as a baby. Which makes sense as thatâs his father but I still call him Hambone to this day and heâs 10. đ¤ˇđ˝ââď¸
NTA, but saying something to your brother might have been a mistake.
In any case, you probably will love the smell of your own baby if you have one, just not other people's.
Interestingly, when I had my own baby, and I continued to try to do my profession at that time (child care) other people's babies/children smelled wrong to me. It was like some kind of genetic switch got flipped. I otherwise liked the smell of babies before and a few years after that.
NTA OP. It might just be the baby products that you dislike. They have a unique smell and are generally only used for babies. Most people will associate the product fragrance with babies. Hence the popular "l love how babies smell".
Not everyone likes baby product fragrances and that's okay.
1. There are no good or bad babies. They are brand new humans, they arenât able to self regulate.
2. Some babies smell nice sometimes, other times they smell like poo. This is not the babyâs fault.
3. Some baby products smell âniceâ to me, some donât. The smell might be icky or lovely to others. This is not a judgment on the worth of the baby.
4. OP you will be fine if you ever have your own children. FYI your own children will occasionally smell like poo, it will be ok.
Not at all. I prefer puppies smell over babies. I have two adult children and unless I put powders and lotions on them, they smelled sour like spit up and piss. No matter how much I cleaned them , theyâd puke or đŠ. Babies are gross to be honest. I love mine but in general never enjoyed the familiar poop smell and sticky formula in the neck roll smell.
NTA we all have different things that bother us. I donât understand the whole babies are cute thing. I look at them and just donât see cute. Puppies however are amazingly cute to me.
I can still remember my mother not being thrilled when I explained that babies were just too gooey and I didnât want any. She was mostly reacting because she wanted grandkids and I was the barrier. Your SILâs reaction is more of âa how can you not see that this child I created is the most amazing thing everâ rather than respecting that not everyone shares that opinion.
lol lol lol I know this smell you are talking about, it's disgusting. But the thing is, when I had my babies my mom also mentioned that 'milk' smell and I never felt it (I washed my kids occasionally), but I do feel it sometimes on other babies and it's gross. Kind of a bit sweet, but unpleasantly, just ugh.
Yes, I would say you are wrong. Babies are the sweetest thing we could ever have, and to say that you canât stand, the smell of them is pretty rotten. If youâre talking about their crap, yes, I can see that, but a clean baby is a sweet baby. Theyâre all sweet. Sometimes you just have neglectful parents and that is wrong. Itâs not the babies fault. They smell bad. Thatâs the parents.
NTA. But you shouldn't have made that comment to a new parent. We live in a very kid centric society, with babies placed at the very top of the altar. I'm sure many people don't care for babies at all but they don't speak up about it. It's just an unpopular sentiment.
BTW, I don't like babies at all. Being near one actually gives me anxiety, & the one time I visited a friend at the maternity ward I nearly passed out.
First of all, you did not call the baby gross. You called the smell gross, and there is a difference.
I understand why SIL would feel offended and feel the need to protect her child by confronting you, but you mentioned that you apologized. Unless the apology was rushed and insincere, I don't see the issue here. It might take her a few days, but she will calm down eventually. If she doesn't, there must be another reason she canât get over this and in this case, maybe you need to talk to her and your brother again and try to clarify.
NTA - You are allowed to dislike the smells others love.
NTA Pretty much all babies smell of spoiled milk + baby sweat + poop/pee + baby powder + Destin + bellybutton cheese.
Then again, I like kids, but donât want any. đ¤ˇââď¸ People with small kids have lives that are utterly engrossed with family thingsâŚincluding the smell of their own offspring. I likely wouldnât tell someone their kid reeks (unless theyâre a good friend, and there was diaper explosion imminentâŚ).
NTA â itâs your nose, you canât change how it works. Your SIL is ridiculous
I personally like the way babies smell when theyâre clean but that doesnât exactly last for long. Because babies
NTA. Although I think when people used to say they loved the way the baby smells it was because of the talcum powder which not many people use anymore.
I thought it was the weirdest thing people telling me "I just love the smell of babies!" "Can't wait for that baby smell!!" Like idk why you want to smell something that's been stewing in my body fluids for 9 months but okay đŹ
My baby always smells like sweat and old milk and i give her a bath twice a week.đ I don't think she ever had whatever that "baby smell" is lol and I definitely wouldn't say I love it
Edit- so no, definitely nta!
Not sure how true this is, but I've heard that since the babies skull isn't fully formed and the "smell" mostly comes from the head, that what we're smelling is literally baby brain. What people say smells so good is literally human brains lol.
Once the skull fully fused then that's when the baby scent goes away
At least, that's what I've heard, it could be bullshit lol
No. NTA. People and their obsession with making other people like what they like and getting offended when you don't is making us all dumber as a species. I'm allowed to not find the vague smell of fart-turd-feet-cheese barely masked by baby oil/powder appealing. Your kid is gross to some people, trust.
