29 January 2024 , 16:16
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The thought of giving birth doesn't normally conjure up questions about what the experience smells like, but one midwife gave her opinion on the matter and it's probably not what you'd expect. The then-student nurse explained how she was told that the amniotic fluid surrounding a newborn has the aroma of a popular confectionery.
In a post on Quora under the heading 'Ob-Gyns, does it smell bad when delivering babies?' the Yale nurse wrote: "As a student nurse midwife at Yale, 23 + years ago, I was told by an instructor that amniotic fluid (which surrounds the baby in the uterus before birth), smells like Oreo cookies."
"That was the predominant aroma during most of the hundreds of deliveries I have since attended. Often there would be some poop smell, but that was quickly eliminated by wiping mum when it happened."
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The midwife went on to liken the smell of blood to wet coins and offered advice to mums in labour on how to bring on a quicker birth. She said: "Blood smells coppery, like wet pennies, and it’s not strong or heavy. Sometimes sweat; labor is the hardest exercise our bodies do. Here’s the good news: prolonged showers during labor can stimulate effective contractions that lead to quicker delivery, better maternal comfort, and elimination of sweaty odors."
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While the good news for anyone wondering if giving birth really smells bad is that it doesn't, according to the experienced midwife. "Bad odors are quite rare, really, in a normal birth," she added.
Dozens of other users took to the online forum to say what they thought giving birth smelt like. One person wrote: "As a firefighter, I've delivered two babies on duty. One on the side of I95, the other in a gym parking lot. From receiving the newborn, to clamping and cutting the cord, to placenta delivery- I've never once noticed any smell!"
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One mum said it was hard to describe it fully but that whatever it is lingers on in the memory. She wrote: "There is a distinctive smell of recent birth that is not offensive, but it is distinctive. It is an earthy bloody smell but has a quality that is unlike anything bad.
"Upon entering a maternity ward you can sense an odor of newly born babies. For about a week the mother's room and bathroom have this smell. It's not a bad odor but it distinctively says ‘'newly born” — hard to describe but memorable and identifiable."