Not at all! It doesn't matter if your baby can't eye contact you during breastfeeding - mostly babies can't! The most important thing by far is that you and your baby have relaxed, enjoyable breastfeeds together. You will be communicating with your baby during breastfeeds using the primordial languages of your body: touch and sound.

You'll be able to create many delightful moments between breastfeeds, throughout the days (and nights) when you and your baby gaze at each other and communicate! This too is very important, but there's no need for this to happen during breastfeeds.

Often, especially in the early days, if baby can eye contact you while suckling, you might end up with nipple pain or baby fussing a lot at the breast, due to nipple and breast tissue drag.

Recommended resources

Why shared moments and enjoyable back and forth communication with your baby matters

It usually works best to have baby's chest and tummy flat against your body during breastfeeding, with good spinal alignment

Why the baby who doesn’t cue a lot needs extra attention

Selected references

Douglas PS, Keogh R. Gestalt breastfeeding: helping mothers and infants optimise positional stability and intra-oral breast tissue volume for effective, pain-free milk transfer. Journal of Human Lactation. 2017;33(3):509–518.

Douglas PS, Geddes DB. Practice-based interpretation of ultrasound studies leads the way to less pharmaceutical and surgical intervention for breastfeeding babies and more effective clinical support. Midwifery. 2018;58:145–155.

Douglas PS, Perrella SL, Geddes DT. A brief gestalt intervention changes ultrasound measures of tongue movement during breastfeeding: case series. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2022;22(1):94. DOI: 10.1186/s12884-12021-04363-12887.