Breastfeeding and crying: This is how you will identify if you suffer from the phenomenon of sadness while breastfeeding

If breastfeeding causes you sadness, distress, sadness or other negative emotions you may be suffering from a physiological phenomenon that many are unfamiliar with.

A breastfeeding counselor explains what is the phenomenon of sadness in breastfeeding and how it can be alleviated

Ola Pahraladin

15/12/2021

Wednesday, 15 December, 2021, 08:00 Updated: 08:01

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You are excited for the birth, the pregnancy period has passed routinely.

You passed all the tests, the follow-up met all the standards.

You are already ready for family expansion.

The birth process goes as you planned, and even if not perfectly, your baby is here.

You are in your room after the birth asking to breastfeed for the first time, breastfeeding does not really work, there is no adjustment, there is difficulty, and until it succeeds something feels wrong to you.

You tie the feelings to the one you just gave birth to, and believe that the difficulty will pass by next time.

The nurses in the ward are encouraging, the breastfeeding counselor is advising and guiding, this is only the first time it will get better.

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Just that it is, it does not get better.

You want to feel this feeling that friends have been talking about, the feelings of your roommate, the feeling of happiness, joy and love that floods with every breastfeeding of their baby.

But these feelings do not come.

It is not a difficulty in posture, or pain during the sucking phase, but that every time your baby sucks on you, just before the milk comes out - you feel sad.

Some will say that it is only for minutes of breastfeeding, but you breastfeed every two to three hours and each time the nerve rises again.

You are confused, frustrated and mostly scared, what are you doing wrong?

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If you recognize these feelings with your breastfeeding experience, there is a chance that you have a phenomenon called the MER-D (Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex).

This is a completely physiological phenomenon, which is a reaction to the stimulation of breastfeeding.

The hormone responsible for milk production is prolactin, and the one responsible for releasing milk from the nipple is oxytocin (the love hormone).

In breastfeeding women, there is an increase in the secretion of the hormone prolactin and oxytocin and a decrease in the secretion of the hormone dopamine as soon as they start breastfeeding.

The hormone oxytocin causes a feeling of connection and union with the mammal.

In cases of women with MER-D there is a drastic decrease in the hormone dopamine, and it is this that causes a series of the negative emotions we mentioned.

The initial reaction of most women in these cases is to ask to give up breastfeeding and return the child to the care of the nurses in the neonatal ward.

The drastic drop in dopamine is the cause of the negative emotions.

Woman breastfeeding after giving birth (Photo: ShutterStock)

The phenomenon of sadness in breastfeeding is not common, but it is completely real.

When women suffer from it, they tend to fear that it is a mental phenomenon, but it is a completely physiological phenomenon, caused due to a decrease in the hormone dopamine.

The decrease in dopamine is a normal part of the breastfeeding process, but in some women it is extreme and when it is such it causes the negative emotions.

Women who suffer from it describe how, as soon as milk comes out of their breast, they experience feelings of: sadness, distress, sadness, negative emotions and difficulty continuing to breastfeed.

The name MER-D was coined by Elia Makrina Haysa, who was the first to describe it as early as 2007. During my time as a nurse and breastfeeding consultant, I also encountered women who suffer from breastfeeding depression - they are not many but the phenomenon certainly exists, and the stronger the emotion lasts. More.

Awareness of the phenomenon is an important part of helping women who suffer from it.

Breast milk (Photo: ShutterStock)

The women who experience these feelings have usually had a normal pregnancy and a completely normal birth.

Some women experience it again in the second and third pregnancies, and are not even aware that it is a physiological phenomenon and not a mental condition.

Many of them mistakenly think that they are suffering from depression or some kind of postpartum depression.

Therefore, it is important for me to emphasize again and again that the phenomenon of depression in breastfeeding is physiological and not mental.

This very knowledge helps women overcome the feelings of guilt and overcome the symptoms.

Awareness of the phenomenon is part of the assistance that can be given to these women.

In addition, it is worth learning breathing techniques, giving time and patience with the understanding that this is a temporary and usually short period, and it will pass.

It is important to remember that this is a physiological condition and some control can be achieved, breathing can be soothing.

And if the situation continues and you feel that coping is burdensome for you, you can always seek the professional help of a breastfeeding consultant at a breastfeeding or health insurance fund.

• health

Tags

• nursing

• Birth

• pregnancy

• Pregnancy and Birth

• Pregnancy

• Mother milk

• Women's health