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.

As their eyesight has developed, your baby will have been noticing new details and combining this new information with things they learn from their other senses. Seeing you, being held and enjoying a meal will begin to form an experience for them to settle into. 

How you can build on their interest to help their eyesight

Simply by talking to them softly and making eye contact as they feed, you will encourage your baby to look at your face. This will help to build these special moments which engage all your baby’s senses.

Don’t forget to swap sides! 

To help develop their vision, swapping the side you hold them on for feeds, no matter if they are breast or bottle fed, will allow both their eyes to have an equal chance to focus and strengthen. 

Try a soft light when it's dark

You could enable them to look at you in different lights by using a soft nightlight for nighttime feeds if this works for your routine, so they can see you just like they do in the daytime.