Baby Thrashing While Trying to Latch

You may be waiting until he is too hungry. Try feeding him a little sooner. It sounds like he might be frustrated not getting to eat quick enough because he is hungry

Hang in there! I have been breastfeeding for 4 1/2 months & it will get better. Your baby is still learning & doesn't have a lot of control of their arms & legs yet. If you have someone around, they can help out by holding your baby's arms & legs while you get the baby latched on. Your baby will learn..it just takes them time & they will grow out of this!

my son was like that for a few months off and on. i just tried to keep my patience and relax so that he would do the same. Breastfeeding in public was very difficult for me because my son did not want his head to be covered. i often fed him in the car or the restroom or the dressing room so that he could be mostly uncovered.

just do your best. perhaps you are missing some of the more early signals that he is hungry and hes getting more desperate by the time you get to him ? try getting to him sooner or use the nursing right away instead of trying to think of other issues.

it can be hard at first, but you have just 2 weeks to go before things should start to get a bit more etablished. my son only did this routine if we used a cover, so i got used to just positioning myself properly in public, and i really didnt care if people saw. its really not anyone's business, and i never allowed myself to be open to any negative comments. having confidence about it i think helped me just deal with my son and not worry about what others thought. its either nurse in public no matter what baby is doing, or having a child scream at the top or their lungs... which is more disruptive! :P

anyway, contact your local or nearby la leche league. they are fantastic, and will have lots of tried and true suggestions from real breastfeeding moms, as well as other support for you during this exciting time! :D :D
good luck , and keep on breastfeeding - you will NEVER regret it! :D

Jen,
You may already have this response, but I'll throw in on the mix! I have a three week old (congrats to you!). Your newborn is just learning how to get latched on and this will get MUCH easier. Eventually, you can just throw them back in the crook of your elbow and they go to town on their own. Sounds impossible now, I know, but you'll get there. Breastfeeding in public is next to impossible in the beginning, if you ask me (with the blanket and what not). Anyway, did you try swaddling before BF? That will help with the arms. Otherwise, just try to be patient. He'll latch eventually, sometimes they just need to flail. It's frustrating, because your boobs ACHE and your milk's letting down and it's spraying in your baby's face and then your nipple's wet and the baby's slipping all around......but eventually they get on. I promise you, this WILL get easier. For the time being, patience is the key! (Easier said than done... ;)
A. K

You can swaddle him nice and tight so you only have to manage his head. I'd also have everything ready to go when you are ready to nurse. Things will calm down as he gets older and nursing in public won't be too hard. A cover that straps on you will allow you privace in public even with a little flailing from the baby.

Try swaddleing him and then use the football hold. Sit a bit away from the arm of a couch or oversized chair and get a firm pillow or boppy. If you're feeding on the right, place it on the right, left on left, etc... Hold him to your side under your right arm so his feet scrunch up to the back of the seat. Cradle his head while holding your right breast with your left hand and prep your nipple. Wait for him to open wide and shove him on. I know it sounds harsh, and your lactation consultant will shove him too. Contrary to what people may think, breastfeeding is not instinct between mother and child, it does take some work. Keep at it, and don't be afraid to contact a lactation consultant or a Le Leche Leaguer. Keep up the good work! It will get easier, I promise! And a hint - if you are going to be more comfortable with breastfeeding while covered, then start young. Good luck!

My only suggestion is to swaddle him right before you feed him. Swaddling helps them feel safe and secure like they are back in the womb, as well as keeping him from beating you up. Congrats on your newborn!

My son (now 11 weeks) does that when he has gas. It took me a while to figure out but if he won't latch I burp him first. Once it's out nursing goes smoothly. As for nursing in public, I have a 'hooter hider' and have used it for both kids. It allows you to nurse without worrying about being exposed - no matter how much they wiggle or how big they get. Totally worth the money!

Breast feeding in public was horrible for me, too. My son did the same thing. You can try swaddling him before you try to latch him on and see if that helps. It will keep his arms out of the way and lots of babies enjoy being swaddled because it is comforting. Try it and see if it works for you.
Best of luck. :)

There are alot of reasons this might be happening.

One could be that he's probably just really hungry. Try offering more often, even when he doesn't seem hungry.

This can often happen with heavy let down (the milk is coming in to fast) and the baby is having trouble managing the intake. If you think this is what's going on, try pumping for about 30 to 60 seconds before feeding, to help slow things down a bit.

The third reason this happens is not enough flow, or slow let down. If he's not latching properly, you might not be getting the right pressure for adequate let down and he's getting frustrated. In this case, remedy might be a little more challenging. Contact a lactation expert, join a local La Leche League (www.lalecheleague.org)support group, or purchase a good book to help you know what a proper latch looks and feels like. The nice thing about a consultant or joining the support group is you get expert help until you get things right. The LLI website also has good information and a store that sells books and products that might help.