August 5, 2025 • 27 mins
Let's get real about a conversation that's been making waves and honestly, stirring up a lot of confusion: Does breastfeeding cause postpartum depression (PPD)?
If you've been working with new mothers or navigating the postpartum journey yourself, you've probably heard this claim, and it's time to dig into why blaming breastfeeding is not only inaccurate but also a massive distraction from the real issues impacting maternal mental health. This episode isn't just a discussion; it's a powerful call to action for every perinatal professional dedicated to truly supporting postpartum wellness and understanding the root causes of postnatal depression.
Check out the episode on the blog HERE.
Key time stamps:
- 00:00: Does breastfeeding cause postpartum depression?
- 02:31: maternal mental health struggles beyond just breastfeeding.
- 03:26: Research confirms breastfeeding's protective role in postpartum mental health.
- 05:00: Deconstructing systemic failures + breastfeeding mothers.
- 06:08: The critical role of breastfeeding support for preventing PPD.
- 07:10: Understanding pressure and shame in infant feeding decisions.
- 09:19: Nutrient depletion & postpartum depression symptoms.
- 10:43: How early return to work & maternity leave affect breastfeeding
- 12:06: Why isolation in postpartum care impacts mental health.
- 14:21: The issue with misinformation and poor lactation education.
- 15:49: Debunking myths about breastfeeding and sleep for new parents.
- 17:21: Key exceptions: D-MER and breast trauma in breastfeeding
- 18:51: Prioritizing trauma-informed care in postpartum support.
- 21:05: How postpartum providers can support breastfeeding & mental health.
- 22:15: Focus on the environment of care for new mothers.
- 24:52: Rebuilding a postpartum care system for nourished mothers.
NEXT STEPS:
🎒Download the free Postpartum Restoration Method™ Assessment Tool & Guide for Providers
🔔Sign up for the Postpartum Nutrition Certification Waitlist
👍Rate, REVIEW & share the podcast
📱Connect on Instagram!
📚Get a Copy of the BOOK: Reclaiming Postpartum Wellness
🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training & Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
The postpartum care system is failing, leaving
countless mothers strugglingwith depression, anxiety and
autoimmune conditions.
I'm Miranda Bauer and I'vehelped thousands of providers
use holistic care practices toheal their clients at the root.
Subscribe now and join us inaddressing what modern medicine
(00:22):
overlooks, so that you can giveyour clients real, lasting
solutions for lifelong wellbeing.
Welcome back to the podcast.
Today's episode is going tostir some hearts and shake up a
few beliefs and hopefully, if Ido this right, bring clarity,
compassion and truth to theconversation that has been
(00:46):
wildly misunderstood.
I want to talk about somethingI've seen everywhere lately, and
it's this growing claim thatbreastfeeding causes postpartum
depression.
Now, listen, I get it.
I've been there.
I have four children and I'vebreastfed for a total of five
years.
I've had beautiful, deeplybonding experiences and I've had
(01:08):
moments where breastfeedingbroke me.
I've had cracked nipples,sleepless nights and I still
have scars from thrush on mynipples.
I still, to this day, like havescars on my nipples from thrush
because I had it way too longand I suffered way too much and
I've had to quit breastfeedingbefore I wanted to.
(01:28):
I've cried while nursing, I'vecelebrated, I've mourned it.
I know both sides.
So this episode, it is personal, but it is also professional,
because I've worked withthousands of mothers and
providers and what I'm seeingmore and more is this pattern A
mother struggles, she'sexhausted, overwhelmed, touched
(01:50):
out, and the conclusionbreastfeeding is making me
depressed.
But here's the thing thatthinking that motherhood itself
is to blame is the exact sameframework that Western medical
system has been operating in fordecades and has failed.
They say postpartum causesdepression, that being a mother
(02:14):
makes you miserable, that yourbiology is broken.
But I'm calling BS.
That is not a biologicallynormal response.
It is a broken systemprojecting its failure onto
women.
So today I want to break thiswide open.
(02:34):
We're going to talk about whyso many women feel this way,
what's actually going on and whyblaming breastfeeding is
distracting us from the realissues, because breastfeeding
doesn't cause depression, butyou know what does?
A lack of support, nutrientdepletion, no paid leave, birth
(02:55):
trauma, lack of education andreal, knowledgeable support, and
systems that don't care for amother and doesn't give a hoot
whether or not she's survivingor thriving.
So we have to go deeper.
We have to stop blaming thebreast and start naming the real
problem.
And yes, there's alwaysexceptions.
(03:16):
We're going to talk about that.
We're going to talk abouttrauma, because this is not
about shame.
This is about truth, healingand liberation, so let's get
into it.
This is about truth, healingand liberation, so let's get
into it.
Actually, let's break down acouple of things, because
breastfeeding is reallyprotective in many cases.
Yes, many women report feelingoverwhelmed and exhausted or
(03:37):
depressed during theirbreastfeeding journey and, yes,
some even walk away with thebelief that breastfeeding caused
their depression.
But here's the truth when youzoom out and you look at the
research, breastfeeding isoverwhelmingly associated with
improved mental health outcomes.
(03:57):
So if we look at the data, weknow that one breastfeeding was
significantly associated withlower risk of postpartum
depression, especially whenwomen were able to breastfeed as
long as they intended to.
There's a study that shows thatexclusively breastfeeding for
at least three months correlatedwith lower levels of depressive
(04:18):
symptoms at six monthspostpartum, even after
controlling for sleep and otherstressors.