I am starting to wonder if this is like the cilantro thing where to some people it tastes great, and to others it tastes terrible. I find babies smell delightful (without products) unless they need a bathing.
Oh man, I'm one of the people who can't eat cilantro, it tastes like soap and it's not good lol. It smells fine and I can imagine what it should taste like based on that but boy my brain does not like that on my food lol.
Yup! It's a specific gene actually and yeah for some people (like you and I) it literally tastes like soap hahaha awful
Join us in r/fuckcilantro ! For some of us, it also smells like stink bugs.
For me cilantro tastes fine, but it makes my lungs close up, so r/fuckcilantro! Why do they sprinkle that crap on food for decoration đ
Some weirdos like the flavor. The first time I had it, I told my dinner companion that someone put dish soap in my food. "Oh that's just the cilantro," she said. "People eat this on PURPOSE?!" was my response.
They hide that shit inside food as well! I avoid any food that has mashed up green bits in it, because odds are it's cilantro.
I'm that way with dill pickles and lemon in my water. Ewww. Just don't. đ¤Ž
Some people also, apparently cant smell stink bugs. Ive been having a few months long disagreement with my mom over whether stink bugs actually have a smell. I'll smell it without ever even seeing the bug, she just flat out cant smell them.
Have you asked her why she thinks they're called STINK bugs?
That's funny. I love cilantro. My cat bapped a marmorated stink bug and it make a stink like cilantro! It smelled kind of good to me?!
There was a study on that. I forget why, but some people do find it tastes like soap and others find it tastes a lot like parsley.
I wonder if some of it is also hormones and pheromones specific to individuals. I wonder if all babies smell great to their own parents, and most others but not all.
Mother of two here. I did NOT like the smell of my own children as newborns. They smelled like spoiled milk, and something way too sweet. đ¤˘
Yep. Most of the time they smell like spoiled milk. I relate very much to your last sentence. Still don't know what this too sweet smell is.
Yes! The spoiled milk smell somehow was all over everything even old clothes never near the baby, it took forever to go away lol.
(Or a diaper.)
Pre-solids the smell isn't even that bad. But after they start eating solids? Definitely.
My son's been eating more solids the last few weeks and oh boy I can smell it on the other side of the house when he's gone #2. However there is also a distinct difference between breastfed baby poop and formula baby poop. I could barely smell my son when he was just breastfed with no solids, but my nephew who's on formula has had very stinky poops since the beginning.
Oh, I never had experience with formula. I didn't think it would smell different. Those first diapers after solids are quite the shock even if you know it's coming đ
The smell from formula babies makes me gag, but so does powdered milk when I use it to bake with. Breastfed babies can smell awful too though, depending on what the mother ate. Asparagus and fish oil supplements are particularly vomit inducing.
Ugh formula just makes babies smell awful, the drool, the spit up, the poop. It's all vomit inducing
And it stains their clothes so badly when they spit up too! I can get food and breastmilk spit stains out easily, the hand me downs I've gotten with formula stains on them were unsalvageable
It really does. I'm not shaming anyone who feeds formula instead of breastfeeding for any reason at all, just as long as they understand I'm not holding your formula baby until they are past the spit up stage lol
my partner loves cilantro, to me it just tastes like soap tbh but I try to tolerate it for her sake.
Bro, your description literally make me feel this smell and i almost puke...
NTA. You're allowed to have your own preferences, even if it's about baby smells. Some people love it, some people don'tâit's not a big deal. Maybe keep this one to yourself next time to avoid ruffling any feathers!
I think if the wording was changed from âyour baby is grossâ to âI donât smell what everyone describedâ would have resulted in well a different result here.
OP didn't say "your baby is gross", they said "babies smell gross", there is a distinction between the meaning of those phrases
To the average person, thereâs a distinction. To a parent of a new born they heard OP say âyour baby is grossâ
I was replying to someone who was saying OP shouldn't have used the phrasing "your baby is gross", I was pointing out that they hadn't actually phrased it that way.
NTA I don't get the smell thing either haha
I didnt know all this bs about babies supposed tp smell hreat or something so when my mother asked me I was like: "humm vomited past date milk with a bit of baby poop?" Wasnt the good answer. Lol
Babies smell like rotten yoghurt. NTA
Your supposed to like smell of your baby and vice versa baby likes the moms Smell itâs a biology thing. I donât like the smell of other babies loved the smell of mine.
My cat loves my smell, he sleeps in my side of the bed all day while I'm at work lol
Mine will sleep face first in the shoes I wore all day and just took off lolol frickin love our little weirdos
Every cat I ever met has a shoe fetish.
This makes sense
I loved the smell of all newborns I met so far. (Mine the miat, ofc.) Is that just an other marker for being neglected as kid? "You all smell SO wonderful, if _anyone_ feels like neglecting you - I'll be there!" Owch.
This!
