Fighting before latching on?

Hi there

My baby is 2 weeks old and I have been feeding him with a nipple shield because when he was born he was battered and bruised by forceps and took a while to learn how to suck, and he also has a small mouth making latching difficult. And I have small/flatish nipples which doesn't help. The shield is working well for us, he is getting heaps from his feeds and gaining weight well and generally content.

However he is doing a strange thing where before a feed sometimes when I try to latch him on he fights me with his arms or pulls away strongly with his head. He knows how to latch, and sometimes he will go on straight away no problem but then other times he will fight, or he will go on then suddenly pull away again. It can take quite a few goes to get him on. It makes feeding really stressful at times, as he gets frustrated and screams when he doesn't get on but then I feel like he's the one who's fighting causing him not to get on if that makes sense.

I am wondering if anyone has had this experience or knows why he might do it? Could it be my positioning/ how Im holding him to try get him on? Reflux? Im really confused and it's so upsetting sometimes. Once he's on he really enjoys his feeds...

Any advice appreciated

sounds normal to me for a 2 week old. sometimes they just dont know whats coming. i found swaddling mine to feed at that age helped.

C&J, do you have a list or site which says what foods to avoid? I have been wondering about this as he does have trouble with wind

I have wondered about reflux too as he has some other symptoms but I will talk to midwife about that

I thik my positioning might have been wrong too Ive changed it slightly and we have a bit less fighting in the last day or so