Postpartum, even aftercontrolling for sleep and other
stressors.
Another study found that womenwho breastfed experienced lower
levels of anxiety and stresshormones, including cortisol,
compared to those who didn't.
These studies are like we can.
We can find so many studies onbreastfeeding.
(04:40):
It's actually ridiculous.
There's more studies done onbreastfeeding and mental health
than any other type of studiesat all.
But what we know is thatbreastfeeding in the right
environment, with support andnourishment and rest, is
actually extremely protective.
It stimulates the release ofoxytocin that's the love hormone
(05:00):
and bonding hormone.
It lowers the stress response.
It supports regulation of thenervous system.
Biologically it is designed tobe mutually healing for both
mother and baby.
So if it's meant to be healing,why is it hurting so many?
Because it's not thebreastfeeding that's broken,
(05:22):
it's the system.
Here's what's really happening.
When mothers say I thinkbreastfeeding made me depressed,
we need to pause, not todismiss or defend Okay, but to
dig deeper, because in reality,breastfeeding itself isn't the
problem, it's the environment inwhich we ask women to
breastfeed that is broken.
So we want to break this down.
(05:42):
One lack of support.
There's no village.
There's no hands helping withthe baby, no one bringing meals,
no paid maternity leave, nonight shifts being shared.
We ask mothers to do it all andthen act shocked when they fall
apart.
In fact, mothers who receivehands-on breastfeeding support
are significantly less likely toexperience depressive symptoms
(06:05):
than those who don't.
I remember one time talking witha mom at gymnastics.
My son was doing gymnastics.
This was like 10 plus years agoand she was bottle feeding her
baby and I was smiling at herand I smiled at her baby and I
had my own baby and I wasbreastfeeding my baby and she
said please don't shame me.
(06:26):
And I was like what, what areyou talking about?
And she was like I can'tbreastfeed.
I don't want to breastfeed.
I have a toddler that I have tochase and I can't do it with my
baby on my boob.
I don't know how you do it.
And I had to switch to formulaand I was like girl, it's fine
Like you do, you, that's like Iget it, like legit.
(06:46):
Like we sat there for 30minutes for the rest of that
session together.
Her children were in gymnasticspractice, talking about how
hard it was to chase a toddlerand other kids around while
breastfeeding and how littlesupport that we had.
Like that was the thing rightand that's totally fine, right.
(07:10):
Two, there's so much pressureand shame.
We push breast is best withoutsupport and when breastfeeding
feels hard or impossible, womeninternalize it as failure.
That guilt and shame that thatmom felt when she was sitting
next to me as I'm breastfeedingmy baby and she's having to
(07:31):
formally feed her baby.
It felt so deeply and thatshame and that guilt is linked
to postpartum mood disorders,right.
That emotional burden ofperceived failure is being shown
to significantly correlate withdepression.
To significantly correlate withdepression, right?
(07:54):
And or feeling as if you can'tbreastfeed or you weren't giving
your baby enough, or that maybeyour body was broken or you
tried so hard and no matter howhard you tried, you weren't
producing enough or it washurting too much, or, you know,
maybe you had cracked bleedingnipples too, like all of the
things thrush is anothermastitis issues, right.
There's a lot of things thatcome with breastfeeding and the
(08:18):
shame and the pressure and theguilt that women feel
surrounding this topic makes italmost too difficult.
But we don't even wanna havethese conversations, that we
can't have these conversations.
The very act of breastfeeding mychild will stimulate fear and
anxiety and guilt and shame inanother mom and then she gets
(08:43):
really upset and then tells methat I shouldn't be doing it.
And we see it all on.
You know that wasn't thescenario that happened at this
gymnastics, but I see it all thetime on in you know social
media world, where mom's like,oh my gosh, I made it, I made it
three months breastfeeding.
And another mom comes in andsays how dare you tell me?
I'm doing a bad job, you know?
And it has nothing to do withwhat that person is celebrating.
(09:05):
It has everything to do withwhat that the other person is
feeling inside because of thepressure and the guilt and the
shame that they feel deeply, andnone of that ever gets
addressed right.
Then we have nutrition depletion.
Breastfeeding draws heavily onthe mother's nutritional stores
and most women enter alreadydepleted into postpartum and
(09:29):
they have low iron and B12 andomega-3s and choline and iodine.
They are all linked toincreased risk of depression.
There's one study that showedthat women with low ferritin
were three times more likely todevelop depressive symptoms and
mild anemia, which is related toferritin and low iron.
(09:49):
And all of the things areconsidered by many practitioners
in postpartum to be quoteunquote normal.
There we go again.
It's not normal, it's not okay.
We got to get that up, we gotto get that better in order to
feel better.
So a lot of these symptoms ofnutrient depletion, especially
when we're not getting enough.
We're not getting enoughsupport.
(10:10):
Nobody's cooking us nutrientdense meals.
We're eating leftover chickennuggets from our kids meal, like
you know, grabbing a bag ofchips from the pantry, because
that is the easiest thing thatwe could possibly do in the
moment of hunger and we don'thave time to make good,
nutritious food.
And then, at the same time,we're nourishing and sustaining
our baby's life, their entirelife, with our own bodies, with
(10:33):
our milk.
That's going to take its tolland we're going to feel like poo
if we're not getting thenutrients that we need to
sustain that.