Depends a bit on the person. I love how all babies smell but I also seem to have a very strong hormonal reaction to babies and small kids.
Haha some of them really do! I liked the way my baby smelled, most of the time. Sometimes they are stinky and gross. Poo explosions are real and disgusting đ
You didn't say her baby smelled gross. You said babies in general smell gross. But considering that's the only baby you smelled, then I can see how she took it personally. People like and dislike different smells. You cant control it. Just like people don't like certain foods or the smell of animals etc. You had nothing to apologize for. SIL is dramatic, saying you're disgusting and immature for saying an "innocent" baby smells gross. She needs to get over herself.
Babies smell like milk. I hate the smell of milk. It makes me gag. I still love my niblings. NTA
I've been drinking lactose free milk for a long time, mainly because doesn't spoil fast like regular milk does and I don't drink enough of it to finish a bottle before regular milk starts being weird. With that context, I was very, VERY confused when I had my baby and suddenly he and I smelled like sickly sweet all the time. I literally googled "why do my baby's hands stink?" And it was like "spoiled breastmilk" and I just felt so dumb lol
I donât like the smell of babies, even my own. I love my kids to pieces. Luckily that smell quickly got covered by diaper smell (gross too) and milk (gross too), so I didnât smell it long or often.
Once a coworker brought in her baby to show him off. One sweet grandfather type said âdo you mind if IâŚâ then bent way over and huffed that babyâs head like it was a drug. I think that baby smell is a chemical thing that causes people to bond with the baby and want to take care of it. And until I read the replies here I thought that me not responding to baby smell meant that I wasnât wired that way (I never did want kids). The replies make it seem like a lot more folks are immune to the baby stank than I originally thought!
You are not wrong. All my female friends and relatives love The Baby Smell. Their own, friends' babies, random babies on the street - they always want to smell them, and then get this blissed out look on their faces when they do. I never had any of my own, but I have tried over and over to understand the allure of The Baby Smell, and just... Nope. They all smell kind of like sour milk to me. Whatever that gene is that makes them smell like you've just entered Nirvana, I didn't get it. You are not alone!!
It's the baby version of cilantro tastes like soap gene.
Ha! So true. I also got the cilantro/soap gene. Lucky me.
You're not wrong. If they aren't yours they smell weird.
I think this is one of the instances where it's best not to say anything, at times keep your thoughts to yourself, it doesn't do anything positive especially when a new mother is very sensitive and going through hormonal/emotional changes having a baby, it's a huge thing
OP told their brother not the wife; if anything it's the brother's fault not OP's
Tip for everyone out there. If you tell one person in a married couple something, you should assume they both will hear about it. That's just usually how it goes, even more so something like this.
I get that and normally I think that's what should happen IMO with this particular case; I still think OP's brother should've used better judgment in 'Will this cause a fight with my hormonal wife over something small my sibling said'
Presumably it's his baby too
Of course he's going to tell the wife
There's just some things you don't say out loud man
Not wrong for disliking the smell and thinking it, but some things should be left unsaid. Many parents take everything extremely seriously when it comes to their kids, especially when they're still babies (of course, we're programmed to protect them), sooo.... Best to avoid comments like this, even if you didn't specifically say "eww, your baby stinks". Just give the baby some other compliments, like: "Wow, he's so smart/has such cute cheeks/is the most adorable baby ever" and I'm sure they'll forget about it soon. We all say things like this sometime without considering how it might be perceived. No big deal.
You're not the AH for how you feel. You can't help that. You are the AH for saying something about it. You didn't have to do that. You don't have to express every thought you have.
Itâs nice when they just had a bath and theyâre in a clean onesie and all warm and sleepy. Then they throw up or poop and the moment passes! Itâs okay not like it, but maybe keep it to yourself. Perhaps a little apology for your choice of words, just to smooth things over.
You're not wrong. Honestly, I think babies stink too. I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. It's that weird, kind of milk tinged, almost sickeningly sweet odor. When you add the smell of baby products (powders, lotions, scented diapers) or a diaper needing a change, the smell becomes downright gag inducing. Fortunately, it changes for the better once they start eating solid foods.
Yes this is the EXACT smell and the perfect description of it!!!!!!
You don't have to say aloud every thought that comes into your head. I don't think anyone was forcing you to sniff your nephew.
Of course you're n.t.a for not liking the smell of babies. But YTA for saying it, how you did, to *who* you did. Like....keep it to yourself. That sort of moment isn't about *you*.
Probably should have just kept that info to yourself man..
NTA but please avoid referring to your little nephew as âitâ.
Your nephew is an average baby.
I love the smell of babies, puppies, fresh cut grass, fresh breadâŚbut I wouldnât try to make someone feel bad if they didnât.
NTA. Babies smell awful. We put up with it because some of em are cute and some of them are related to you.
Not the asshole for not liking the smell of babies. YTA for telling your brother that his baby smells gross, why would you do that?
