Why do I feel restless when breastfeeding?

Understanding Restlessness During Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is often portrayed as a serene and bonding experience between a mother and her child. However, many mothers report feeling restless during this intimate act. This sensation can stem from a variety of physical, emotional, and psychological factors.
Physical Discomfort
One of the primary reasons for restlessness during breastfeeding is physical discomfort. Nursing can lead to soreness in the nipples, engorgement, or issues like mastitis, which can cause pain and make it difficult for a mother to relax. Additionally, the act of breastfeeding typically requires a certain posture, which can lead to stiffness in the arms, back, and neck. This discomfort can create a sense of urgency to shift positions or take breaks, contributing to feelings of restlessness.
Emotional Factors
On an emotional level, the demands of motherhood can be overwhelming. The pressure to breastfeed successfully can lead to anxiety, especially for first-time mothers or those facing challenges like low milk supply or fussy infants. This anxiety can manifest as restlessness, making it hard to settle into the moment. Additionally, feelings of isolation can arise, particularly if a mother is breastfeeding alone. These emotions can create a disconnect from the peacefulness often associated with nursing.
Hormonal Influences
Breastfeeding triggers the release of hormones such as oxytocin, which promotes bonding but can also lead to fluctuating emotions. The hormonal changes occurring during this period can influence mood and energy levels, potentially making a mother feel restless. Hormonal shifts, especially when coupled with sleep deprivation common in new parents, can exacerbate feelings of agitation.
The Need for Multi-Tasking
In today’s fast-paced world, many mothers find it difficult to devote time solely to breastfeeding without thinking about other responsibilities. This need to multitask can lead to distractions and a feeling of restlessness. Instead of fully engaging in the nursing experience, a mother may find herself worrying about household chores, work deadlines, or other children, which detracts from the experience.
Seeking Solutions
To mitigate feelings of restlessness while breastfeeding, mothers can consider several strategies:
– Create a comfortable environment: Ensuring a cozy, supportive space for nursing can alleviate physical discomfort.
– Practice mindfulness: Focusing on the present moment can help reduce anxiety and enhance the bonding experience.
– Engage in relaxation techniques: Incorporating deep breathing or gentle stretching before nursing can promote relaxation.
– Limit distractions: Setting aside dedicated time for breastfeeding, free from other obligations, can help mothers feel more at ease.
Conclusion
Feeling restless during breastfeeding is a common experience influenced by a blend of physical discomfort, emotional strain, hormonal changes, and the pressures of modern life. By understanding these factors and implementing coping strategies, mothers can work towards creating a more peaceful breastfeeding experience. Ultimately, it’s essential to remember that each breastfeeding journey is unique, and seeking support from healthcare professionals or lactation consultants can also be incredibly beneficial.

How to stop feeling antsy while breastfeeding?

Get some time for yourself
If your breastfeeding aversion is triggered by the touched-outness that comes with breastfeeding, getting some personal space for yourself can help give you much-needed breathing room. Make time each day to: Go for a long walk, by yourself. Sit in a quiet room and read a book by yourself.

Why do I get a weird feeling when I breastfeed?

It’s due to a hormonal fluctuation of dopamine. For some women, it is momentary. For others, it is incapacitating, making it difficult to breastfeed. Dysfunctional Milk Ejection Reflex is a real condition.

Does breastfeeding cause mood swings?

Contrary to assertions that breastfeeding prevents postpartum depression,29 we found that exclusive breastfeeding at 2 weeks was associated with increased mood symptoms at 8 weeks in our sample. Other authors have reported associations between lactogenic hormones and maternal mood.

What are hormonal symptoms while breastfeeding?

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.

Why does breastfeeding make me restless?

It occurs during milk let-down, including pumping and spontaneous milk let-down not prompted by breastfeeding. Women with D-MER can feel a myriad of emotional responses such as irritability, homesickness, anxiety, hopelessness, a churning stomach, feel fidgety, emptiness, anger, dizziness, or feelings of restlessness.

Is it normal to not enjoy breastfeeding?

Depression or other negative emotions upon milk let-down (D-MER) Whilst not enjoying breastfeeding all the time, or developing nursing aversion is very common, a small number of women experience far stronger negative emotions when breastfeeding.

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.

Does breastfeeding zap your energy?

Sometimes you can be doing all the right things like getting adequate water, eating healthy foods and getting adequate rest, and you still feel tired. This is because breastfeeding and making your milk supply can wreak havoc on your nutritional intake, which can cause some serious low energy.

Why do I feel uneasy while breastfeeding?

D-MER is a rare condition which some breastfeeding women experience. Women with D-MER feel negative emotions seconds before their let-down reflex. It happens when they are breastfeeding or expressing and can also happen if their breasts let down at times when they aren’t breastfeeding.

Why does breastfeeding put me in a bad mood?

“A woman can have a dip in mood from changes in the hormones responsible for lactation, called oxytocin and prolactin,” says Mary Hoffman, an advanced clinician lactation consultant at Sharp Mary Birch. “Oxytocin triggers the letdown reflex that moves the milk, and prolactin promotes milk production.”