Feeding frenzy?

[LittleOne76]

My DS is 8 weeks old and we're EBF. We usually have sone feeding sessions where it's like he's a bit hyperactive and is having a fight with my boob as he's feeding. So it's like he can be desperate for a feed and trying to latch on but at the same time his arms ate everywhere and he's scratching my neck and his legs are wiggling around and he will get the nipple in his mouth then fling his head back with it still in there... Does anyone else experience this? It's like he goes a bit mad some tines and all the other feeds are pretty calm.

He's gaining weight fine so know it's not generally undersupply.

Don't have any 'answers' for you but IME (bf 3 DC) they do tend to start moving around more when on the boob as they get older and more easily distracted

As you say, if he's gaining well things must be ok

My 7-week-old DS does exactly this - the flailing arms, wriggling, thrashing and generally acting like a puppy with a toy. It makes some feeds a bit of a nightmare! It seems to be when he has wind (after a bit of squirming I hear/feel him pass wind) or a touch of reflux (I hear some milk come back up or he spits up). Sometimes he also does it when I have letdown, as my milk often comes through too fast for him to handle and I have a v large quantity of milk. Could it be the same with your DS?

My 9 week old DD does this too - it's so frustrating! I have also come to the conclusion that it is usually wind so I either try winding her, or if she cries when I take her off, I just put her back on and grimace grin and bear it until she passes wind herself.

She also has mild reflux so could be to do with that?

My 8 week old thrashes and flails about sometimes on the boob, making noises like an angry wildebeast, when he's over tired and needs to sleep - it's like he thinks he wants boob but isn't hungry and is too overstimulated and frustrated to calm down and latch properly for even comfort sucking. After i've calmed him down he usually latches on again and drops off after some token sucking for a few minutes.

glad it's not just mine! ds2 does this, is one of the reasons i find feeding in public difficult!

Agree with ArlingtonStringham - DD quite often drops straight off once she's calmed down.

Ooh there's a dead interesting new-ish theory about this. It's to do with feeding reflexes.

All babies are born with feeding reflexes which include head-bobbing, arm-cycling and kicking. These help the baby to find and latch onto the breast when you are leaning back with him on your chest (the 'laid-back' position). Think of the movements that puppies or kittens make when they latch on to their mothers straight after birth.

But when the baby's in a traditional cradle hold position - the same reflex movements look like fighting and actually hinder him from latching on! These reflexes disappear over time, but some babies keep them for longer, and sometimes they appear when the baby is wide awake and alert.

It can help to feed when he is really sleepy. Or just do the laid-back position all the time. It is highly compatible with watching TV and eating chocolate