No one has ever said that having a baby is easy. In fact, many people will happily tell you how difficult it is to not only get through the birthing process but the first few months after giving birth as well. But there’s something that happens during the immediate days after giving birth to a human that is so foul that no one talks about it.
It’s the quietest kept secret of child birth and it may not be because other moms don’t want to share all the ins and outs of postpartum. In all honesty, it’s probably not talked about out of sheer embarrassment and confusion on if they’re the only person this has happened to because they also were not warned.
But thanks to social media, more seasoned moms and medical professionals are ripping the metaphoric curtains back to let the sun shine on this totally normal part of having a baby.
Sarah Biggers-Stewart does a weekly series called “Taboo Tuesday” where she talks about the more sensitive topics of parenting and womanhood. In one of her recent videos discussing postpartum someone writes, “that postpartum STANK omg. Was not prepared. Stewart created a video response to elaborate on the awful smell that comes after having a baby.
“I know it sounds grotesque because it is grotesque. And it really didn’t matter what I did, the smell followed me for weeks. I’d use the bathroom and the smell would hang in the air to the point where I would tell my husband don’t go in there,” Stewart confesses.
This isn’t something that’s unique to these two moms that should probably be discussed in hushed tones over crying newborns. No, this is an actual thing that happens to a lot of women but just isn’t talked about. Everyone’s favorite labor and delivery nurse, Jen Hamilton was summoned by commenters to ease the fears of expectant moms. Alas, Hamilton had no ease to give, instead, she delivered the honest, smelly truth.
@thebiggersthebetter Replying to @beca_1_c i wish i was lying but im not and women need to be prepared 🙈 #postpartum #givingbirth #postpartumrecover #girltalk #momtips #realtalk #momlife #protips #havingbabies #thirdtrimester #firsttimemom #newbaby #grwm #chattygrwm #babytalk
“Postpartum stink. I’m sorry to tell you, it’s a thing,” Hamilton starts her video reply. “Since we’re talking about it–the stench. You will have an aroma about your biscuit that you can’t help. Ain’t nothing to be ashamed of, ain’t nothing to be afraid of. It’s just the way that it is.”
She goes on to reassure the curious that it’s not something that will be obvious to other people but that it will be most noticeable to the person who just had the baby. Hamilton also warns expectant moms to not be alarmed when the smell stays around for weeks. So what does this unspoken aroma smell like?
“The smell. If pennies were organic, meaning made out of actual living tissue and that tissue was dying and rotting. Am I selling you yet,” asks Hamilton. “It’s just a specific smell and you really just don’t understand until you get there, you know? It will go away though, okay.”
The videos were like a bat signal summoning the seasoned moms to enter the chat to confirm the weird stench exists, likely further horrifying the already horrified moms to be.
One mom writes “Omg I thought I had an infection when I smelled the postpartum smell. I was slightly worried.”
Another mom chimes in, “death it smells like death. Currently 2 weeks postpartum.”
“I smelled like a bag of onions…my entire body,” one person writes. While another woman reveals, “it smells like a rotten forgotten menstrual product. It’s been 5 years and that smell still haunts me.
@_jen_hamilton_ Replying to @Maggie
This nostril opening revelation has expectant moms and hopeful moms alike declaring they’ve changed their minds on children. Some have gone as far as to ask for a refund.
“38 weeks, how do I go about getting a refund,” a commenter asks.
“Cries in 3rd trimester,” someone writes.
“36 weeks here and I think I’m more scared of postpartum than delivery,” another expectant mom expresses.
While no one enjoys talking about the uncomfortably personal side of giving birth and everything that happens after, it’s a long overdue conversation. Armed with this information, expectant moms can talk to their doctors beforehand about the odor to get clarity on when the smell may indicate an infection that requires a visit.
In the end, it’s best for the information to be out there so there are far fewer new moms suffering in silence thinking something is gravely amiss.