WHAT IS DYSPHORIC MILK EJECTION REFLEX (D-MER)?
D-MER is an abrupt dysphoria that occurs when hormonal changes coincide with the letdown of milk, leading to feelings of sadness, nausea, or unease.
Breastfeeding While You Are Sick
As a Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine physician, I often encounter questions from new mothers about the impact of their health on breastfeeding. One common concern is what to do when you're sick. It's a natural instinct to want to protect your baby from illness, which might lead you to consider stopping breastfeeding or even isolating from your child. However, the science suggests a different approach. Successful breastfeeding can and should continue despite maternal illness.
TIPS for NURSING Sleepy Babies
Newborns, especially those born preterm or early term (around 35 to 37 weeks), often exhibit sleepiness while nursing at the breast. I like to call them "pokey" babies. Baby pokiness can lead to breastfeeding session that take a LONG time, or a feeding may end with a sleeping baby who did not eat much, so they wake up again to eat shortly after putting them down. After a while, this can lead to an especially tiring breastfeeding experience and may make you seek out the help of a lactation consultation. Find out some tips and tricks to keep a sleepy baby eating at the breast in this week’s blog post.
Navigating the Challenges of Motherhood: Understanding and Overcoming 'Mom Guilt'
Motherhood places an enormous responsibility on your shoulders. You're tasked with nurturing, caring for, and shaping a tiny human being into a well-rounded adult. This journey is fraught with decisions, and often, I am asked by my patients about the "right" way to handle certain situations. It's important to understand that parenting isn't about right or wrong methods; it's more about finding what works best for you and your family. Each family is unique, and so are the solutions to the challenges they face. Let's remember to be gentle with ourselves and understand that self-judgment is often our harshest critic.
investigating the tongue and breastfeeding
Lifting the Tongue: Arguably the most important skill is lifting the tongue. Not only does a baby need to learn how to lift the tongue, but the tongue needs to have the mobility necessary to do this. If there is a restriction of some sort, it may prevent your baby from lifting the tongue adequately no matter how hard they try. This restriction could be from a variation of anatomy (an "oral tie" would fall into this category). But it also could be a functional inability due to strength, tightness of the neck or jaw, or something else that is keeping that tongue from moving up as needed.