Baby too busy gawking around to feed

[QueenAravisOfArchenland]

Apparently DS2 has hit this stage at the tender age of 10 weeks. Feeding him under a dark cover or in a dark room is a bit limiting at this time of year and I really don't want to end up in the cycle where he only eats at night when it's dark and boring.

Anyone got any tips that worked for them?

Unfortunately exactly that - pinned under boob in dark room though later on I realised a bf cover would have worked.

He'd often feed better if I walked around with him on the boob. Out n about - nea chance.

Unless I was the crazy bf er who walked around in public with baby attached (can't remember if I was brave enough!)

Boo. I was hoping MNers would have some ninja moves.

He's also refusing to sleep during the day unless its dark I can try feeding him bouncing on my ball or rocking a bit, I guess.

I had this problem with dd we had 2.5 months of stuggles and then I gave her a bottle, she would only feed in bed with me she was just far too nosey.. I envy mums I see out and about with babies who just latch and then carry on with their day, I had to wrestle daily until I gave in and got in bed with her

She just breastfed until 5.5 months and then about a month of just feeding in the morning & bottles the rest.. I'm sure there will be someone with some useful advice for you

Mine tends to do better if I stick a muslin on his head. Not always but often.

Colourful bf cover? Waggle a toy in the top?

He won't take a bottle either. Naturally. Or rather, if he's really hungry he'll drink about 30mls, enough to take the edge off, and dramatically reject the rest.

Not having a good day.

Are you feeding on demand or to a routine? Sometimes when they are being fussy it's best to wait until they are truly hungry it may be that he can go a little longer between feeds now.

Also, we are experiencing hotter weather at the moment. It's not unusual for breastfed babies to take shorter feeds to quench the thirst and longer ones when they are hungrier. It may be that some feeds don't need to be as long as others. When he comes off, assume he's finished.

He'll either learn not to faff about if the food goes away, or it will become clear that he wasn't needing such a long feed.

A little of both - he has a fairly consistent routine which fits around the toddler, but I don't deny him at another time if he's rooting or showing feeding cues.
I don't think it's that he's not hungry though, he'll not eat in a bright room but then eat hungrily 5 mins later when I take him into his darkened nursery.

@QueenAravisOfArchenland your baby sounds EXACTLY like mine. She is too interested in everything that's going on. I can't breastfeed her in public as she gets into a right state pulling off and looking around, even if she's really hungry >4 hours since a feed. She's 18 weeks old now and it's not getting better, it's getting worse. I left a cafe in tears the other day. Have tried bottle but she won't take it. I have no advice, only sympathy!

I find if I stop and just keep trying every now and then he will get hungry/tired enough and will feed properly. But usually there's about 30-45 mins of faffing and starting to feed and coming straight off to look around before he feeds.

thingy, on the plus side, I went through this stage with my DS1 at about the same age as yours and it did pass. I have a feeding cover from DS1 not because I've ever had any shyness about public feeding, but purely to get him to concentrate during the super nosy 4 month stage. He got over it by 6mo as I recall.

I'm just slightly dismayed that I've hit it so bloody early this time arouns and feeds are already becoming "wrestling an angry octopus" funtimes.

DS1 also took a bottle much more happily. Oh well.

That’s very early!!
Mine didn’t notice the world around her while feeding until about 4 months.
It’s been quite hard since then, but now at 7 months it’s ridiculously hard. She’s barely having any now, becoming more and more grouchy, too interested in the world to breast feed, but refusing a bottle.
If a dog barks 3 gardens away, she stops and looks around the room.
If a plane flies overhead, she stops and looks around the room.
Don’t have any advice, just sympathy and my own rant!