Let's talk about women having toreturn to work too soon.
Right, the US have we expectwomen to return to work very,
very quickly?
A mere 25% of women have paidmaternity leave in the United
(10:58):
States.
Most are back at work betweentwo weeks to six weeks.
They're still healing, they'restill learning to breastfeed,
they're still barely sleeping,and then they're pressured to
pump in closets and schedulearound baby's needs.
And let's talk about the pump.
The pump is not the same thingas a baby's mouth.
(11:19):
It does not eliminate the milkfrom the breast, which is the
number one thing required inorder to continue producing
breast milk.
And then we wonder why we don'thave enough.
Right?
I was that mom.
No matter what kind of pump Ihad, it was not gonna come out.
I had all the phalanges fitted,I had all the different pumps,
(11:41):
no matter what it was, if it wasnot that baby.
That baby was getting plenty ofmilk from my breasts, but the
moment I used a pump it was farless, far less right.
And so if I were to use a pumpcontinuously or try to go back
to work and pump, I would losemy milk supply and that would
(12:04):
have been so heartbreaking.
And it is heartbreaking for somany women who have no other
choice.
They have to feed theirchildren, they have to go back
to work, they have to do it topay the mortgage, the rent.
Right To provide food for theirtoddlers Like that is a
necessity for so many women andsuch a huge driver of stress and
(12:29):
anxiety, massive right.
So that's a huge component ofthis.
The other is isolation.
The breastfeeding relationshipwas never meant to be held by
one person.
In most cultures, mothers aresurrounded by aunties and
sisters and grandmothers, allcaring for this mother-baby diet
.
But here in today's world, momsits alone in dark rooms at 2 am
(12:53):
, doubting everything, sleepexhausted, and she lacks the
community and co-regulation thatreally supports or creates
mental health conditions thatnobody wants.
We cannot do this.
Here's the other componentmisinformation and lack of
(13:17):
education.
Most moms have no access toskilled, trauma-informed
lactation support.
They don't even know what'snormal, how to fix a latch or
why they're in pain.
And then we have so many morepeople coming online rather than
doing it in person, thanks toCOVID and just the growing boom
of the online world.
(13:38):
We want education that comesvia a video, and for
breastfeeding moms, that'sactually really, really
difficult.
There was a recent study that Ijust shared in the newsletter
that went out a couple of weeksago about how this is actually
not what women want.
They do not want videos anymore, they want in-person education.
(14:02):
They want somebody there tohelp them and support them.
And what we're also finding isthat many lactation educators or
lactation consultants IBCLC isa really prime example Many of
them are trained in some reallyoutdated methods and that can
(14:22):
lead to confusion.
It leads to a massive gap ineducation between provider and
moms, and many moms are leavingconfused, unsupported, and
they're more likely to weanearly or have associated
breastfeeding with suffering.
Right, and the other componentis sleep.
(14:45):
I hear this one so much andthis is a twist that most people
don't expect.
Breastfeeding mothers actuallyget far more total sleep than
formula-fed mothers.
Exclusively breastfeedingmothers got 40 to 45 percent, 40
to 45 minutes longer per nightof sleep than those who used
(15:05):
formula, because they're nothaving to prep for bottles and
they're less postpartumdepression, because they're
sleeping better.
And I hear often well, I amable to sleep more because my
partner is able, able to come inand take care of the feeding,
and that is absolutely beautifuland that works if your partner
is showing up, right, but thatis required and for a lot of
(15:29):
moms that's not the case, right,and we're seeing that more and
more frequently.
Again, that is a support issue,not a breastfeeding issue.
So not a breastfeeding issue,so not a breastfeeding issue.
It's the lack of support thatturns nighttime feeding into an
exhausting, lonely burden.
Okay, so here's a recap lack ofsupport, pressure and shame,
(15:52):
nutrient depletion, returning towork too soon, isolation,
misinformation and lack ofeducation and quality of sleep.
It's not breastfeeding thatcauses depression.
It's being expected tobreastfeed in a culture that
offers zero support.
And that is the conversationthat we need to be having.
(16:13):
While we've establishedbreastfeeding itself is not the
cause of postpartum depressionfor the vast majority of mothers
, there are some criticalexceptions and they very much
matter.
So we have DMER dysphoric milkejection reflex.
Dmer is a condition thataffects a very small percentage
of breastfeeding mothers, and itis very real.
(16:35):
It's characterized by a suddenwave of like negative emotion,
like sadness, dread anxiety thatjust occurs before milk let
down, and it can happen withevery feeding, and for some
women it's absolutelydebilitating.
This is not psychological, it'sbiological.
(16:55):
Deemer is believed to berelated to a drop in dopamine
that accompanies the release ofprolactin during milk ejection,
and so research is still limited.
We're basically at awarenesslevel.
We know it's happening, but wedon't know why this is happening
.
Why do women feel this way, andso it's very critical that us,
(17:18):
providers and mothers areeducated about it.
Many women are told you know,women who have DMER are told
that it's just in your head ordismiss it entirely, but
recognizing it for what it iscan be an absolute game changer.
So if you want to explore thisdeeper, dmerorg is an excellent
resource.
(17:38):
It's backed by research, livedexperience.
It's a great place to go.
The other component that youabsolutely need to know about is
breast trauma and somaticmemory.
