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!  

Calm spaces and quiet feeds... sometimes work

If you can, moving to a quieter place, darker room or even putting a light cover over you both to stop the visual distractions can be really effective, but we know that often these things are simply not possible. Especially as, for some babies, even the slightest noise is a distraction, so the most peaceful, empty room will still be exciting to them. 

Sometimes it might be a matter of letting the feed take a long (long) time, or stopping once they have had a little and trying again later.  

Control the background noise yourself

At home, or if you can while out, play quiet white noise or soothing music to create a steady background sound. This masks some of the other noises your baby may otherwise want to look for.  

Bring the distraction closer to you

Give your baby a rattle or favourite toy to hold while they feed to keep their attention on something close to their meal. 

Similarly, you could make yourself the distraction! Play simple games like peek-a-boo or sing a song using a finger puppet to keep your baby focused on you while they feed.  

Try a new position

If you’re breastfeeding, try a different hold, perhaps allowing your baby more movement for a little while so they feel they can see what they need to know. 

If you’re bottle feeding, try holding your baby angled away from you so they can see a little more of the room while you feed. 

This sense of awareness of their surroundings may just be enough to stop your baby twisting around every time someone breathes nearby. 

Experiment with feeding while moving

Gentle movement with your baby while feeding, either walking up and down or rocking side to side, can offer an alternative type of stimulation while they eat. This might be enough to keep their focus on their meal.  

Above all, remember that it is hard right now, but it won’t last forever 

In fact, it is fantastic that your baby is learning and interacting so much. If all else fails, hold on to the fact that every moment they are distracted, wiggling away or looking for a sound, they are developing new skills and connections in their brain. 

Let yourself be distracted too and come back to the feed when you both feel ready.

Got some tips to share?

If you have any other ideas, or want to report back on how these worked, we’d love to hear from you in our community Facebook group where you can share ideas, chat and get advice from us and other parents.