What should be a happy time turns into a pain? What is "breastfeeding stress" that makes breastfeeding uncomfortable?
Breastfeeding while looking at the satisfied look on your baby's face is a heartwarming time for mothers too.
Many people find breastfeeding a little relaxing and makes them feel happy in the midst of their hectic daily lives, but some people actually find breastfeeding stressful.
What causes breastfeeding stress?
Here we will take a closer look at breastfeeding stress and how to deal with it.
What is breastfeeding stress?
Breastfeeding stress is the condition that makes you feel irritable while breastfeeding.
You may simply want to stop breastfeeding, find it difficult, or find the act of breastfeeding itself uncomfortable.
Research into powdered milk has advanced, and high-quality products are now available, so it is no longer uncommon for people to mix milk and breast milk or raise their babies on milk alone.
However, the "breastfeeding myth" that breastfeeding is the best option remains deeply rooted, and there are many women who continue to force themselves to breastfeed and end up becoming neurotic.
What causes breastfeeding stress ?
If irritation continues for a long time, it can have a negative impact on your mental health, so it's important to identify the cause as soon as possible.
However, many of the symptoms of breastfeeding stress tend to subside once the feeding session is over, so it can be difficult to know what the cause is.
Here are some of the main reasons why you may feel irritable while breastfeeding:
- Discomfort milk ejection reflex
First, the cause may be the "dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D-MER)" caused by the secretion of hormones.
When a baby breastfeeds, the hormone oxytocin, which stimulates milk production, is secreted, along with prolactin, which lowers dopamine levels.
Dopamine is a hormone that gives pleasure and makes you feel motivated. The displeasure milk ejection reflex is a physiological phenomenon that occurs when dopamine levels drop.
- There are many restrictions and no time for yourself
When a baby is born, a mother's life changes completely.
Immediately after birth, you need to breastfeed your baby multiple times every few hours, which often results in sleep deprivation, making it difficult to find time for yourself.
Additionally, having your favorite foods and drinks restricted due to breastfeeding can be stressful.
- Physical discomfort
Breastfeeding is fraught with problems.
The breast milk may become clogged, causing severe pain and fever, or the baby may not be able to suck properly and the nipple may become cracked.
This physical discomfort can lead to frustration during breastfeeding.
There are a variety of other possible causes.
There may not be just one cause, but a combination of several.
There are many causes of breastfeeding stress, but in order to ensure a comfortable parenting experience, it is important to identify the cause early on and take measures before the condition worsens.
Below we will introduce some ways to deal with breastfeeding stress.
- Change your mood
Take a short break, even if it's just for 5 or 10 minutes, and consciously change your mood.
We also recommend taking your time to enjoy a cup of tea or some online shopping.
Get help from your partner, family, and others around you.
Even if it's difficult to get someone to take over breastfeeding, having someone take care of your baby for a few hours and letting you refresh yourself may help relieve your frustration.
- Try to let out your feelings
Talking to someone instead of keeping it to yourself is also an effective way to deal with frustration.
Try confiding in a friend who has similar parenting experience, or a mother who has experience raising children.
Just letting out your frustrations will make you feel better and lighter.
If you find it difficult to talk to someone close to you, try asking at a hospital or breastfeeding consultation center.
Simply talking to a doctor or midwife with specialized knowledge can help ease your anxiety.
- Deciding to stop breastfeeding
If breastfeeding is really difficult, one option is to just quit.
Nowadays, powdered milk has been developed, so babies can grow up healthily even without breast milk.
There is a trend to breastfeed as much as possible, but if a mother becomes too ill from insisting on exclusive breastfeeding, it will be pointless.
If you are reluctant to stop, you may want to try mixing breast milk and formula for a while and see how it goes.
- Listen to healing music
Listening to music is a recommended and easy way to relieve stress and relax while breastfeeding.
A highly recommended product that is also very popular with experienced moms!
This album was created to help mothers who are raising babies relieve the stress of breastfeeding and allow them to breastfeed in a relaxed and comfortable mood.
"Music for Moms: Relieving Breastfeeding Stress / Makiko Hirohashi"
A total of 7 songs, including covers of Okinawan lullabies and original music that mixes piano and natural sounds.
The CD booklet includes advice from midwife and maternity aromatherapist Takako Asai.
This book contains information that worried mothers and those who are about to start breastfeeding should definitely read, including massage techniques to prevent breastfeeding problems and solutions for various problems.
Relaxation improves blood circulation, which can also have the added benefit of increasing your milk supply!
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Enjoy skin-to-skin contact with your baby
It is said that about 70% of breastfeeding mothers experience some kind of anxiety or stress regarding breastfeeding.
If each feeding takes 30 minutes, that's a total of 6 hours a day spent breastfeeding!
If it's a comfortable time rather than a painful and stressful one, parenting will be more enjoyable and fulfilling.
Enjoy the physical contact that comes with breastfeeding while effectively relieving stress!