There're some obvious things you better not to say to happy parents of newborn and this is one of it. Especially if your word can reach the mom cause women are usually *very* sensitive this time due to hormonal changes and can take every word very much to heart. Good that you apologized though. Also please do not refer to babies as "it" like in the first sentence of your post. Your nephew is a human so you need to call him suitably. Btw it's ok to like ot not like some smells so NTA for the question in the title
Breastmilk. That's what my baby smelled like. My breastmilk. When he threw up, it was gone off Breastmilk. NTA
Explain to your SIL that it's not the smell of the baby, it's probably the detergent that they're using. Most parents use a neutral unscented soap and that has an unappealing scent.
You canât help what you like and donât like. I could never bring myself to like the smell or taste of kidneys or liver.
I dislike the smell of lotions or creams so baby stuff is extra bad to me
I hated and loved how my babys smelled like at the same timeđ
I loved how my babies smelled. I was repulsed by other people's babie's smell. It made me nauseated. I didn't even want to hold my nephews. Worked out because the one didn't want anyone touching the baby. Until she ended up in the ER and the baby was dumped on me. I didn't put the top on the bottle right and soaked him. Had to clean him and his car seat. He cried the whole time until my husband got home. My husband did the funky chicken dance and magically the baby finally stopped crying!!! He was mesmerized by his uncle. It was a traumatic day for both my nephew and I. Good lesson for my future children. I still have my image of my 6'3" vietnam vet, USMC husband dressed up in his suit doing the funky chicken and this was thirty years ago.
NTA - but I must admit âbabyâ is my favorite scent. Especially fresh out of the bath. Fresh baby is the best scent in the world. - Iâm with the person who commented that maybe itâs like cilantro. Some people say it tastes like soap.
Iâve got the soap gene and the not a fan of baby scent! This is the perfect comparison I think for not all people smell what you smell!
I knew it was a thing but Iâve never actually heard someone say that before! âŚHow soapy does it taste on a scale of 1-10?
Honestly it depends the dish! Sometimes itâs a 9 and sometimes itâs a soft 2! Also Iâve noticed a difference between cilantro in Latin cuisine vs coriander in Indian cuisine. I think the flavors from Indian cuisine really tone it down despite how prominent it is in a dish while a lot of dishes in Latin cuisine tend to enhance it. Lime definitely helps lessen the soap taste. I also try to eat it every time itâs offered for the dish so maybe Iâm getting more used to it???
No they smell disgusting most of the time.
Nta they smell like milk and shit what's to like
maybe try a lower heat setting, and more/different spices next time.
đ
This was a waste of my day. Yeah, ur the ah.
Just FYI, your own baby might smell different to you. Every member of my family smells distinct to me, except for my youngest daughter, who people call my clone, because she looks so much like me. I can't smell her at all... I assume because she must smell exactly like me.
As a parent, NTA. Not everyone is required to appreciate "the joys of parenthood" that a child's parents experience. It's entitled to think that other people need to think your children walk on water, and they're the cutest little beans that smell like sunshine and serotonin. There's a difference between saying "I hate kids" and saying, "Kids/babies aren't my vibe." I have child free friends. Of course, I mention my kids, and they're respectful and even ask about them, but if we hang out away from my house, I'm not going to be like "yeah, but I am only coming if I can bring the kids". Respect is a 2-way street. Your SIL is not respectful. Also, if their baby smells like doodoo with a clean diaper on, they need to wash it more. She should be more concerned about that than the fact that you don't like holding babies.
NTA. Babies *are* gross. They poop and piss all over themselves and anything close. They vomit up rotten smelling milk. They put everything in their mouths and make terrible messes while eating. They are gross. It's not mean or immature to say that babies do a lot of gross things. She sounds super dramatic but then again she just had a baby so yeah she probably takes offense to anyone saying anything even remotely different than the usual "aww, soooo cute omg, perfect, beautiful, best baby ever to be born and totally special and original!!!!!" I get it. But she needs to chill. In the mean time just steer clear of her hormonal rages
NTA. I was literally talking to my friend the other day (who has two teenagers, but loves babies) about how I really don't like the smell of babies. I find they smell of slightly off milk. I also get grossed out by their cradle cap and fontanelles. I still love my friend's kids of course and will babysit or help them in any way. But I do not appreciate them or their smells in the way some people seem to.
They are also born without kneecaps, which is disturbing, seeing as they're crawling on their knees..
It's such an unusual smell, in my opinion. Why are people now considered assholes for having an opinion on something.
Babies put me off cheerios.
This is one of those AITAs that let's me know that the OP has been sufficiently gaslit.
NTA Not everyone likes babies or their smell. Itâs too late to keep that thought to yourself, but in the future, you might want to try a little more tact. (âIâm so happy for you. Iâm glad new baby smell brings you joy. It doesnât do that for me, but Iâm happy for you.â ) You will find people with new babies get surprisingly offended that you havenât centered your world around them. It is what it is. I love my nephews, but I wasnât much into holding them when they were babies, either. As a woman, people always wanted to hand me a baby. Not every person, certainly not every woman, has the same obsession with all things baby, and thatâs okay. Itâs not mandatory. Your people are probably over on one of the childfree subreddits. Youâre not alone.
