A fellow breastfeeding mom asked: “Don’t you just love the feeling you get when you’re nursing your baby?” When I said “No, I don’t,” she gave me a look of shock and horror.
Even though I fed my daughter until she self-weaned at fourteen months, and would have continued until she was ready to quit, I didn’t enjoy breastfeeding very much due to D-Mer.
D-Mer stands for “dysphoric milk ejection reflex.” Simply, it means that mama gets a not-so-fuzzy feeling when her milk lets down. This can last just until after letdown or off-and-on throughout the entire nursing session, coming in waves of sad or angry emotions with each letdown. It’s not post-partum depression, nor nursing aversion (which happens during pregnancy), nor is it due to psychological issues. You can tell the difference because this emotional wave only comes during breastfeeding, expressing, pumping, or during a spontaneous letdown.
La Leche League International has recognized this phenomenon and has added a chapter about it in its latest edition of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
The concern is that those afflicted with dysphoria while breastfeeding may be inclined to quit before necessary due to lack of information about what it is and how to treat it. Even for mothers with severe D-Mer, in which natural remedies are not enough; the benefits of treatment with drugs may outweigh the risks of formula feeding.
What is D-Mer?
In a nutshell, a sharp drop in dopamine coincides with a fast rise in prolactin and oxytocin. It’s hormonally-related reflex which the mother cannot control.
If you suspect you are experiencing D-Mer, here are a few things that have helped other mamas:
- The herb Rhodiola
- Evening Primrose Oil
- B Vitamins (through diet and supplementation)
- Acupuncture
- Emotional Freedom Techniques
- Placenta Consumption
- Realizing that this is a temporary sensation, and usually goes away after the milk starts flowing
- Prescription medications (Caution: some medications do enter breast milk, so research carefully)
- Support Groups: Check out D-Mer.org and Mothering.com for validation and support of D-Mer patients
