Hey, over here! Some tips to try when your baby is distracted instead of feeding
You’ve settled in to feed your baby. Just as you start to relax, they hear a whisper from across the room and jerk away from you... again! We’ve pulled together our top tips for bringing their focus back during distracted feeds.
There is so much to see and hear in the world, especially now that your baby’s senses are becoming stronger, and they are interested in gathering more information about their surroundings. This is brilliant for their development but can be very frustrating when you know they need a feed, and every little sound has them looking around instead of eating!
What made me watch that? Your baby already has a preference for looking at certain objects
For your baby, the world is full of new things to discover. As their ability to visually track an object (follow it with their eyes) improves, they will be able to look for longer and even co-ordinate turning their head to keep track of an item.
When you’re playing with your baby, you can help them develop this skill by holding an interesting object up for them to look at and slowly moving it from side to side. Notice how long they track it for and their cues that they have lost interest – they might look away or become restless, for example.
Looks good enough to eat! Supporting visual development while your baby feeds
Your baby’s eyesight is developing all the time, and we know how much of their awake time is spent feeding! Your baby loves watching you while they feed, so you could take the opportunity to make some simple adjustments to help develop their vision while they eat.
You're doing a brilliant job... and need to eat well, just like your baby!
As your baby gets older, you might feel you're in slightly less of a cycle of feeds, nappies and sleep, but the amount of time spent on these important needs can still feel overwhelming. You're doing a brilliant job, and looking after yourself and eating well is just as important as caring for those around you.
Massage in the moment – it doesn’t have to be planned
Baby massage can be a special activity you set up for a few times a week – but it can also be enjoyed by you and your baby in tiny moments throughout the day. Here are some ideas to embrace massage without feeling the pressure to have lots of supplies on hand.
Whether you’ve signed up to all the baby massage classes you could get your hands on, or have been learning about this soothing technique online, massage is a lovely way to build on the connection between you and your baby.
Your baby’s brain is developing quickly through everyday movements and interactions
Have you seen quotes about the importance of your baby’s first 1001 days? Or read that 90% of your baby’s brain develops by the time they are five? Then you wonder what all this means – does your baby need Mozart and number cards – do you need to work hard to stimulate their brain every waking moment?
You might be glad to hear the answer to these questions is no – definitely not. Babies are amazing and are primed to learn, seek out patterns and watch and listen to those around them. Lots of the things that support your baby’s development are probably things you do without really thinking about it.
Parent wellbeing – check in with yourself
Parenting – especially being a new parent – can be tough on your wellbeing at times. So, it is important to take care of yourself, and understand how you are feeling about and coping with parenthood.
Taking a step back
If a routine feels unrealistic now, a rhythm to your day might be better
Before your baby arrived, you probably had some sort of routine in place, perhaps a jog before work in the morning or doing the food shop on the same day every week. When you welcome your new baby, it might feel that any thoughts of routine go out of the window. We have some ideas to help!
Think about a rhythm to your day, rather than a routine
Why paying attention to music is an important skill in your baby's developmental journey
Your baby’s hearing began to work well before birth, however, over the past few months, their hearing has developed, and they are now able to make more sense of sounds. Now, they can interpret and distinguish different sounds and they can tell the difference between the melodic tones of speaking and singing.[1] But how do you know they are listening and processing sound?
This is fascinating because research studies have linked that listening to music supports early language development. Studies have shown that having the ability to distinguish between sounds and musical sounds supports babies’ understanding of structure of speech. [2]
Skin-to-skin contact – at birth and beyond
When your baby was first born, it's likely that you enjoyed skin-to-skin contact together. This has multiple benefits at birth, but did you know that it's also great to implement beyond this time?
Skin-to-skin contact at birth
When babies are born, they are usually placed on their parent's bare chest for around an hour or until after the first feed. During this practice, parent and baby are both covered in a warm blanket for extra comfort. This initial skin-to-skin contact can help you to bond with each other and prepare them for feeding.[1]