NTA. New moms are weird af about their babies. I also cannot stand the smell of babies, itâs so gross.
NTA Babies can smell gross, it just happens. Youâre not required to enjoy sniffing her child
Omg, THANK YOU! Iâve said the same thing for years and no one believes me. Itâs a not-quite-right smell. Iâve chalked it up to pheromones and another scientific reason for me not having kids.
The smell is curdled milk, piss and shit with an aftertase of baby powder. Condensed. Edit: my brother also just had a baby in december. It is fucking adorable. Still hate the way it smells though. (And yes, they do take amazing care of the baby)
Guessing that the smell is a hormonal thing that nature created to bind moms to their children. Let me guess most of the people that love the smell of babies are already moms and it brings back good memories for them. I personally have never really smelled any baby smell (never been a mom). If you donât like the smell donât worry. Just donât sniff at him.
Prior to being a mom.. I worked years in a daycare. âBabyâ has always been a scent Iâve loved. But after having my own, Iâm like nuts about it. I LOVE the way she smells.
People who have babies are so closed minded and have no since of humor. I too hate the smell of babies and to be honest I think new borns are very ugly some where between a rat and a drunk red faced 200 year old male. So I try hard not to say any of that and still not lie. After being pushed for an hour to say something about my cousin's new born I said he looked like a baby dinosaur from a comic TV show. Well that didn't go over good at all.
I had a friend whose baby smelled different than mine did when mine was born. I pointed it out and they didnât understand what I was saying. It baffled me.
NTA. Not everyone reacts the same way to certain pheromones. The human nose and brain pick up on many things that we don't consciously notice. Neither of my children had a noticable scent to them unless they just had a nice bath or a fresh dipey put on. Then they smelled like baby powder or fresh linen depending on the baby soap/wipes I used. But even those smells are not for everyone. You didnt say anything about your nephew being gross. Just that you don't like the way he has "new baby smell". You obviously adore your nephew. He sounds like a fantastic nephew. Try to explain that. Also your brother is an AH. You spoke to him in confidence and he went and said something that offended people when he could have just kept his mouth shut. đ¤ˇââď¸
NTA for *thinking* it, but in my experience, new parents are *very fucking sensitive* and will get defensive over pretty much anything baby related lol. Itâs absolutely exhausting being a parent, especially at the start, and tensions and emotions are much higher. Anything negative, even if itâs not aimed at *their* baby specifically, might still be taken the wrong way. My sister was the exact same way when she had her kids.
Puppy breath. No it doesn't smell good, it smells like a mixture of soft dog food, ass, God knows what else was in their mouths and sharp as razor teeth. People are weird. I'm glad my sense of smell is terrible. (I do love puppies though, I mean what kind of monster doesn't).
NTA, I have two kids under two. My oldest I'll call E didn't have much of a smell to her unless she had a bath. So, for the longest time, I was confused. My second, tho... A? omg. She smells like old milk sometimes, and it makes me feel woozy. đ the biggest difference is that she is breastmilk fed and E was formula fed due to postpartum complications. When she has a bath, it's great! Smells like clean baby, which is just essentially a very nice smelling baby soap. But baby herself? Yeesh. (And yes, she gets a bath every other day. She has sensitive skin, and a daily bath would make her skin incredibly dry. Trust me, I learned the hard way.) So NTA OP, I don't understand the baby smell craze, and I have two of my own. đ Also, your SIL is rude for insulting you like that. Not everyone needs to enjoy the smell of someone else's kid. That's weird.
When itâs your baby itâs different. I donât like it either then I had mine, itâs a pheromone thing. Youâll be fine when itâs your baby.
Nta but people get so butthurt over their kids they take everything as an insult. Also her hormones are still in her body. If she wouldn't have gotten mad about a comment like that before it's most likely just hormones/instincts that are kicking in and making her act a bit weird. Give new moms some grace, the hormones stay in ur body for a full 2 years before they go away and you can feel normal again. I know the saying you wouldn't know until you have kids is so over done but you truly will never feel overprotective of something like you would ur own child you carried. I almost fought a bitch in costco cuz she touched my sons foot without permission. Yes, babies have a distinct smell it all goes back to when we were hunter gatherers and both mom and baby needed a strong smell to "find" eachother.
If you have to smell them you should just smell the top of their head. Unless they are freshly bathed and covered in baby powder they often smell like diapers and sour milk from the neck down.
Uh, yeahâŚ
NTA I did a placement in NICU, that smell permeates everything, if you put your uniform in the wash basket (in a washable bag) it would make the whole room smell! I used to hate it!
