Perfume!

[Rebaby]

Okay so when i was pregnant i did a breastfeeding study day for work, during which they talked about how important it was for new mums not to use perfumed soaps or creams after birth as the smells could confuse baby and make breastfeeding harder. A couple of colleauges backed that up afterwards when i mentioned it, although one did say she wore perfume from day one as she always wears perfume and that she didn't have any problems. It was never mentioned at our NCT breastfeeding study day though, nor did the midwives say anything about it.

Well i have been sort of sticking to the advice, using shower gels and shampoo like normal but not adding anything 'smelly' to my skin after my shower, but i know i'll be getting lots of nice smelly things, including expensive perfume, for xmas, and i'm wondering if breastfeeding is established enough now for it to be ok for me to start using it?

What does everyone else do?

 

[FemmeEnceinte]

I don't know, I wear perfumed deodorants and I've had no issues as yet. Maybe not the same thing? Molly will suck on anything though and I'm sure that if she were confused... making sure there's a little milk on the end of my nipple would sort it out.

That said, I'm wary of overpowering her with perfumes as it is. Maybe try it very lightly like behind your ears for a little while and gradually build it up so that baby assosciates the scent with you?

 

[petal040]

I didn't vote because I wasn't sure which way to go - I don't usually wear perfume. I also worried that LO would find the smell too strong. But on the couple of occasions that I have she didn't seem to care, and it made no difference to bf.

Edited to add - I do wear fragranced deodorant and always have. I also use smellies in the bath. I don't apply any creams or anything to my breasts though - and now I think about it - I think the reason I don't is so that they smell 'natural'... although I hadn't really thought about it before!

 

[cleckner04]

I avoid perfume since breastfeeding because I'm worried it could cause headaches for her being so close to the smell. I know I get headaches being around women wearing perfume so I don't want her to have to deal with it on me. Especially when she can't speak up and tell me if she hates it or not.

 

[Faerie]

Aww cleckner04 that is so sweet!

I must admit I always wear perfume, and have many different ones so it's not even the same smell. I avoid spritzing it around the clevage now though, do wrists and behind ears.

 

[Seraphim]

I've been more worried about the chemicals etc... I just dont like the idea of it in my(her) face.

A couple of times when I've de-mummified myself I've used a waterbased fragrance which i kinda spray onto my hair, so it's away from my hands and chest and LO as much as poss.

 

[GersPrincess]

I dont use perfume anymore. I went right off it again during the morning sickness stage, and I still cant stand to have it on me. I use the same baby bathing products as Emily in the bath/shower and moisturising creams and use dove roll on deodrant.
she has sensitive skin and even Johnson's products bring her out in a rash, so for now, that's what I will stick with.

Funny this is, I did the exact thing with my older 2, and they associate my deodrant with comfort, they say it smells of mummy. So I guess they do get used to what smell you use whether it be perfume or something else so I wouldnt have thought it would be too confusing once you've got the hang of BF.

 

[bonbon]

I have never thought about not wearing perfume & haven't heard that it effects bf so I have worn it from the beginning ..... Oops!!
Luckily my lo doesn't seem to mind!

 

[lyre]

i didn't wear perfume for a few after he was born. now i wear less than i used to (hardly anything) and only use it on my wrists and neck,

 

[Lu28]

I still wear perfume every now and then but just wrists and maybe a spritz in the air to walk into. I also use perfumed lotions but again just avoid the nipple area and I don't use anything that's really really strong. It never seems to have bothered her.

 

[Maffie]

I use shower gel that smells of nothing really. I tried a more scented one and Noah was having none of it I do wear perfume if going out but usually spray near hair, wrists etc and he seems happy enough with this.

 

[lisac25]

i always wear perfume but then i dont put it on my skin cos it irritates me, i always spray it on my clothes x

 

[MrsSixx]

I don't wear any at the moment as I seem to spend most days in my trackie bottoms and a hoodie looking not that disimilar to Waynetta Slob. But Beth's nan is one of those women that bathes in perfume - she absolutely reeks! When she's been holding her the poor girl pongs and I have to change her outfit.

 

[MandaAnda]

I'll have to watch this thread. I found some of the same info as you, Rebaby. On one of the walls in my old unit, it had this thing about newborn senses (which was really great because it backed up me always telling people to be quiet and please don't tap on the incubator!), and one of the bits on it said not to wear too much perfume so that baby can recognise mummy's smell. I'm interested to see what everyone else has found via experience.

 

[Whoppy-pop]

I didn't use any perfume for 3 weeks after she was born but since then I use it most days. I don't use a lot and only on my wrists and behind my ears. It didn't upset Amelia at all and we've had no problems.

 

[Elysian1c0]

I don't think it necessarily makes breastfeeding harder, but babies like Mommy's natural smell more. And I know my sister was wearing strong perfume the day and Adi wanted nothing to do with her.

I didn't wear anything scented for a few weeks, more so to avoid traces getting on his skin too. Now I dab a little perfume behind my ears and on my wrists. None on my chest because the baby is always there.