Motherhood and the Power of Scent

Bloodhound.

That was my existence the entire time I was pregnant. Eating oranges in the kitchen while I’m upstairs? I knew it. Cutting grass down the street? I knew it. Making french fries two blocks away? Follow my nose.

And that magical baby smell that entered my world for the first time on July 10, 2004? To this day, I will never forget it.

From the moment I held her, I was overwhelmed by this sweet, clean goodness. Burying my face in her hair, in her neck…staring in to her eyes – it is always there.

The smell of baby.

The scent that tells me I have one of my small people nearby.

And then I was gifted another small one.

Like music that can take me back in time to that one moment, the scents associated with my babies instantly put a smile on my face.

Last night, my small dude (now nearly 13) crawled in to bed to snuggle with me. As I buried my nose in his hair, I was taken ALL. THE. WAY. BACK to my early days holding him.

This is the power of scent. And the power of motherhood.

Do you know who has long understood this….the power of scent and its role in motherhood?

My friends at Johnson and Johnson. I have long loved partnering with them, knowing they prioritize mothers, babies and our ability to bond with our children.

Not to mention, the scents of J&J’s baby products are ones that transport ME back to my childhood. There is something so beautifully comforting in wrapping my little ones in the very same sensory love.

Think about all the ways mothers and babies benefit from scents the the routines they can provide.

As newborns arrive in the world, their eyesight is not their primary sense – it is still developing. Smell on the other hand, helps them to familiarize themselves with the people and world around them.

Johnson & Johnson’s extensive and always evolving research has proven scent can enhance our baby’s sensory experience and development. Consider the beauty of a bath routine. If it always happens shortly before a calming bedtime routine, your little one will come to associate that scent with a peaceful end of the day experience.

And this bath time can be a bonding experience for you and your baby. Scent, combined with touch – another monumental sensory experience – can encourage meaningful connection.

J&J’s team of scientists studied more than 350,000 baby sleep sessions to learn more about the effect of scent on your baby’s routine.

According to research conducted by Rosemary White-Traut, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Director of Nursing Research at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, babies who were exposed to a scented product had lower stress levels, which was associated with more positive engagement with their parents post-bath—meaning more smiling, gazing and cooing—than those bathed with water alone.

I’m sure it doesn’t surprise you that a familiar scent can help to encourage your sweet baby to sleep and rest peacefully.

Johnson & Johnson’s 3-step sleep routine – a warm bath, gentle massage and quiet time – has been proven to help your newborns and toddlers ease in to a peaceful night’s sleep.

It is also important to note that J&J, over the years, continues to prioritize both safety and reformulation of their baby products. They want you to know for nearly 125 years Johnson’s^® mission has been to create the gentlest baby products in the world. Products so mild, they can be used for every age and stage of a baby’s life.That’s our standard of gentle.

With a 5-Step Safety Process, J&J also makes available all of the ingredients they use in their products, so that you can focus on bonding with your baby in the most sweet and gentle way – knowing what you put on their skin is natural.

What scents bring back the best memories for you?

Disclosure: I am proud to have a long term partnership with Johnson and & Johnson. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are mine, and mine alone.