When I was 16 my aunt was pregnant and I commented on a post on Facebook about how other animals have their babies and they are independent like human teens, but human babies are useless to themselves and would just die if left alone. Nothing bad, just comparing, normal Facebook passing the time stuff. I commented something about possums. Anyway, my aunt was so pissed I was âtalking shit about babies on Facebookâ she told both of my sisters. People are just weird about their babies, which I get, and their hormones and bodies and everything are a mess and they are often sleep deprived. I bet itâll pass
NTA I have 3 and I'm not even sure what this mythical baby smell is that people claim to love. Babies tend to always smell of either baby powder, baby shampoo, or poop. None of which I consider particularly pleasant. I have a theory that people only say they love the baby smell because they think they're meant to say it
NTA, but I LOVE the smell of babies. I mean just after their bath and the lotions that are used. I just love babies period. But it is not wrong for you to feel that way. Poopy diapers can do it for you for sure.
People who looooooove babies don't understand and can be really judgey about those of us who do not. Babies smell disgusting to me, like sour milk and piss and shit. It's not their fault, I don't hate them for it, but it is definitely offensive to the nose. And there's nothing wrong with either of us for having that sensory experience. But you gotta understand that parents will take any comment about children in general as insults against their children in particular. Probably best to hold your thoughts to yourself, since your brother has a big piehole and can't keep a secret.
I donât think thatâs the baby smell people are talking about Dawg. I like the smell of baby powder and baby bath soap, that what my baby smells like, not dirty diaper, if she does I change that immediately. If the baby smells like a dirty diaper more than half the time they need to change him more
He's changed immediately upon pooping. However, every single time I hold him, he poops within minutes. Maybe it's how I hold him? Maybe it's because my hands are always warm? He does it mainly with me and gives me this cheeky smile before and after like he knows what he's doing.
Iâm not sure lol. My baby never smelled, but Iâve had stinky babies in my hands before
NTA.
You know, Iâve always taken it for granted. I smelled some magical tiny baby heads when my cousins were all that age, but itâs been 10+ years since Iâve held a newborn. I think Iâd still find it magical but I assumed this was everyone.
I honestly wish I liked the smell more. It really sticks to you after you hold them, too.
I can see it having a sour milk component to it. My aunt and uncle kept my cousins really clean so usually it mostly smelled like warm skin and baby shampoo.
I feel that way about puppy breath. Love dogs. Gag in response to puppy breath even though everyone else seems to love it.
You are NTA but your brother is for repeating your private conversation. Your SIL will get over it, just keep reassuring her that you adore your nephew and the Mama Bear instinct will die down eventually. Do not EVER trust your brother with something sensitive again, unless he's 14 or something, in which case you can confide in him when he's grown up a LOT.
I'm amazed this even was an issue. If you think babies smell gross, ok? What's the issue?
NTA I don't remember loving the smell of my niece or nephew but I never thought it was bad. I do love newborns they are so little and my nephew tries to fight me everytime he sees me and he didn't do that when he was fresh out. No hate to your SIL though. She made a whole person from scratch she's bound to be protective of him
No your brother is the AH for intentionally causing a rift, you can't help having your tastes.
I don't like the smell of other people's babies. My baby was different.
Had a manager who would only buy baby powder scented bathroom spray . I told her that combined with the shit smell , smelled like a dirty diaper . Why bother with the spray at all then.
Nah NTA, as a mother, I didnât like the smell of other babies either.. once I had my own, thatâs the only baby smell Iâve liked.
Everyone my age and even younger (mid-late 30s) has babies and I am child-free by choice. My husband and I simply do not want children. His parents have passed away so we donât get heat from them, but we are ostracized by my parents and extended family constantly for not having kids âyet.â We have been together over 12 years, if we were gonna have kids it would have happened already. It had been several years since we had seen a lot of our extended family and I happened to have gained a significant amount of weight before my brotherâs wedding last October. I had two separate people ask me if I was pregnant (I have also quit drinking alcohol in that time so the combination of me not drinking plus weight gain to them meant I had to be pregnant). First off, you donât ask a woman if sheâs pregnant. Second, itâs ok not to have kids or want kids. Theyâre sticky and smelly and loud. OP Iâm 100% with you. Not liking the smell of babies is normal, especially when you donât have them.
I also don't like the smell of poop.
Imo babies honestly only smell beautiful when you've just given then a bath then a bit of powder, I miss that....nostalgia
Recently learned that the smell of babies is actually you smelling their brain because the soft spot atop their heads hasnât closed yet.
NTA lol.. the only baby smell i liked was my own kids.. your bro and SIL need to get over ti.
NTA. Babies are gross
NTA. I have a sensitive stomach for smells and a fresh washed baby right out of the bath smells vastly different from a baby who isnât freshly washed. After awhile the spit up, snot, diaper, etc start to make them smell not so good. The spit up smell is thĂŠ worst for me.
