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My newborn won’t make eye contact with me but does with other people

20 replies

Mich88 · 17/04/2022 12:44

Hi all

My baby is 6 weeks old and rarely looks at me in the eye when I am holding her. Im really worried she doesn’t like me as I see her gazing at her dad for ages and makes eye contact with others when they hold her.

She does give me eye contact if she’s on the changing Matt and smiles, laughs and coo’s, but that is the only time.

Not only am I worried she doesn’t like me, I honestly worry she is scared of me sometimes as her breathing gets almost panicked when I try and make eye contact with her (either when cradling or having her on my lap).

I’m always so gentle with her and have never raised my voice with her so I can’t think why she would be scared, but it just feels that way. It’s really upsetting for me but I also don’t want my poor baby to feel she can’t look me in the eye or feel unsettled with me. She looks away and avoids my eyes completely, even pushing away at me when she’s in my arms.

I know it’s quite normal for babies who are like 6+ months old to prefer one parent for a short period of time, but I didn’t think a newborn would and as I’m her mummy I just feel like I must be doing something wrong.

Has anyone else ever experienced this? :(

OP posts:
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BarryKentPoet · 17/04/2022 12:47

In the kindest way OP, do you think you may have PND?

Mich88 · 17/04/2022 12:50

I’m not sure, I possibly might have as I feel so upset by it.

I had seen on other threads that when other mums have similar worries that people often say the same, but do people suggest that because the mum is misinterpreting things or because the baby is picking up on PND and is actually avoiding eye contact?

Xx

OP posts:
ScarlettSing · 17/04/2022 12:51

Your her mummy. You are her world.

She spends probably 100% of her time with you. A new face to look at/someone who may be at work all day or someone new to look at is fascinating to them.

I would ring your GP/HV this week to talk through how your feeling at the moment. Thanks

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StillWeRise · 17/04/2022 12:54

OP you may be overthinking this (and PND may be an element)
Perhaps you are trying too hard to make eye contact. Imagine someone was trying very hard to catch your eye, and then hold your gaze when they did, it would be uncomfortable. She may be making eye contact with her Dad but he will probably be looking away for a millisecond, then looking back, in tandem with what she is doing.

I know it's easier said than done but try and relax about the whole thing, the fact that she smiles and chats when you are changing her shows you she likes to interact with you. I would guess that when you are changing her, because you are acually doing something, and have something to talk to her about, the interaction, and therefore the eye contact is much more natural. Try, instead of trying to make eye contact, just chatting to her.

MrsWooster · 17/04/2022 13:03

She doesn’t know that you and she are separate beings yet. Keep her close, and perhaps get some support for the feelings of distress- pnd can be insidious.

NuffSaidSam · 17/04/2022 13:06

OP I'd agree with pp about talking to someone about this anxiety and upset and maybe thinking about PND.

This is one of those things that feels massive now, but when you look back in a year and 5 years and 10 years will make you laugh at how ridiculous it is!

Your baby doesn't dislike you and isn't scared of you. She's probably as a pp said just bored of looking at you and more interested in looking at people she's less familiar with. That's why you sometimes see babies on a bus or in a restaurant absolutely staring at a stranger and ignoring their own family.

Have a look for a thread on the insane/ridiculous things that we all thought/did when we were first time parents to small babies. There have been loads of them over the years and hopefully it will help you to see that we all worried about mad things like this.

RedWingBoots · 17/04/2022 13:08

OP your baby makes eye contact with you if she is on the changing mat.

She doesn't need to make eye contact with you while you are holding her because she knows you are holding her.

Mich88 · 17/04/2022 13:36

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply. I will speak with my GP & Health visitor. All I want is for my baby to be happy and for our bond to be unaffected by this x

OP posts:
BarryKentPoet · 17/04/2022 15:04

She sounds like a happy and content baby and that is because of you.

MrsIglesias · 17/04/2022 15:31

Because you are so often with her she may not be comprehending you as a separate being like others are. Maybe stop trying for a bit and don't worry about it. I'm sure she adores you - you are her world and you are doing great. These worries are very normal! Xxxx

gamerchick · 17/04/2022 15:33

Your mam. You're just an extension of her in her little brain. It's nothing to take to heart over.

lrm1808 · 19/04/2022 15:32

I had exactly the same worries up until about 2 weeks ago and could have written this myself. My baby is almost 4 months old now.

Exactly as you described, my boy smiles and coos a lot too and has done since about 5 and a half weeks (especially when on his changing mat or in his bouncer). He has been hitting all of his other milestones.

He seemed almost nervous making eye contact with me and if he did, it wouldnt be for long. He also rarely looked at me when I was feeding him or cradling him to sleep from a younger age and would seem to squirm to want to get away and cry until I put him down. He even learnt to self soothe to sleep at 2 months old. This made me feel even more concerned, yet my friends and family would say "you should be grateful, it's better than having a needy baby".

He would gaze and smile a lot at my husband or up at the ceiling but would watch me like a hawk when his dad was holding him or he was in his bouncer. He seemed to prefer me from a distance, which upset me a lot.

It wasn't jealousy that I felt, but I wondered what I had or hadn't done for him to be like this with me. I am with him all day and night, I try and interact with him as much as possible when he is awake, I am affectionate towards him, I read and sing to him, take him out for walks, to sensory classes etc. I kept saying to my husband "it's obviously because you're the fun parent" 😄. I tried to pass it off as a joke but it really bothered me.

