Question for the smart mommas

[lalicopa]

I've been wondering this for a while now...

Is there some sort of gland on the scalp that makes babies' heads smell so divine? I knew Laszlo smelled good, but this little Lily girl smells so good I could just inhale her for hours. I rarely wash what little hair she has because I so prefer her smell to the smell of anything else.

Maybe it's something primitive so parents could sniff out their babies from other babies? Or is it just something in the oils in the hair follicles?

She just woke up and I nursed her back to sleep, and just held her and sniffed her for like 5 minutes before putting her back down. I can't get enough.

Comments

[gilliebean-00.livejournal.com]

OH I KNOW!!!!!!!!!!! Olivias head is intoxicating!!!!! I can smell her head for hrs, I just love love love it! It doesnt always have *that* smell now though, I notice it more when we first wake up, or while shes sleeping. My baby is growing up *cry*
When she was a newborn I used to smell her diapers too(like very newborn) they smelled SO good(ok is that odd? I dont think Ive ever told anyone that before, LOL)

[lalicopa.livejournal.com]

Totally not odd...Robert and I used to say that Laszlo's poops used to smell like sausage...so whenever he went, we would say, "Snausages!" like that dog treat commercial! Then when they started smelling like "normal" poops, we missed our snausages dearly!

[jbarbie23.livejournal.com]

BREASTMILK!!

[mollyf.livejournal.com]

That's such a good question! I too have wondered this. Pheromones? Maybe it's just how b.o. smells when you have no toxins or stinky bacteria yet?

I'm going to hunt for answers online and check back in here if I find anything.

[mollyf.livejournal.com]

I got positively nowhere researching this online and checking through the baby books (Sears & Brazelton) I have handy, so I sent an email to the reference librarian in my town. She's great at finding answers to questions like this.

[lalicopa.livejournal.com]

Can't wait to hear what she finds out!

Ok, so I had to do some research now too, since you've got me even more curious!

I found that several primates have a scent gland on their heads that they use to mark their mates and to define their territory. Hmmm...must be something there.