https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:03:40 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-often-not-making-eye-contact-overstimulated#post-1200925 Thu, 07 Nov 2013 08:26:36 +0000 Silva 1200925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have experience with the eye contact, but wanted to let you know that the smiling thing is totally normal. We didn't get our first true social smile until maybe 6 weeks, and it was still several weeks before we got them regularly. When they are learning a new skill it takes time before it starts happening regularly. I can remember when my daughter was 10 weeks old trying to get a smile out of her to show my mom, and totally failing! Laughing happened this way, too. Now she smiles and laughs constantly! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-often-not-making-eye-contact-overstimulated#post-1200924 Thu, 07 Nov 2013 08:26:33 +0000 edelweiss 1200924@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i can't recall our experience with LO looking away from or at us, but as to smiling, it look LO a long time to give us smiles, and even then, they were few and far between. at 3 or 4 months he wasn't a very smiley baby. now at 9 months he smiles a lot. at 6 or 7 weeks i think a few smiles a day is just fine. i felt like my LO was pretty blobby until 4 months or so. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-often-not-making-eye-contact-overstimulated#post-1200906 Thu, 07 Nov 2013 08:18:40 +0000 MamaCate 1200906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@illumina: when you stop and give her a break, does she look at you or a toy again or does she keep looking away? If she looks again quickly I wouldn't be too worried... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-often-not-making-eye-contact-overstimulated#post-1200727 Thu, 07 Nov 2013 01:39:11 +0000 illumina 1200727@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaCate: @Foodnerd81: I read they do it if they need a break, but the majority of the time? I'm just worried that it's getting progressively worse :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-often-not-making-eye-contact-overstimulated#post-1200723 Thu, 07 Nov 2013 01:22:13 +0000 Foodnerd81 1200723@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>C didn't start smiling frequently until right around that point or shortly after- at 6-7 weeks it was so fleeting sometimes I thought I was making it up. I can't remember with the eye contact, but agree it's probably overstimulation. Could it be that she's tired and ready to nap? That's one of the signs the books tell you to watch for </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-often-not-making-eye-contact-overstimulated#post-1200668 Wed, 06 Nov 2013 23:14:18 +0000 MamaCate 1200668@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Looking away is definitely a "disengagement cue", or a sign that the baby needs a break from whatever stimulation you are providing. Usually you should stop whatever it is you were doing (shaking a rattle, singing, whatever) until LO looks at you again. Then you can try a different activity or see what they may like to do instead. </p> <p>I don't have direct experience with this but work with a lot of babies and parents. I would hope as LO learns that you respect her need for a break that she becomes more engaging. It wouldn't hurt to mention it at her next ped appt either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-often-not-making-eye-contact-overstimulated#post-1200610 Wed, 06 Nov 2013 22:10:21 +0000 illumina 1200610@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>S is 7wks old. We've noticed that as she's getting older and becoming more alert she's making less eye contact. If we don't look at her it's ok, but if we do she'll turn away. When she's really calm she'll look at me, especially when nursing, but I'm worried it's becoming more frequent. I read somewhere that they do this to prevent overstimulation- often if you're looking and talking to the same time, it's too much. </p> <p>We don't think she's properly smiling socially yet either- we might get a handful per day, often when we first go and get her from her Moses basket or after nursing, but it's rare.</p> <p>Did anyone's LO do this? When did they grow out of it? </p>