# What does amniotic fluids smell like?



## Satori (Jan 30, 2003)

I've heard various things from its smelling sweet, to no smell, to smells like Comet cleaners to smells rancid like sperm.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Then probably it's different for each woman. Actually I saw one thread where it was really horrible for the first child for one woman and then fine for the next child, so it's apparently different for each pregnancy.


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## crittersmom (Mar 24, 2005)

Mine smelled really, really sweet.Maybe the smell is different if theres meconium or GBS or other infections?


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## MamaTaraX (Oct 5, 2004)

Hmm....withmy first,it basically had no smell. Kind of sweetish if anything. With mysecond, I din't really notice. It broke and he crowned (and flipped) all in one ctx, so taking time to "smell the roses" wasn't on my agenda







I've been to enough births to safely say that it really does smell different woman to woman. Generally it's a pretty sweet smell though, even with meconium









Namaste, Tara


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## DesireeH (Mar 22, 2003)

I've been to quite a few births (when I was doula training) and to me it all smells like semen. LOL One ladies water broke all over my foot and I could never wear those shoes again cause I just kept thinking "semen semen on my shoe!" HAHAHAAHAHA


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## Satori (Jan 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DesireeH*
I've been to quite a few births (when I was doula training) and to me it all smells like semen. LOL One ladies water broke all over my foot and I could never wear those shoes again cause I just kept thinking "semen semen on my shoe!" HAHAHAAHAHA


Then I pray my water doesn't break until the last possible minute! I can't stop vomiting when I smell that stuff







: Guess baby will be getting a bath immediately too if it smells like that


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## DesireeH (Mar 22, 2003)

My water broke right before pushing with my son (cause they broke it) and I dont remember him smelling like that. LOL So maybe it wears off quick. I noticed it more at other people's births. LOL


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## Lousli (Nov 4, 2003)

One of the L&D nurses told me she thought it smelled like seawater. A little like that, I think.


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## georgia (Jan 12, 2003)

My water has broken before labor twice, and both of those times it smelled sort of like sweet bleach


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## ldsapmom (Apr 8, 2002)

Quote:

I've been to quite a few births (when I was doula training) and to me it all smells like semen.
Yep, that's what i think, too.


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## LoveChild421 (Sep 10, 2004)

mine didn't have a strong odor at all- but it did have a slight "buttered-popcorn" smell. That's what I thought my son smelled like when I was holding him and nursing him for the first time. Another friend of mine says her babies smell like buttered popcorn too.


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## georgia (Jan 12, 2003)

Ok, maybe I'm strange, but I LOVE the smell of amniotic fluid on my newborn's head!!! To me, it's heavenly; I get lost in the scent. After having my last two at home--and getting to smell what newborns are *supposed* to smell like---I really felt a sense of loss that I didn't get to chemically (?) bond w/my first like that. It's that powerful for me.

Hmmm, buttered popcorn, that's interesting. I've always thought that breastmilk poops smell like popcorn!


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## USAmma (Nov 29, 2001)

At the births I attended it smelled a little like sweat. I don't remember what mine smelled like-- too excited at the time to notice.


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## wendy1221 (Feb 9, 2004)

I think it smells like sweat. In fact, when my water leaked w/ my last 2, I wasn't sure if it was really leaking or if it was just sweat. My midwife told me she also has a hard time telling the difference. When your water truly breaks and there's a big puddle, it still smells like seat, but it also has a very distinct smell like nothing else I've ever smelled before. It doesn't smell like anything anyone else has described above to me, except kinda like sweat. maybe a little like semen. But that's just my own. Maybe other people's smells different.


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## Viriditas (Aug 30, 2004)

My water broke really early in my labor and gushes of fluid were coming out for a couple of hours. I don't remember any smell at all. But dh kept telling me during the whole labor how fantastic I smelled. Not sure if it was the amniotic fluid or the hormones or what.


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

Canned corn.

I think that mine smelled like canned corn. Both times. I have a hard time eating canned corn now though.


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## indie (Jun 16, 2003)

I've read that it can smell like what the mom eats. So if you were a big garlic eater the fluid might smell garlicy. I didn't notice an odor with mine.


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## SheBear (Aug 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DesireeH*
I've been to quite a few births (when I was doula training) and to me it all smells like semen. LOL One ladies water broke all over my foot and I could never wear those shoes again cause I just kept thinking "semen semen on my shoe!" HAHAHAAHAHA


Keep in mind, though, that not all semen smells the same, either! My dh's semen smells different at different times....not sure if it's due to what he's eating, or what--never thought to try and keep track of it, LOL!







I would assume that the smell would differ widely from man to man, too.

Don't know that for sure, but it seems most likely.

With my ds's birth, my water broke while I was in the tub, so I didn't even know it had broken, much less what it smelled like. With my dd, it smelled definitely sweet, and almond-y. Not at all unpleasant. To me it smelled quite strong (but as i said, not unpleasant), but dh and the midwives said it was mild to them. In fact, dh didn't notice it at all until I asked, then he had to sniff hard to smell anything.


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## bamamom (Dec 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *georgia*
Ok, maybe I'm strange, but I LOVE the smell of amniotic fluid on my newborn's head!!! To me, it's heavenly; I get lost in the scent. After having my last two at home--and getting to smell what newborns are *supposed* to smell like--

Hmmm, buttered popcorn, that's interesting. I've always thought that breastmilk poops smell like popcorn!









Ha ...me too on both counts! I love the way our babies smell ...

and breastmilk poop has always smelled like microwave buttery popcorn...not that i eat microwave popcorn, but it's just that smell!


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## etsba (Oct 17, 2005)

Been at many births; my own, loved ones and as part of my clinicals (I'm a midwifery student). I haven't noticed huge differences in the smell.

But to me it smells of earth.


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