hi everybody in today's video we're going to be talking about a less known topic in lactation
and that topic is called dmer or dysphoric milk ejection reflex and what this is is a
negative emotion around a milk let down so if you're experiencing negative emotions like
depression or anxiety or irritability around the initiation of a letdown then this video's for you
this video is meant to bring awareness and i want you to know that you're not alone in it
and i want to provide you with some resources to learn more about the topic so stay tuned to
the end of the video so that you can get filled in on all those details my name is cassie reyes
i am a registered nurse and a board certified lactation consultant and also the co-founder of
people's lactation here in washington dc so glad you found the channel make sure that you subscribe
down below and if you hit the bell you're going to be notified each week when i post a new video
what exactly is deemer unfortunately some parents during lactation just before a milk
ejection reflex or just before your milk lets down experience a rush of negative emotions
those emotions are often described as irritability anxiousness it could stir up
negative feelings and make you remember negative things that have happened to you in the past
other things that people use to describe it are a hollow feeling in the pit of their stomach
some describe hopelessness or the feeling of dread come over them just before a letdown
this feeling tends to come on suddenly with the let down so the person feels fine otherwise
it's just right immediately before let down that they're having these negative emotions
and those feelings usually last for about 30 to 90 seconds and then they dissipate
these negative emotions are not the same as postpartum depression for example
i want you to know that if you're a person who is experiencing this reaction to a letdown
that it is not a psychological experience what's happening is actually physiological
or it's a physical process that's happening in your body so what happens in
lactation right before i let down is that there is a normal drop in dopamine levels to
facilitate the other hormones of lactation and milk let out however in a person who's
experiencing demer these negative emotions is that the dopamine drops too much just before the
letdown and causes these negative emotions these emotions can happen during any letdown so whether
that's when your baby's latching whether that's during a pumping session or even just during a
spontaneous letdown for example if your breasts or chests are really full and you are out and about
and you hear a baby cry or you see a picture of your baby if you have a spontaneous letdown
you could also have these negative feelings and in fact some people report that the negative
feelings are worse with those kind of spontaneous or pump letdowns than when their baby is latched
because the oxytocin or that feel good bonding hormone that is released when your baby and you
are close together can help kind of negate the effects or mitigate lower the effects of
that drop in dopamine people who experience demer tend to notice it in the first couple of weeks
at the beginning of lactation and some people report that it tends to get better and taper off
by about three months however if you also have or are experiencing postpartum depression
then it could take longer for this to resolve itself people who have damar don't report that
they dislike breast or chest feeding they only have these negative emotions for those initial
30 to 90 seconds and then after that tend to feel okay about
about lactation these are some of the defining characteristics that make it a little bit
different than postpartum depression because the parent feels good otherwise and it's a sudden
onset when they're having a let down and it only lasts for that 30 to 90 seconds and then tends
to resolve so what makes someone at higher risk for redeemer unfortunately we don't really know
there is nothing that seems to predispose someone to having this it is just something that
can happen some people one thing that does make it higher risk is if you have had it in the past
so if you've had it with one baby you're more likely to have it with another baby this dysphoria
with milk ejection or letdown also doesn't have an exact treatment the most important thing
is that we talk about it that we educate and support people who are experiencing
it that you know you're not alone in this that other people experience this that just because
you're having these negative emotions doesn't mean there's something psychologically wrong with you
and there is a chance that it may go away after a few months into your lactation journey if you
have severe diemer sometimes it can be treated with medications so make sure
you're working with a lactation consultant who can support you through that and also
that you're keeping your ob in the loop in case you were to need medications to help
manage some of the symptoms down below in the description i'm going to put some resources for
support there's a facebook group for support for people who are experiencing diemer and
there is also a great website that gives more information about this condition it is www dot
i'll put it down below so if you're a person who is experiencing negative emotions around
let down i hope that you found this video helpful and reassuring you're not alone and
there's nothing wrong with you just know that this is something that happens
and it could resolve itself and i hope that the information you found here was reassuring to you
if you liked the video please give it a like and remember to subscribe down below
to join our supportive community of other lactating parents i am so happy that you're here
and i hope to see you in our next video have a great week talk to you soon
bye
you