Most mothers, some mothers whocannot breastfeeding or feel
that they cannot breastfeed,it's not because they have a low
(17:59):
supply or latch issues oranything like that, which again,
oftentimes is a lack ofeducation.
It's a lack of support, whichis a whole different
conversation.
But mothers feel like theycannot breastfeed because the
act of breastfeeding itselftriggers trauma, and it could be
due to a multitude of things.
(18:20):
Itself triggers trauma and itcould be due to a multitude of
things a history of sexualassault or abuse, previous
traumatic birth experiences, astrange or unsupported
breastfeeding journey with aprevious kid, medical trauma
right involving breast or chest.
In these cases the bodyremembers.
The act of nursing becomes atrigger, not a bonding
experience, and no one talksabout this right.
These mothers often feel deepshame and guilt and confusion,
(18:44):
especially when they're toldthat breastfeeding is natural
and beautiful.
But here's the truth A mothernever owes anyone any
explanation to why she does notbreastfeed, and breastfeeding
should never come at the expenseof a woman's mental health, her
sense of safety or bodyautonomy.
And as providers, it'sessential we lead with
(19:08):
trauma-informed care and ask thehard questions and we normalize
every experience and never,ever, ever shame.
But those are two reasons why Isee so many people not
breastfeeding.
That is very much related topostpartum depression, like the
very act of breastfeeding willcause that right.
(19:29):
But for the rest of us who arenot experiencing those things,
this is where we need to come inand be really, really
supportive.
So I want to talk a minuteabout how providers can support
breastfeeding and mental health.
And this is where the realmagic happens, when we equip
providers not only with thescience, but also the language
(19:50):
and the presence and theawareness to guide mothers
through breastfeeding withoutshame or pressure or blame.
First is always validate.
Validate first, always Beforeoffering solutions, corrections
or even praise, pause andvalidate Like you are doing an
incredible thing and I know it'snot always easy or you deserve
(20:10):
to be supported, no matter howthis looks for you or what's
your breastfeeding experiencelike so far.
This simple act of like openingthe door are ways in which moms
normally don't get toexperience right.
They don't normally havesomebody ask them this.
It shows that you're safe, thatyou see her, that her
(20:31):
experience matters more than theoutcome, and then educate
without pressure.
Many providers feel stuckbecause they're wanting to
promote breastfeeding, becausethat's what the research shows,
and they're not wanting to guiltmothers.
But there's a nuance you caneducate about the benefits of
breastfeeding while making itcrystal clear that the mother's
(20:52):
well-being comes first, right.
We know breastfeeding hasincredible benefits, but we also
know it can't come at theexpense of your mental health or
your sense of self.
So let's find a path that worksfor you and your baby.
So if we frame breastfeeding asa tool, not a mandate if it
works for her, great.
If it doesn't work for her, herwellness still remains the
(21:15):
priority, and then we offer realworld support.
The problem is reallybreastfeeding itself, right, and
so oftentimes, when we juststop breastfeeding, the problems
are always going to remain.
So we have to address the realroot of it.
It's never going to go awayjust because we breastfeed, and
actually we know that herlikelihood of actually
(21:35):
experiencing more depression isgoing to happen if she stops
breastfeeding, especially beforeshe wants to stop breastfeeding
, okay.
So we have to address theenvironment around the
breastfeeding, because if thatdoesn't get addressed again,
these symptoms are only going toget worse and they're not going
(21:56):
to get better in any way, shape, form or fashion.
We have to talk about no paidmaternity leave.
We have to talk about notgetting a night support or no
meals or house help or zeroflexibility at work or lack of
access to quality lactationsupport or no education on
breastfeeding, or the unspokentrauma or somatic triggers, or
(22:18):
the social pressure andconflicting advice.
When we say she's strugglingwith breastfeeding, it's rarely
about her milk or her body, it'sabout this list right here.
So instead of saying, oh well,it sounds like you're ready to
just switch to formula, ask howcan we lighten your load, like
what kind of support do you haveright now?
(22:38):
What kind of support do youhave right now?
What kind of support do youneed moving forward, would it
help if you had someone to guideyou through the feeding process
right?
Or the feeding process withtrauma and infused care or
informed care?
The goal is not just feedingright.
It's thriving for both motherand baby, and so we want to make
(23:00):
sure that she has the toolsthat she needs.
However, she is caring for herbabies, but we have to be clear
that it's not breastfeedingthat's going to be the problem.
It's never breastfeeding that'sgoing to be the problem.
Almost never right, never.
Say never.
It's like both sides of thespectrum, like I see this in
(23:21):
politics all the time.
If you say never or alwaysright, usually the answer is
always in the middle, andwhomever says you know the
hardcore always or never isusually well, always wrong, get
it.
But there's always nuance.
There's.
You know.
The answer always liessomewhere in the middle.
It's never on the left or neveron the right.
It's always, always in themiddle.
(23:44):
Okay, we've covered so much, andif there's one thing I hope you
take away from this is thatbreastfeeding does not cause
postpartum depression, but abroken system, lack of support,
poor nourishment, a culture thatasks women to do it all without
rest or care or community.
That absolutely can.
And if you're listening intothis, I want you to know,
(24:07):
especially if you're a mom,you're not alone.
Your experience is valid, yourfeelings are real and there is
always more to the story thanwhat you've been told.
And if you're a provider, Ihope this episode reminded you
of the deep responsibility andprivilege that you hold to help
moms feel safe and seen andsupported.