There was one day that was particularly bad and I broke down to my husband and told him how I was feeling. I even alluded to my fear of autism (not that my feelings would change in any way if that were the case). I have worried about things like this since he was born and because of this I genuinely think I may have been suffering with PND . Although I've tried to enjoy the time with my baby and watch him grow, I've always had some sort of anxieties in the back of my mind- it consumed me and I was thinking about it every day. I even asked my HV about him twirling his foot when he was drinking his bottle and if it was a sign and she said "it's way too early to see any signs of autism, stop worrying!".

What didn't help when a new mum friend I met at a class had implied on several ocassions that my little boy wasn't very alert. She only sees us for an hour a week and I think she forgets that her baby is 2 months older than mine. You shouldn’t compare I know, but I don't think my baby is any less alert or developmentally 'behind' other babies of his age that I have met, but he does tend to daydream sometimes. I think he is a very curious (or nosey like his dad) and is taking everything in.

Anyway, my husband told me (in a nice way) to stop worrying. He said he has no concerns at all and that when he's home he has seen the baby looking and smiling at me a lot and it's obvious he knows where he is safe and comfortable. I really do think I have been overthinking it. My husband works 11 hours a day so I imagine the baby is happy to see a different face that mine. I also read somewhere that babies prefer looking at their dad -something to do with darker, bigger eyebrows, facial hair etc. Who knows?

My husband also said "imagine somebody trying their hardest to get and maintain eye contact with you, it's intense, tiring and can be awkward so the baby isn't going to want a staring contest with you all day". He mentioned that the baby was also probably picking up on that I was trying too hard to get eye contact from him.

Since that conversation I have tried my hardest not let my anxieties take over and have been more relaxed and not trying to 'force' it. I don't know whether it's a coincidence but my little boy coughs or 'shouts' for my attention now, he is the one who is initiating the eye contact, he gives big gummy smiles when I look at him and stares me out when he is being fed or trying to go to sleep. He is currently snoring away on my chest!

Sorry about the long reply, but I hope it reassures you. Talk to someone, it feels like a load off your mind and although easier said than done, put it to the back of your mind and try not to force it!

Mich88 · 22/04/2022 17:41

Thank you very much for all of your replies. They’ve been really helpful.

It was especially helpful to hear your similar concerns lrm1808 and I’m so glad it all resolved itself.

Ive tried to put it to the back of my mind the past few days and it does feel a lot better. She’s extremely happy with me whilst I change her etc so I’m just concentrating on that.

thank u again xx

OP posts:
Knittedfairies · 22/04/2022 17:48

Your baby probably still thinks you and her are still one unit; she knows you very well, having been a part of you for months. All those other people are a different matter and need investigating though...

Enjoy your baby OP.

Mich88 · 23/04/2022 18:58

Thank you.
Things have definitely felt better since I stopped overthinking. So many smiles that melt my heart and reassure me things r probably fine x

Has been so helpful to put my thoughts here, so thank you. Hopefully it’ll help another mum if they have similar worries in the future too x

OP posts:
marhjeso · 19/09/2022 19:18

@Mich88 how are things? Any updates? X

Melodymama12 · 13/06/2023 13:16

I know this is an old post but I was wondering if you had an update. My son doesn’t make a lot of eye contact and it’s really concerning me. Thanks!

SparklingMarkling · 13/06/2023 13:19

Are you sure it’s not his neck?
I had this worry and it turned out my baby had torticollis and so could only look one way due to his stiff neck. If I laid down with him on the side his head turned he would look at me then but couldn’t physically get his head straight to look at me.

Andrew49 · 25/10/2023 00:54

Hi Mich88,

I have a 7 week old baby and she avoids eye contact with me her dad.
So I just discovered that holding her in my arms with her looking over my shoulder we can make eye contact in the reflection of the bathroom mirror and it seems to be helping acknowledge me 👍

LightDrizzle · 25/10/2023 14:31

@Mich88

Yes! I had exactly this with DD1 and It definitely wasn’t PPD. I can’t remember how long it lasted but she rarely made eye contact with me as a tiny baby and seemed to actively dodge it, - whilst locking eyes with my mother and others in the brief periods they held her (she was breastfed).

The baby books like Penelope Leach made me feel even worse as they all bang on about babies fixing on their mothers and following them with their eyes. Our double bed had black and brass railings and she much preferred staring past me at those, - I get that was a bold pattern that might have mesmerised her but it was also the case anywhere in the house and if someone else had her she stared into their eyes. If I moved myself into her gaze she’d move it!

It didn’t last forever but it was upsetting as I did almost everything for her; breastfeeding, singing, massage. She didn’t squirm away from me or anything, or fail to settle with me, it was just the bloody eye contact. The least upsetting thing I could think of was that maybe she didn’t really see me as a separate person, and therefore fascinating but I’m not convinced.

I can only reassure you that it had no effect on our future bond and she is the most affectionate and loving daughter. I think it was only the first 2, 3 or 4 months.

Four years later I’d all but forgotten about it until l visited a friend with her two month old. She breastfed him while I was there and when I saw him contentedly suckling while gazing dreamily up at her with rapt focus, - I felt an icicle of grief pierce my stomach!

I’d love to hear any infant development experts opinions as to WTF was going on. DD was/ is neuro typical and turns out to be highly intelligent, - and empathetic so I don’t think it was neurological. We weren’t separated at any point and the birth wasn’t particularly traumatic. She was a very windy, fighty feeder and possetted a lot and I remember wondering whether she didn’t particularly enjoy feeding and associated me with that.

You have my sympathy. I didn’t confide in anybody except my husband in real life as I think I felt a bit ashamed, - that my own baby seemed fairly indifferent to me 😢

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