I get anxiety about breastfeeding. What should I do? Is it safe for me to take medication?

Hi. It’s Jenny at AnxietyBoss.com. Our question today comes to us from Laura in San Diego. I get anxiety about breastfeeding. What should I do? Is it safe for me to take medication?

Well, believe it or not, there is a medical term for your anxiety about breastfeeding. It’s actually called dysphoric milk ejection reflex; also known as D-MER. Now this anxiety always occurs just before the milk ejection reflex. For some women, the anxiety may subside within a few minutes after the initial milk release at each breastfeeding session. Now for others, the anxiety may reoccur with every milk release.

Although there have been numerous medical research studies stating that the fluctuation of the dopamine level during breastfeeding is the cause of D-MER, there has been no real significant data to prove that theory. Instead, many women have voiced the psychological stress factors that contribute to D-MER. Some of them are fear that you don’t have enough milk for the baby, fear that the baby does not drink enough and it may stunt his or her growth, anticipation of the discomfort associated with breastfeeding.

As your baby is still in a very sensitive stage, it’s not advised to take any medication or herbal remedy unless you’re instructed to by a doctor. In most cases, seeking group support with other new mothers and also sharing your feelings with others will greatly help to address the negative factors that initiate the anxiety attacks. At the same time, a lot of mothers find success in lessening their anxiety during breastfeeding by distracting themselves with various activities such as talking on the phone with a friend, watching a television show, listening to music, or reading or watching the news on the internet.

To find other methods of dealing with anxiety caused by breastfeeding, you can visit AnxietyBoss.com for all of the latest information and treatment methods to deal with anxiety for pregnant or lactating women.