This isn't just about milk, it'snot about babies, it's about
(24:30):
mental health, it's aboutequality, it's about giving moms
a fighting chance at healing.
So let's stop blaming thebiology of motherhood for the
fallout of a culture that doesnot care for mothers.
Let's shift the conversation.
Let's bring the real issue tolight.
Let's do better, because whenwe support breastfeeding and the
(24:50):
mothers behind it.
We're just not feeding babies.
We're rebuilding a world wheremothers are nourished too.
All right, we'll see you nextweek.
Nourished too All right, we'llsee you next week.
Thanks so much for being a partof this crucial conversation.
I know you're dedicated toadvancing postpartum care and if
(25:12):
you're ready to dig deeper,come join us on our newsletter,
where I share exclusive insights, resources and the latest tools
to help you make a lastingimpact on postpartum health.
Sign up at postpartumu theletter ucom which is in the show
notes, and if you found today'sepisode valuable, please leave
(25:33):
a review to help us reach moreproviders like you.
Together, we're building afuture where mothers are fully
supported and thriving.
The postpartum care system is failing, leaving
countless mothers strugglingwith depression, anxiety and
autoimmune conditions.
I'm Miranda Bauer and I'vehelped thousands of providers
use holistic care practices toheal their clients at the root.
Subscribe now and join us inaddressing what modern medicine
(00:22):
overlooks, so that you can giveyour clients real, lasting
solutions for lifelong wellbeing.
Welcome back to the podcast.
Today's episode is going tostir some hearts and shake up a
few beliefs and hopefully, if Ido this right, bring clarity,
compassion and truth to theconversation that has been
(00:46):
wildly misunderstood.
I want to talk about somethingI've seen everywhere lately, and
it's this growing claim thatbreastfeeding causes postpartum
depression.
Now, listen, I get it.
I've been there.
I have four children and I'vebreastfed for a total of five
years.
I've had beautiful, deeplybonding experiences and I've had
(01:08):
moments where breastfeedingbroke me.
I've had cracked nipples,sleepless nights and I still
have scars from thrush on mynipples.
I still, to this day, like havescars on my nipples from thrush
because I had it way too longand I suffered way too much and
I've had to quit breastfeedingbefore I wanted to.
(01:28):
I've cried while nursing, I'vecelebrated, I've mourned it.
I know both sides.
So this episode, it is personal, but it is also professional,
because I've worked withthousands of mothers and
providers and what I'm seeingmore and more is this pattern A
mother struggles, she'sexhausted, overwhelmed, touched
(01:50):
out, and the conclusionbreastfeeding is making me
depressed.
But here's the thing thatthinking that motherhood itself
is to blame is the exact sameframework that Western medical
system has been operating in fordecades and has failed.
They say postpartum causesdepression, that being a mother
(02:14):
makes you miserable, that yourbiology is broken.
But I'm calling BS.
That is not a biologicallynormal response.
It is a broken systemprojecting its failure onto
women.
So today I want to break thiswide open.
(02:34):
We're going to talk about whyso many women feel this way,
what's actually going on and whyblaming breastfeeding is
distracting us from the realissues, because breastfeeding
doesn't cause depression, butyou know what does?
A lack of support, nutrientdepletion, no paid leave, birth
(02:55):
trauma, lack of education andreal, knowledgeable support, and
systems that don't care for amother and doesn't give a hoot
whether or not she's survivingor thriving.
So we have to go deeper.
We have to stop blaming thebreast and start naming the real
problem.
And yes, there's alwaysexceptions.
(03:16):
We're going to talk about that.
We're going to talk abouttrauma, because this is not
about shame.
This is about truth, healingand liberation, so let's get
into it.
This is about truth, healingand liberation, so let's get
into it.
Actually, let's break down acouple of things, because
breastfeeding is reallyprotective in many cases.
Yes, many women report feelingoverwhelmed and exhausted or
(03:37):
depressed during theirbreastfeeding journey and, yes,
some even walk away with thebelief that breastfeeding caused
their depression.
But here's the truth when youzoom out and you look at the
research, breastfeeding isoverwhelmingly associated with
improved mental health outcomes.
(03:57):
So if we look at the data, weknow that one breastfeeding was
significantly associated withlower risk of postpartum
depression, especially whenwomen were able to breastfeed as
long as they intended to.
There's a study that shows thatexclusively breastfeeding for
at least three months correlatedwith lower levels of depressive
(04:18):
symptoms at six monthspostpartum, even after
controlling for sleep and otherstressors.
Postpartum, even aftercontrolling for sleep and other
stressors.
Another study found that womenwho breastfed experienced lower
levels of anxiety and stresshormones, including cortisol,
compared to those who didn't.
These studies are like we can.
We can find so many studies onbreastfeeding.
(04:40):
It's actually ridiculous.
There's more studies done onbreastfeeding and mental health
than any other type of studiesat all.
But what we know is thatbreastfeeding in the right
environment, with support andnourishment and rest, is
actually extremely protective.
It stimulates the release ofoxytocin that's the love hormone
(05:00):
and bonding hormone.
It lowers the stress response.
It supports regulation of thenervous system.
Biologically it is designed tobe mutually healing for both
mother and baby.
So if it's meant to be healing,why is it hurting so many?
Because it's not thebreastfeeding that's broken,
(05:22):
it's the system.
Here's what's really happening.
