7 Tips to Help Feed Your Distracted Baby

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Latch on, latch off, latch on again... Sound familiar?! We hit the 4 month mark and it was like the whole world was suddenly there to see, and it was best explored at feeding time! I've lost count since of the number of times baby has been distracted by something and given me 'niplash' or squirted herself and anyone in the nearby vicinity with milk!

Although often frustrating for you, it's completely normal for babies to become distracted, fidgety feeders, especially around times of developmental leaps. Distracted nursing can happen any time after 2 months, often peaking between 3-5 months but can happen at any time after that!

Baby's little brain is so busy learning how to smile, roll, crawl, babble, eat food and many other skills, and getting distracted by what's going on around them is a sign that they are developing. There are so many sights and sounds to experience and to learn to make sense of, that instead of feeding, all they want to do is engage with this new world around them!

So what can you do to help your distracted baby regain focus, stop fidgeting and help save your sanity (and your nipples)? Here are some things I tried that worked for me as a breastfeeding mum, but these tips would likely work for bottle fed babies too.

Feed in a quiet place

Sometimes, just as we do, babies need quiet to focus. Try retreating to a calm, quiet space to feed your baby. If you can't do that, try to reduce the noise in the room you are in by turning off the T.V, closing the door to the noisy washing machine next door or asking other children to do something quietly whilst you feed. Dim or red lighting helps to create a calm atmosphere in our house, which compliments the peace and quiet.

We're Back! It's Been a While...

Hi! 

I can't believe how long it's been since I showed the Kids, Cuddles and Muddy Puddles blog over here a bit of love! If you are new here.... welcome! If you have been following us over on our socials, mostly on Instagram, then you may have been keeping up to date with what we've been up to over the past few years. 

So, where have we been?

A lot has happened over the last few years! I'll catch you up quickly, then you'll understand why we've a bit absent over here...

Covid Chaos

Our last post here was written on March 2nd 2020, and on March 11th the World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 a pandemic. Schools were shut indefinitely on March 18th and the UK went into its first lockdown on March 23rd... almost 3 years to the day!! And there began the chaos of home schooling my 2 children, whilst also still going into work as a primary school teacher to look after the children of key workers. What an incredibly strange and frightening time that was, wasn't it? 

I had also become a single mum just the June before, so navigating this new way of living was an interesting challenge in many ways! During the second lockdown, schools shut again in January 2021 forcing learning online yet staying open again for key workers. My time and energy was split between teaching in school, preparing, editing and uploading online lessons for those at home, and home-schooling my own children, while trying to keep everyone healthy, sane and alive! It was an uncertain time for us all and no-one could have predicted what the next year or so had in store for us!

How to Master Working from Home with Young Children

Kids, Cuddles and Muddy Puddles understands that when you have young children, working from home can be a real challenge. It can take all of your energy just to ignore distractions and stay focused on a single task, let alone juggle your workload and endless parenting obligations. If you’re not careful, you can work yourself into a state of burnout. Thankfully, it’s possible to enjoy remote work while taking care of young kids. With smart scheduling, outsourcing, and plenty of self-care, you will thrive in this role!

Lighten Your Workload

Reducing the amount of work on your plate will help you stay sane as a work-from-home parent. One way to do this is to enrol your child in child care or bring in a nanny a couple of times per week. Another way to lighten your workload is to outsource some of your administrative work to freelancers. Hire a virtual assistant to handle all of those time-consuming tasks. For example, your assistant can help you with appointment scheduling, customer support, and email management. Look for virtual assistant services on freelance job boards like Upwork and compare costs and client reviews to find a professional who will meet your needs.