Breastfeeding can be really boring, especially in the early months. Each session takes up a good amount of time, ranging from 15 minutes to an hour. In the first five weeks of your baby’s life, they aren’t making full eye contact with you or smiling. Usually they are eating with their eyes closed or fixed on something in the distance like a light.
Consider developing a habit or rhythm of engaging in presence when your baby is watching. Perhaps when the baby’s eyes are open, even when they aren’t looking at you, you intentionally choose to not look at your phone or watch tv. When your baby’s eyes are closed, give yourself permission to check out and distract yourself in other ways.
This practice of presence will help you as your baby’s awareness increases over time. Around 6 weeks old, your baby will begin to make intentional eye contact with you and occasionally smile at you. By 12 weeks, your baby will seek your eye gaze and hold it, or get distracted by other stimuli in the room. By staying present with your baby, you’ll develop more and more of a tolerance for what can sometimes be boring and monotonous.
As your baby becomes more aware of their surroundings, it becomes more important to stay present with them. The duration of time being present increases as baby ages. For example, your two year old wants you to sit with them and stack blocks.
It is easy to check out and scroll on your phone. It is challenging to be present and focused. Let your practice of presence grow as your baby grows.