When mothers say I thinkbreastfeeding made me depressed,
we need to pause, not todismiss or defend Okay, but to
dig deeper, because in reality,breastfeeding itself isn't the
problem, it's the environment inwhich we ask women to
breastfeed that is broken.
So we want to break this down.
(05:42):
One lack of support.
There's no village.
There's no hands helping withthe baby, no one bringing meals,
no paid maternity leave, nonight shifts being shared.
We ask mothers to do it all andthen act shocked when they fall
apart.
In fact, mothers who receivehands-on breastfeeding support
are significantly less likely toexperience depressive symptoms
(06:05):
than those who don't.
I remember one time talking witha mom at gymnastics.
My son was doing gymnastics.
This was like 10 plus years agoand she was bottle feeding her
baby and I was smiling at herand I smiled at her baby and I
had my own baby and I wasbreastfeeding my baby and she
said please don't shame me.
(06:26):
And I was like what, what areyou talking about?
And she was like I can'tbreastfeed.
I don't want to breastfeed.
I have a toddler that I have tochase and I can't do it with my
baby on my boob.
I don't know how you do it.
And I had to switch to formulaand I was like girl, it's fine
Like you do, you, that's like Iget it, like legit.
(06:46):
Like we sat there for 30minutes for the rest of that
session together.
Her children were in gymnasticspractice, talking about how
hard it was to chase a toddlerand other kids around while
breastfeeding and how littlesupport that we had.
Like that was the thing rightand that's totally fine, right.
(07:10):
Two, there's so much pressureand shame.
We push breast is best withoutsupport and when breastfeeding
feels hard or impossible, womeninternalize it as failure.
That guilt and shame that thatmom felt when she was sitting
next to me as I'm breastfeedingmy baby and she's having to
(07:31):
formally feed her baby.
It felt so deeply and thatshame and that guilt is linked
to postpartum mood disorders,right.
That emotional burden ofperceived failure is being shown
to significantly correlate withdepression.
To significantly correlate withdepression, right?
(07:54):
And or feeling as if you can'tbreastfeed or you weren't giving
your baby enough, or that maybeyour body was broken or you
tried so hard and no matter howhard you tried, you weren't
producing enough or it washurting too much, or, you know,
maybe you had cracked bleedingnipples too, like all of the
things thrush is anothermastitis issues, right.
There's a lot of things thatcome with breastfeeding and the
(08:18):
shame and the pressure and theguilt that women feel
surrounding this topic makes italmost too difficult.
But we don't even wanna havethese conversations, that we
can't have these conversations.
The very act of breastfeeding mychild will stimulate fear and
anxiety and guilt and shame inanother mom and then she gets
(08:43):
really upset and then tells methat I shouldn't be doing it.
And we see it all on.
You know that wasn't thescenario that happened at this
gymnastics, but I see it all thetime on in you know social
media world, where mom's like,oh my gosh, I made it, I made it
three months breastfeeding.
And another mom comes in andsays how dare you tell me?
I'm doing a bad job, you know?
And it has nothing to do withwhat that person is celebrating.
(09:05):
It has everything to do withwhat that the other person is
feeling inside because of thepressure and the guilt and the
shame that they feel deeply, andnone of that ever gets
addressed right.
Then we have nutrition depletion.
Breastfeeding draws heavily onthe mother's nutritional stores
and most women enter alreadydepleted into postpartum and
(09:29):
they have low iron and B12 andomega-3s and choline and iodine.
They are all linked toincreased risk of depression.
There's one study that showedthat women with low ferritin
were three times more likely todevelop depressive symptoms and
mild anemia, which is related toferritin and low iron.
(09:49):
And all of the things areconsidered by many practitioners
in postpartum to be quoteunquote normal.
There we go again.
It's not normal, it's not okay.
We got to get that up, we gotto get that better in order to
feel better.
So a lot of these symptoms ofnutrient depletion, especially
when we're not getting enough.
We're not getting enoughsupport.
(10:10):
Nobody's cooking us nutrientdense meals.
We're eating leftover chickennuggets from our kids meal, like
you know, grabbing a bag ofchips from the pantry, because
that is the easiest thing thatwe could possibly do in the
moment of hunger and we don'thave time to make good,
nutritious food.
And then, at the same time,we're nourishing and sustaining
our baby's life, their entirelife, with our own bodies, with
(10:33):
our milk.
That's going to take its tolland we're going to feel like poo
if we're not getting thenutrients that we need to
sustain that.
Let's talk about women having toreturn to work too soon.
Right, the US have we expectwomen to return to work very,
very quickly?
A mere 25% of women have paidmaternity leave in the United
(10:58):
States.
Most are back at work betweentwo weeks to six weeks.
They're still healing, they'restill learning to breastfeed,
they're still barely sleeping,and then they're pressured to
pump in closets and schedulearound baby's needs.
And let's talk about the pump.
The pump is not the same thingas a baby's mouth.
(11:19):
It does not eliminate the milkfrom the breast, which is the
number one thing required inorder to continue producing
breast milk.
And then we wonder why we don'thave enough.
Right?
I was that mom.
No matter what kind of pump Ihad, it was not gonna come out.
I had all the phalanges fitted,I had all the different pumps,
(11:41):
no matter what it was, if it wasnot that baby.
That baby was getting plenty ofmilk from my breasts, but the
moment I used a pump it was farless, far less right.
And so if I were to use a pumpcontinuously or try to go back
to work and pump, I would losemy milk supply and that would
(12:04):
have been so heartbreaking.