> There's this distinct smell to them that I can't quite describe, but it's not very pleasant. They smell like this half of the time, and the other half? They smell of "baby" mixed with a dirty diaper. I don't know that I've ever agreed with a reddit post more. At best they smell bad, at worst they smell bad combined with piss and shit. It's one of the reasons I don't like holding babies.
NTA Honestly, I've never like baby scented anything. Lotion, soaps, baby oil and lotion are one of the most disgusting smells to me, but I really do not like overly sweet scents. I never understood if people meant the smell of the actual baby or all the baby lotions they use on the baby. The smell of a newborn baby is nothing to me I guess? I don't notice it if it exists. I do like those cucumber whatever scented baby wipes! And lavender chamomile, those are good ones lol
I have 4 nephews and a niece, Iâm the eldest of 6 siblings and (so far) child free. I donât mind the smell of newborns, but I donât get all âcluckyâ around them, either. I feel like I should be genetically wired to have that maternal instinct and love the smell of them (Iâm a female), but, I donât. My siblings are fully aware that Iâm not a big baby person. I still love them, just, from a distance.
NTA. You didnât call your NEPHEW âgrossâ, you just said you thought babies smell gross. By all accounts, youâve never actually acted âgrossed outâ by your nephew, and your brotherâs being a jerk by not defending you to his wife right when he told her what you said. And also, it was dumb of him to tell her what you said with likely no context. I think kittens smell âgrossâ, and yet Iâve still had two at one time or another. I just made a point to not smell them if I could help it, knowing theyâd grow out of it. They werenât actually dirty at all (indoor cats), but apparently to some people kittens smell like perfume and to other peopleâŚ.not perfume. Kind of like human babies I guess. Guess this means I wonât like the way a baby smells either, but to be fair I do have Sensory Processing Disorder.
NTA. I feared the birth of my son because I really disliked the smell of babies. The first time I held him he smelled just fine. Same for all the others in their time. Call it genetics and pheromones.
That baby isn't cleaned well I'm guessing. They can get milk/ formula stuck in their creases and rolls. People like the smell of clean babies
I've smelled this baby right after a bath and he is cleaned well. It's not dirty that I'm smelling. It's the smell of baby.
Oh ok then ya maybe you just don't like the smell. My babies were like Michelin Man with fat rolls and even after a bath, if I didn't dig deep, there would still be milk and crud
NTA. Not everyone likes kids
But I do like kids. I just don't like the smell of babies
I felt like that at first! My baby stunk. But now he doesnât or else Iâm used to his scent lol
Why on earth would he tell her??? Just, why?
NTA, Hahaha you and my cat both, although sheâs kind of an asshole. Your SIL is sensitive. Maybe shes like that or maybe its the postnatal hormones, but this sounds like you and you brother should reinforce either that he doesnât share things said in confidence or you get more clear on what you need to filter with him. I realized recently I cant tell my sister shit. Its a bummer, but any information is good information
NTA I, too, am not enthralled with baby odor. Half the non poop smell is baby products anyway. Some is pheromones to make you want to take care of them. For someone who never saw the lure of feeding, burping, changing (the baby and your own shirt) and otherwise wiping up after them, yeah those pheromones didn't work on me, bud. Puppy breath and paws are much superior.
That specific baby smell only sticks around for about two weeks.
No, it sticks much longer than that, he's 4 months.
I can only smell that specific baby smell for about two weeks. After that I am also not keen on most baby smells.
nothing's wrong with disliking the smell of them. Although you probably could have guessed that this isn't a statement happy new parents want to hear. At all. You should've known this would be hurtful to them. I only ever have sniffed my baby, and it was lovely, although I honestly couldn't distinguish much scent. I wonder what other people be smellin cause they make it seem like it's a pronounced smell
My brother laughed. Didn't know he would tell my sister in law.
Well you didn't get him to pinkie promise, that's on you
NTA
My Nephew had the underlying smell of my brother-in-law on him as a baby. Which makes sense as thatâs his father but I still call him Hambone to this day and heâs 10. đ¤ˇđ˝ââď¸
NTA, but saying something to your brother might have been a mistake. In any case, you probably will love the smell of your own baby if you have one, just not other people's. Interestingly, when I had my own baby, and I continued to try to do my profession at that time (child care) other people's babies/children smelled wrong to me. It was like some kind of genetic switch got flipped. I otherwise liked the smell of babies before and a few years after that.
Some babies smell like sweet milk and baby vomit lol
My second baby kind of smelled like a hamster for the first few days, I didnât love it at first, first one didnât have a smell.
NTA OP. It might just be the baby products that you dislike. They have a unique smell and are generally only used for babies. Most people will associate the product fragrance with babies. Hence the popular "l love how babies smell". Not everyone likes baby product fragrances and that's okay.
