The breast sends smoke signals to get baby’s attention

It’s not just breast milk that smells good to a newborn, the breast itself is sending signals into the air – these “smoke” signals are designed to get baby’s attention.

Slip sliding down the birth canal is HARD WORK. It’s not something you want to do with your eye’s open………….. it’s messy.

But once you hit the outside world, it is critical to FIND THE nipple.

The main reason……….

You need sustenance, being born is an energy drain and you need to load up with colostrum, to kickstart living in the outside world.

So as soon as you can, you starting “looking”….

Luckily Mother Nature makes it relatively easy.

Nipple marketing

The breast assembly crew, has gone to great lengths, to ensure all the necessary ducts and pumps are in place and the areolar, the nipple has gotten a fresh coat of paint, turning it into a prominent land mark. As an added extra, the Montgomery glands dotted throughout the areolar, begin sending out puffs of sweet smelling scents.

This is what a team of French researchers discovered…..

It’s not just breast milk that smells good to a newborn, the breast itself is sending signals into the air – these “smoke” signals are designed to get baby’s attention.

And when a newborn …

Catches a whiff

Of the gaseous excretions, wafting out of the little bumps located on the skin surrounding the nipple, the baby gets “excited”.

The team confirmed, that these air borne chemicals, cause newborns to turn their heads towards the nipple. This head turning helps ensure “correct” latching and promotes suckling mouth movements, so that the sucking performance is enhanced.

63 % of the newborns tested in this study, showed a response to these unique chemicals.

It works even when they are sleeping….

Which is pretty amazing, considering that generally speaking, when humans go to sleep, they lose their responsive to the smells in their surroundings.

So these little bumps are clearly important in breast feeding, but, that’s not their primary function.

The biology of these bumps

You may or may not have noticed these little bumps on your breasts before, but they’ve always been there, the hormones of pregnancy, make the bumps more prominent. They’re actually the opening of a specialized sebaceous (oil) gland, that help keep the nipple skin soft and protected.

Most women have between 5 to 20 on each breast.

They perform an important task and without them – the nipple can become dry and crack.

On top of the mountain

Think about it, breast topography leaves the nipple “out in the wilderness” – this makes the nipple prone to environmental dryness and irritation, having these oil spewing glands near the tip, keeps the sensitive breast tissue, well moisturized.

This is especially important, when there is a little friction. Infant suckling can create a little friction – causing nipple problems.