And it is heartbreaking for somany women who have no other
choice.
They have to feed theirchildren, they have to go back
to work, they have to do it topay the mortgage, the rent.
Right To provide food for theirtoddlers Like that is a
necessity for so many women andsuch a huge driver of stress and
(12:29):
anxiety, massive right.
So that's a huge component ofthis.
The other is isolation.
The breastfeeding relationshipwas never meant to be held by
one person.
In most cultures, mothers aresurrounded by aunties and
sisters and grandmothers, allcaring for this mother-baby diet
.
But here in today's world, momsits alone in dark rooms at 2 am
(12:53):
, doubting everything, sleepexhausted, and she lacks the
community and co-regulation thatreally supports or creates
mental health conditions thatnobody wants.
We cannot do this.
Here's the other componentmisinformation and lack of
(13:17):
education.
Most moms have no access toskilled, trauma-informed
lactation support.
They don't even know what'snormal, how to fix a latch or
why they're in pain.
And then we have so many morepeople coming online rather than
doing it in person, thanks toCOVID and just the growing boom
of the online world.
(13:38):
We want education that comesvia a video, and for
breastfeeding moms, that'sactually really, really
difficult.
There was a recent study that Ijust shared in the newsletter
that went out a couple of weeksago about how this is actually
not what women want.
They do not want videos anymore, they want in-person education.
(14:02):
They want somebody there tohelp them and support them.
And what we're also finding isthat many lactation educators or
lactation consultants IBCLC isa really prime example Many of
them are trained in some reallyoutdated methods and that can
(14:22):
lead to confusion.
It leads to a massive gap ineducation between provider and
moms, and many moms are leavingconfused, unsupported, and
they're more likely to weanearly or have associated
breastfeeding with suffering.
Right, and the other componentis sleep.
(14:45):
I hear this one so much andthis is a twist that most people
don't expect.
Breastfeeding mothers actuallyget far more total sleep than
formula-fed mothers.
Exclusively breastfeedingmothers got 40 to 45 percent, 40
to 45 minutes longer per nightof sleep than those who used
(15:05):
formula, because they're nothaving to prep for bottles and
they're less postpartumdepression, because they're
sleeping better.
And I hear often well, I amable to sleep more because my
partner is able, able to come inand take care of the feeding,
and that is absolutely beautifuland that works if your partner
is showing up, right, but thatis required and for a lot of
(15:29):
moms that's not the case, right,and we're seeing that more and
more frequently.
Again, that is a support issue,not a breastfeeding issue.
So not a breastfeeding issue,so not a breastfeeding issue.
It's the lack of support thatturns nighttime feeding into an
exhausting, lonely burden.
Okay, so here's a recap lack ofsupport, pressure and shame,
(15:52):
nutrient depletion, returning towork too soon, isolation,
misinformation and lack ofeducation and quality of sleep.
It's not breastfeeding thatcauses depression.
It's being expected tobreastfeed in a culture that
offers zero support.
And that is the conversationthat we need to be having.
(16:13):
While we've establishedbreastfeeding itself is not the
cause of postpartum depressionfor the vast majority of mothers
, there are some criticalexceptions and they very much
matter.
So we have DMER dysphoric milkejection reflex.
Dmer is a condition thataffects a very small percentage
of breastfeeding mothers, and itis very real.
(16:35):
It's characterized by a suddenwave of like negative emotion,
like sadness, dread anxiety thatjust occurs before milk let
down, and it can happen withevery feeding, and for some
women it's absolutelydebilitating.
This is not psychological, it'sbiological.
(16:55):
Deemer is believed to berelated to a drop in dopamine
that accompanies the release ofprolactin during milk ejection,
and so research is still limited.
We're basically at awarenesslevel.
We know it's happening, but wedon't know why this is happening
.
Why do women feel this way, andso it's very critical that us,
(17:18):
providers and mothers areeducated about it.
Many women are told you know,women who have DMER are told
that it's just in your head ordismiss it entirely, but
recognizing it for what it iscan be an absolute game changer.
So if you want to explore thisdeeper, dmerorg is an excellent
resource.
(17:38):
It's backed by research, livedexperience.
It's a great place to go.
The other component that youabsolutely need to know about is
breast trauma and somaticmemory.
Most mothers, some mothers whocannot breastfeeding or feel
that they cannot breastfeed,it's not because they have a low
(17:59):
supply or latch issues oranything like that, which again,
oftentimes is a lack ofeducation.
It's a lack of support, whichis a whole different
conversation.
But mothers feel like theycannot breastfeed because the
act of breastfeeding itselftriggers trauma, and it could be
due to a multitude of things.
(18:20):
Itself triggers trauma and itcould be due to a multitude of
things a history of sexualassault or abuse, previous
traumatic birth experiences, astrange or unsupported
breastfeeding journey with aprevious kid, medical trauma
right involving breast or chest.
In these cases the bodyremembers.
The act of nursing becomes atrigger, not a bonding
experience, and no one talksabout this right.
These mothers often feel deepshame and guilt and confusion,
(18:44):
especially when they're toldthat breastfeeding is natural
and beautiful.
But here's the truth A mothernever owes anyone any
explanation to why she does notbreastfeed, and breastfeeding
should never come at the expenseof a woman's mental health, her
sense of safety or bodyautonomy.