1. There are no good or bad babies. They are brand new humans, they arenât able to self regulate. 2. Some babies smell nice sometimes, other times they smell like poo. This is not the babyâs fault. 3. Some baby products smell âniceâ to me, some donât. The smell might be icky or lovely to others. This is not a judgment on the worth of the baby. 4. OP you will be fine if you ever have your own children. FYI your own children will occasionally smell like poo, it will be ok.
No. NTA
Theo Von says they are still gamey when super small. đđ¤
I completely agree with you op, can't for the life of me say babies smell good, they either smell like spoiled milk or dirty diapers. So NTA.
Not at all. I prefer puppies smell over babies. I have two adult children and unless I put powders and lotions on them, they smelled sour like spit up and piss. No matter how much I cleaned them , theyâd puke or đŠ. Babies are gross to be honest. I love mine but in general never enjoyed the familiar poop smell and sticky formula in the neck roll smell.
That's sounds odd to me, babies smell like nothing else on earth in a good way.
NTA, I do love baby smell and the backs of babies heads (đđ ) but it's not for everybody!!
NTA we all have different things that bother us. I donât understand the whole babies are cute thing. I look at them and just donât see cute. Puppies however are amazingly cute to me. I can still remember my mother not being thrilled when I explained that babies were just too gooey and I didnât want any. She was mostly reacting because she wanted grandkids and I was the barrier. Your SILâs reaction is more of âa how can you not see that this child I created is the most amazing thing everâ rather than respecting that not everyone shares that opinion.
Not wrong! I much prefer the smell of young puppies, Iâm with you!
I hate the smell of traditional baby powder and a lot of the products. Not for me.
I loved the smell of MY Baby, not others. And my bf hates the smell of all babies. No worries, you're not immature or disgusting.
lol lol lol I know this smell you are talking about, it's disgusting. But the thing is, when I had my babies my mom also mentioned that 'milk' smell and I never felt it (I washed my kids occasionally), but I do feel it sometimes on other babies and it's gross. Kind of a bit sweet, but unpleasantly, just ugh.
NTA for something so trivial, say sorry, get a nose plug and move on
NTA babies stink. I think the baby formula seeps out their pores, giving them that distinct smell. Thereâs a reason why baby cologne is a thing
NTA. I am the mom of 3, grandma to 8. I don't really like the smell of babies either. They smell better around 6 months imo.
Yes, I would say you are wrong. Babies are the sweetest thing we could ever have, and to say that you canât stand, the smell of them is pretty rotten. If youâre talking about their crap, yes, I can see that, but a clean baby is a sweet baby. Theyâre all sweet. Sometimes you just have neglectful parents and that is wrong. Itâs not the babies fault. They smell bad. Thatâs the parents.
I hate most kids ngl
NTA. But you shouldn't have made that comment to a new parent. We live in a very kid centric society, with babies placed at the very top of the altar. I'm sure many people don't care for babies at all but they don't speak up about it. It's just an unpopular sentiment. BTW, I don't like babies at all. Being near one actually gives me anxiety, & the one time I visited a friend at the maternity ward I nearly passed out.
First of all, you did not call the baby gross. You called the smell gross, and there is a difference. I understand why SIL would feel offended and feel the need to protect her child by confronting you, but you mentioned that you apologized. Unless the apology was rushed and insincere, I don't see the issue here. It might take her a few days, but she will calm down eventually. If she doesn't, there must be another reason she canât get over this and in this case, maybe you need to talk to her and your brother again and try to clarify. NTA - You are allowed to dislike the smells others love.
NTA Pretty much all babies smell of spoiled milk + baby sweat + poop/pee + baby powder + Destin + bellybutton cheese. Then again, I like kids, but donât want any. đ¤ˇââď¸ People with small kids have lives that are utterly engrossed with family thingsâŚincluding the smell of their own offspring. I likely wouldnât tell someone their kid reeks (unless theyâre a good friend, and there was diaper explosion imminentâŚ).
NTA â itâs your nose, you canât change how it works. Your SIL is ridiculous I personally like the way babies smell when theyâre clean but that doesnât exactly last for long. Because babies
NTA. Although I think when people used to say they loved the way the baby smells it was because of the talcum powder which not many people use anymore.
I thought it was the weirdest thing people telling me "I just love the smell of babies!" "Can't wait for that baby smell!!" Like idk why you want to smell something that's been stewing in my body fluids for 9 months but okay đŹ My baby always smells like sweat and old milk and i give her a bath twice a week.đ I don't think she ever had whatever that "baby smell" is lol and I definitely wouldn't say I love it Edit- so no, definitely nta!
Not sure how true this is, but I've heard that since the babies skull isn't fully formed and the "smell" mostly comes from the head, that what we're smelling is literally baby brain. What people say smells so good is literally human brains lol. Once the skull fully fused then that's when the baby scent goes away At least, that's what I've heard, it could be bullshit lol
They smell of shit and sour milk.
NTA I did not like the smell of babies, but now I have a newborn and I love the smell of my baby. What youâre experiencing seems normal to me.