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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

If you don't look at your child while breastfeeding you will create psychological problems.

39 replies

emkana · 04/01/2006 20:08

Apparently.

That's what a psychologist said, according to what I just read on a different board. My poor dd's are doomed then - I hardly ever looked at them while feeding (too busy reading/watching TV/being on the PC/reading to dd1/many many other things)

On the other hand my dd's never looked at me either, just at my breast.

Oh dear oh dear

OP posts:
helsi · 04/01/2006 20:08

cowpoo to put it subtly!

hunkermunker · 04/01/2006 20:10

A male psychologist? Hmm

Socci · 04/01/2006 20:10

Message withdrawn

Socci · 04/01/2006 20:11

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lockets · 04/01/2006 20:11

This reply has been deleted

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expatinscotland · 04/01/2006 20:12

does the psychologist enjoy staying up all night b/c he/she 'engaged' the baby whilst feeding and baby took that as a sign it was time to wakey wakey?

load of tosh!

i do look at dd2 all the time - whilst it's day/evening. she looks at me, too.

but i do type on the PC as well, b/c she dozes a lot.

but at night i mean business! feed and then sleep.

georginars · 04/01/2006 20:13

What, was I supposed to look at her even if she was staring straight at my boob? Or was I supposed to make her look at me [perplexed emoticon]
I'd have been staring at her for about 18 hours a day at the start then - I think that would have freaked her out!
worra load of old cack. They never stop trying to come up with ways to make us feel guilty, do they.

Caligula · 04/01/2006 20:14

Well that psychologist should be pleased then.

Another generation of psychologically damaged people to provide him with a living.

fennel · 04/01/2006 20:15

Oh fgs.

i used to grimace, bite on anything handy to stifle the screams, and swear repeatedly in the early days of breastfeeding horrors.

doormat · 04/01/2006 20:16

wow another thing to blame us mothers for
load of shite IMO

Original poster
emkana · 04/01/2006 20:16

There weren't any details about the type of problems, it just said disturbed mother-child relations.

When dd1 was tiny I was really worried because she never looked at me - I had read in several books that all babies will gaze at their mothers adoringly while feeding. Obviously not much to adore in my face. Dd2 didn't bother either!

OP posts:
Caligula · 04/01/2006 20:18

oh fgs all mother child relationships are disturbed.

If they're only disturbed, you're doing well!

harpsichordcarrier · 04/01/2006 20:19

oh SNORT
per-lease

kiskidee · 04/01/2006 20:41

[shaking head emoticon]

Nightynight · 04/01/2006 20:42

ha ha ha
surely nobody who has breastfed a family can have said such a stupid thing.
Breastfeeding = guilt free me time.

modsaluk · 04/01/2006 20:56

I am so glad i have found this web site. All the advice differs from one source to another.

I do not know whether i am scaring my child for life or just doing what a mother should do.

It is good to find other people in the same situation with better, more factual advice.

marthamoo · 04/01/2006 20:58

How?! I obviously have the wrong shaped boobs and have traumatised by boys for life. Plus, breast-feeding was the only time I could actually get to watch TV in peace - why would I waste that time gazing at their little sucking mush ?

hercules · 04/01/2006 20:59

what a load of rubbish!

PrettyCandlesAndTinselToo · 04/01/2006 21:03

Oh pooh! What nonsense!

Perhaps if you never make eye-contact, or ignore them when they try to make eye-contact, you might damage them in some way, but such sweeping statements are utter rubbish. I bet that psych wasn't a mum! Or if she was, then her children were long grown up and flown, and she couldn't remember what it was like.

After all, sometimes they don't want to look at you while they're feeding!

motherinferior · 04/01/2006 21:03

I used to gaze at my glass of wine and psychotically scary thriller.

2Happy · 04/01/2006 21:08

And how exactly does this psychologist intend to prove his/her theory? I bet there's not many mothers who really really never ever not once looked at their baby's face when feeding, and certainly not enough to be able to control for all the other things that can affect a mother-baby bond. Talking out of an orifice other than his mouth!

Millie1 · 04/01/2006 21:09

Oh heck I hope not ... if I look at DS he plays & doesn't feed.

4blue1pink · 04/01/2006 21:11

I have always thought that.......well not that ...but just that all those who condemn bottle feeders- you are alot more likely to have eye contact with a bottle fed baby than a breast fed one. Mine just had an eyeful of jumper!

4blue1pink · 04/01/2006 21:12

With a few biscuit crumbs!

Mud · 04/01/2006 21:12

but they lok at your armpit