And as providers, it'sessential we lead with
(19:08):
trauma-informed care and ask thehard questions and we normalize
every experience and never,ever, ever shame.
But those are two reasons why Isee so many people not
breastfeeding.
That is very much related topostpartum depression, like the
very act of breastfeeding willcause that right.
(19:29):
But for the rest of us who arenot experiencing those things,
this is where we need to come inand be really, really
supportive.
So I want to talk a minuteabout how providers can support
breastfeeding and mental health.
And this is where the realmagic happens, when we equip
providers not only with thescience, but also the language
(19:50):
and the presence and theawareness to guide mothers
through breastfeeding withoutshame or pressure or blame.
First is always validate.
Validate first, always Beforeoffering solutions, corrections
or even praise, pause andvalidate Like you are doing an
incredible thing and I know it'snot always easy or you deserve
(20:10):
to be supported, no matter howthis looks for you or what's
your breastfeeding experiencelike so far.
This simple act of like openingthe door are ways in which moms
normally don't get toexperience right.
They don't normally havesomebody ask them this.
It shows that you're safe, thatyou see her, that her
(20:31):
experience matters more than theoutcome, and then educate
without pressure.
Many providers feel stuckbecause they're wanting to
promote breastfeeding, becausethat's what the research shows,
and they're not wanting to guiltmothers.
But there's a nuance you caneducate about the benefits of
breastfeeding while making itcrystal clear that the mother's
(20:52):
well-being comes first, right.
We know breastfeeding hasincredible benefits, but we also
know it can't come at theexpense of your mental health or
your sense of self.
So let's find a path that worksfor you and your baby.
So if we frame breastfeeding asa tool, not a mandate if it
works for her, great.
If it doesn't work for her, herwellness still remains the
(21:15):
priority, and then we offer realworld support.
The problem is reallybreastfeeding itself, right, and
so oftentimes, when we juststop breastfeeding, the problems
are always going to remain.
So we have to address the realroot of it.
It's never going to go awayjust because we breastfeed, and
actually we know that herlikelihood of actually
(21:35):
experiencing more depression isgoing to happen if she stops
breastfeeding, especially beforeshe wants to stop breastfeeding
, okay.
So we have to address theenvironment around the
breastfeeding, because if thatdoesn't get addressed again,
these symptoms are only going toget worse and they're not going
(21:56):
to get better in any way, shape, form or fashion.
We have to talk about no paidmaternity leave.
We have to talk about notgetting a night support or no
meals or house help or zeroflexibility at work or lack of
access to quality lactationsupport or no education on
breastfeeding, or the unspokentrauma or somatic triggers, or
(22:18):
the social pressure andconflicting advice.
When we say she's strugglingwith breastfeeding, it's rarely
about her milk or her body, it'sabout this list right here.
So instead of saying, oh well,it sounds like you're ready to
just switch to formula, ask howcan we lighten your load, like
what kind of support do you haveright now?
(22:38):
What kind of support do youhave right now?
What kind of support do youneed moving forward, would it
help if you had someone to guideyou through the feeding process
right?
Or the feeding process withtrauma and infused care or
informed care?
The goal is not just feedingright.
It's thriving for both motherand baby, and so we want to make
(23:00):
sure that she has the toolsthat she needs.
However, she is caring for herbabies, but we have to be clear
that it's not breastfeedingthat's going to be the problem.
It's never breastfeeding that'sgoing to be the problem.
Almost never right, never.
Say never.
It's like both sides of thespectrum, like I see this in
(23:21):
politics all the time.
If you say never or alwaysright, usually the answer is
always in the middle, andwhomever says you know the
hardcore always or never isusually well, always wrong, get
it.
But there's always nuance.
There's.
You know.
The answer always liessomewhere in the middle.
It's never on the left or neveron the right.
It's always, always in themiddle.
(23:44):
Okay, we've covered so much, andif there's one thing I hope you
take away from this is thatbreastfeeding does not cause
postpartum depression, but abroken system, lack of support,
poor nourishment, a culture thatasks women to do it all without
rest or care or community.
That absolutely can.
And if you're listening intothis, I want you to know,
(24:07):
especially if you're a mom,you're not alone.
Your experience is valid, yourfeelings are real and there is
always more to the story thanwhat you've been told.
And if you're a provider, Ihope this episode reminded you
of the deep responsibility andprivilege that you hold to help
moms feel safe and seen andsupported.
This isn't just about milk, it'snot about babies, it's about
(24:30):
mental health, it's aboutequality, it's about giving moms
a fighting chance at healing.
So let's stop blaming thebiology of motherhood for the
fallout of a culture that doesnot care for mothers.
Let's shift the conversation.
Let's bring the real issue tolight.
Let's do better, because whenwe support breastfeeding and the
(24:50):
mothers behind it.
We're just not feeding babies.
We're rebuilding a world wheremothers are nourished too.
All right, we'll see you nextweek.
Nourished too All right, we'llsee you next week.
Thanks so much for being a partof this crucial conversation.
I know you're dedicated toadvancing postpartum care and if
(25:12):
you're ready to dig deeper,come join us on our newsletter,
where I share exclusive insights, resources and the latest tools
to help you make a lastingimpact on postpartum health.
Sign up at postpartumu theletter ucom which is in the show
notes, and if you found today'sepisode valuable, please leave
(25:33):
a review to help us reach moreproviders like you.
Together, we're building afuture where mothers are fully
supported and thriving.
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