Can breastfeeding hormones make you angry?

Understanding Breastfeeding Hormones and Emotional Responses
Breastfeeding is often celebrated for its numerous benefits for both mother and baby, including nutritional advantages and bonding opportunities. However, the hormonal changes that accompany breastfeeding can also influence a mother’s emotional state, sometimes leading to feelings of anger or irritability.
The Role of Hormones in Breastfeeding
During breastfeeding, the body produces a variety of hormones that play crucial roles in lactation and maternal behavior. The two primary hormones involved are prolactin and oxytocin:
– Prolactin is responsible for milk production. Levels of prolactin increase during breastfeeding, promoting the synthesis of milk in the mammary glands.
– Oxytocin, often referred to as the “love hormone,” facilitates milk ejection during nursing and strengthens maternal bonding.
While these hormones are essential for breastfeeding, they can also impact mood and emotional well-being. Fluctuations in hormone levels can lead to a range of emotional responses.
Emotional Impact of Hormonal Changes
In the postpartum period, many women experience significant hormonal shifts that can contribute to mood disturbances. Here are some factors to consider:
1. Hormonal Fluctuations: After childbirth, a woman’s body undergoes a rapid decline in estrogen and progesterone levels, which can affect mood. The increase in prolactin and oxytocin during breastfeeding may not completely counteract these changes, potentially leading to feelings of frustration or anger.
2. Sleep Deprivation: New mothers often face sleep deprivation due to frequent feedings and nighttime awakenings. Lack of sleep can heighten irritability and exacerbate feelings of anger, making it challenging to cope with the emotional demands of motherhood.
3. Physical Discomfort: Breastfeeding can sometimes lead to physical discomfort, such as sore nipples or engorgement. This can create additional stress and frustration, contributing to negative emotional states.
4. Expectations vs. Reality: Many new mothers have idealized notions of breastfeeding, believing it will be a calm and bonding experience. When the reality is different—due to challenges like latching issues or low milk supply—feelings of inadequacy or anger may arise.
Managing Anger and Emotional Responses
It’s essential for new mothers to recognize that experiencing anger or irritability during breastfeeding is not uncommon. Here are some strategies to manage these feelings:
– Open Communication: Discuss feelings with a partner, friend, or healthcare provider. Sharing experiences can help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration.
– Self-Care: Prioritize self-care by getting adequate rest, eating well, and finding time for relaxation. Even brief moments of self-care can significantly impact mood.
– Seek Support: Joining a breastfeeding support group can provide encouragement and advice, helping mothers navigate challenges and reducing feelings of anger.
– Professional Help: If feelings of anger persist or escalate, seeking help from a mental health professional can be beneficial. They can provide coping strategies and support for managing postpartum emotions.
Conclusion
In summary, while breastfeeding hormones like prolactin and oxytocin are crucial for lactation and bonding, they can also interact with a mother’s emotional state, possibly leading to feelings of anger or irritability. Understanding these hormonal influences, along with the challenges of new motherhood, can help mothers navigate their emotional landscape more effectively. It’s vital to approach these feelings with compassion and seek support when needed, fostering a positive breastfeeding experience for both mother and child.

What are the mental effects of breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding plays a role in developing emotional regulation skills by providing a source of comfort and soothing during times of distress. When a baby is breastfed, they experience physical closeness, warmth, and nourishment, which can help reduce stress and anxiety.

How long does it take for hormones to balance after breastfeeding?

The return to pre-pregnancy hormone levels can vary greatly, but generally hormones will normalize within three to six months. If you are breastfeeding, as you wean from it, your prolactin and oxytocin levels will drop—potentially leaving you feeling sad, anxious or irritable.

Can breastfeeding cause mood swings?

Oxytocin and prolactin
While breastfeeding, these hormones promoted feelings of contentment, peace, and intimacy. As these hormone levels drop, some individuals experience complex physical and emotional symptoms including moodiness, sadness, or insomnia.

What is dysregulated breastfeeding?

Because a vigorous sucking pattern without stopping is a new descriptor for a dysregulated breastfeeding pattern, this study has identified a behavior that—if future research is supportive—care providers and lactation specialists should assess.

How do I stop being aggressive while breastfeeding?

How to get relief

1. Hand express or pump a little bit of milk before getting your baby, and then help him latch on.
2. Release or detach your baby when you start to feel the overactive letdown.
3. Try laid-back nursing.
4. Manually slow the flow of milk at the areola with your fingers.
5. Limit bottles.

Can breastfeeding hormones cause anger?

Women are often told to expect that breast-feeding will bring about warm and fuzzy feelings, thanks to the bonding hormone oxytocin — and most of the time, that’s true. But it’s in stark contrast to what women with D-MER might feel, which can range from sadness to anger to hopelessness.

Why does breastfeeding put me in a bad mood?

A little understood phenomenon is Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER). Mothers suffering from this physiological condition feel intense sadness and low mood from just before a breastfeed and for a couple of minutes of it starting, some experiencing it again with subsequent let downs through the feeding session.

Is it normal to get angry while breastfeeding?

Maybe you’ve discovered these negative feelings arise only at certain times: when you’re tired, around the time of your period, during pregnancy, etc. However you experience it, Breastfeeding Aversion and Agitation (BAA) is a very real phenomenon and one that often leaves those who experience it feeling guilty.

Why am I so angry all the time after having a baby?

Some studies show postpartum anger can coincide with other postpartum conditions like postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. Mental health and mood changes are common after childbirth. With so many changes in your hormones, health and daily life, it’s understandable that your mood can shift.

What are the side effects of breastfeeding hormones?

Breastfeeding and hormonal changes
Decreased estrogen levels impact vaginal tissue, temporarily decreasing elasticity, blood flow, and thinning of the tissue. These vaginal changes cause symptoms like vaginal dryness, itching, burning, irritation, painful intercourse, urinary frequency, and urgency.