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

[emkana]

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

now annoyed that people actually get funding to research and then publish such complete rubbish.

That's a thought. 4blue1pink. Maybe this psychologist is employed by our old friend Aptamil? ("Breast is best, but will cause more psychological damage than bottle-feeding"...)

Suzywong once made the really interesting point that they have a separate, very intense relationship with the breast. Makes sense to me. Nice things, breasts, more fun to gaze at than a sleep deprived fat harridan.

But a bottlefed baby doesn't get the skin to skin contact every time.

Also I've observed that as bottlefed babies get older they often seem to drink while sitting on their mother's lap facing outwards, observing the world around them. So maybe not that much eye contact either.

You're right MI - if I look at ds I'm sure he mostly gets a view up my nose. How does staring at Mummy's bogeys help develop a relationship

Ds2 has rarely made eye contact when feeding - rugby ball position makes this less likely, or we are both asleep lying in bed or whatever. When he was tiny I often read or watched tv. He has had phases when very distractable though where I have to look at him or he lets go to turn his head to look at what I'm looking at (but he is looking at boob not at me while feeding).
What a load of rubbish! - listening to psychologists is disturbing!

You really make me laugh MI - exactly, I really don't think DD wanted to gaze adoringly at me. THAT would probably have caused a disturbed relationship
So, let's ask some people who have bad relationships with their mothers what caused it - and see if any of them cite this nonsene. No? Didn't think so! How can it possibly make any difference. Why not get off your smug arse and research something USEFUL mr/ms psychologist.

I always had a rule "no eye contact during night feeds" - key IMO to convincing them that they are actually still asleep. OK I was a bottle feeder mostly but still!

Size my norks were when I was b/fing everyone else looked at them, come to think of it. Including me, every time my gaze wandered downward. Why on earth could or should the poor little bugger have to circumnavigate something so nice, anyway?

quite right MI
DDs have a very special relationship with my breasts
wouldn't like to play gooseberry

I'll bet you all did when they were new born - I couldn't take my eyes off mine - when they were a bit older telly got more interesting!

I'd have had a job making much eye contact when feeding ds2 - he always has his eyes shut tight. Consequently, I read loads and loads of books while bfing him.

I was looking forward to lots more reading time with dd1&2 but they were always wide awake until near the end of a feed. I must admit, when feeding them I found it hard to take my eyes off them and couldn't concentrate on anything else. I think it must be something weird with me, though, as even now I find it hard to take my eyes off little babies; it's like I'm magnetically drawn to them because they are so amazing.

If we all had to stare down at our babies when bfing all the time there would be a lot of women walking around with their heads at a funny angle due to the crick in their necks developed from staring down at their babies wouldn't there?

I never looked at DD unless I was actually getting her on (and eventually I could do that without looking at her [proud emoticon] because it hurt my neck!

Hilarious. fat sleep deprived harridans r us.
for the last 8 weeks since his birth i have been keeping a fake smile plastered on my face while feeding my little boy - probably very scary from where he is sitting now that i think about it......