How is everyone eating?

I dunno if this is helpful but re lunches, I’ve made up a wee packed lunch the night before as if I were still going to work! It also doubles as a healthy snack box for during the day too so I just end up carrying it around with me! Re breakfast, I’m either up before he is (though more often need this time to sleep/doze) or my LO goes back in his next to me and I play nursery rhymes on my phone which he seems to be quite content listening to - I run down, grab a bowl of cereal, banana & drink and come up to the bedroom to eat it. Sometimes at dinner time, if he’s dozed off, it’s a case of him sleeping on me while eating one handed. Quite often I’ve started dinner, piped it in the oven and then my husband will go and dish it up. Not sure how helpful any of that is x

It seems like he's really attached to you, which is lovely, but I can appreciate how hard it must be for you. Perhaps change the narrative from him being 'difficult' when you're eating... like including him in what you're doing and having fun with it, for example. Get your husband to prep a breakfast (cold oats, etc) and a lunch (picnic / sandwich type meal) when you're dealing with the evening witch hour. Then, when it's time to eat, you won't have to prepare anything, and you and baby can 'enjoy' eating together. Make it a fun time for him where he can smell your foods and you can make stories about how daddy made sandwiches or blueberries ended up on the oats (as an example, obviously you know what you can say to engage him better). Sometimes, if a parent is stressed over a certain thing (like maybe over mealtimes because of bad past experiences), it heightens baby's anxiety around that particular activity and changing the perspective can make it a different experience for both of you x

Ngl I've also been missing out breakfast and lunch for a good 2months. Now I put my girl on a swing if I want to cook/eat. She absolutely loves the swing so can sit there and just watch me cook now. If your baby doesn't like a swing and is clingy maybe try a baby carrier/sling? But also fyi, there are times I would have to take her out the swing to tend to her and pause the cooking (it now takes longer to cook) but honestly it's better than nothing

Another vote for food prepping! If my husband is working from the office he’ll make breakfast for me before he leaves, even just a couple of slices of toast so I’ve at least got something easy to grab and eat one handed if it’s a struggle to put the little one down. I know friends of mine do similar - could be a smoothie waiting for you in the fridge or overnight oats etc whatever you find easiest to manage. And same on the lunch front - have lots of things to hand you can grab throughout the day - an actual packed lunchbox sounds like a great idea so you can take it with you on the go! For dinner our little one has started enjoying the bouncer so it’s a one foot on the bouncer and two hands to eat (what luxury!!). But we had plenty of times before when I would just eat what I could one handed then my husband would take her whilst I bolted down the rest. Not an enjoyable meal time but needs must - it will get better!

I've eaten overnight Oats for breakfast pretty much every day since she's been born cause I can quickly make it the night before, my partner does a big meal prep every Sunday for dinners and tbh he cooks tea most nights unless it's something quick like jacket potato or Tuna pasta, is this an option can your partner help? Or have you tried a bouncer chair to put him down in?