Normalizing Nursing Complications: Breastfeeding Challenges, Perinatal Mental Health, and Lactation Support

Thrive • August 2, 2022
By Thrive Wellness Waco Registered Dietitian and Certified Lactation Consultant Courtney Anderson M.S., RD, LD, CLC

While natural and beautiful, the personal choice to breastfeed, also known as chestfeed, one’s baby can present challenges for many. A survey from the UC Davis Medical Center found that 92% of the new mothers who participated reported having problems nursing three days after giving birth. 

If moms experience issues breastfeeding, it can add distress to an already tumultuous experience of bringing home a new baby. With specialized support from a lactation consultant, however, mothers can succeed in breastfeeding their babies if that’s their intention. 

If parents choose to go the formula-feeding route, that’s completely acceptable and encouraged too. We’re fortunate to live in a time in history when nutritionally complete infant formula is available. In my own practice, when I have clients who are struggling to breastfeed, I regularly remind them that “fed is best” and that no matter how they nourish their babies, they are incredible mothers. 

COMMON BREASTFEEDING CHALLENGES

Expecting mothers often imagine that breastfeeding is simple and instinctive. Contrary to this widely-held perception, however, many find nursing to be anything but easy. In all actuality, breastfeeding can be complicated, imperfect, and exhausting.  

Some common breastfeeding concerns include:

  • Positioning that causes discomfort
  • Problems with the baby latching to the mom’s breast, causing the mom pain or decreasing the transfer of milk to the baby
  • Struggles establishing or maintaining breast milk supply
  • A clogged duct, a condition that causes an obstruction of milk flow 
  • Mastitis, a condition characterized as inflammation and infection in the breast

HOW BREASTFEEDING COMPLICATIONS IMPACT PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH

Moms who struggle with nursing may feel various negative emotions that can contribute to mental health concerns during the perinatal period , which describes the time surrounding pregnancy, birth, and up to a year following birth. They may experience:

  • Self-doubt caused by judgment from self or others: Choosing how to feed one’s baby is a highly personal decision. Even still, parents may self-inflict or encounter unfair criticism over how they nourish their babies. This may contribute to worry, lack of self-esteem , and other distressing thoughts and feelings.
  • Upset over unmet expectations: Many moms imagine that breastfeeding will be an easy and enjoyable experience. If nursing presents obstacles and doesn’t align with what they anticipated, parents may feel an array of confusing and adverse emotions.
  • Guilt and shame if nursing isn’t available: Sometimes breastfeeding may not be possible or the best choice for mom and baby potentially due to medications they’re taking, low milk supply related to medical complications, or other medical reasons. Moms may feel unwarranted guilt or shame if they aren’t able to nurse their babies, possibly due to the misperception that nursing is the “best” way to feed babies.  
  • Loneliness if they aren’t comfortable nursing in front of others: Although breastfeeding can be an opportunity for a mom to bond with their baby, if a mother prefers to nurse her baby in private, the activity may pull her away from other loved ones and cause her to feel isolated.

A mother’s mental health may suffer further when exacerbated by other perinatal circumstances, such as: 

LACTATION SUPPORT SERVICES

For moms who intend to breastfeed, professional lactation support can offer guidance, strategies, and tips for making nursing as seamless as possible. Midwives, doulas, nurses, dietitians, and other perinatal health care providers commonly serve as lactation consultants. These professionals typically have earned certifications in lactation support. Some common types of certifications include:

  • Certified lactation educator (CLE): This credential entails 20 hours of coursework. Those with the CLE designation are trained to educate parents about breastfeeding through counseling or teaching classes.
  • Certified lactation counselor (CLC): This certification requires 45 hours of coursework. Those with the CLC designation are able to provide clinical breastfeeding support to families such as by guiding them through the process of breastfeeding and addressing issues that may arise. 
  • International board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC): TEarning an IBCLC requires extensive coursework and testing and is therefore the highest level of lactation support. Those with the IBCLC certification are most likely to provide clinical guidance for acute feeding struggles such as severe mastitis.

Often beginning during pregnancy, lactation support usually involves education about the logistics of breastfeeding. Within the first few hours or days after a baby is born, a lactation consultant may conduct infant feeding assessments, which are helpful for proactively detecting any issues that may create barriers to parents’ feeding goals.

Lactation support can also provide guidance around:

  • Exploring breastfeeding positions
  • Improving a baby’s latch
  • Building a mother’s breast milk supply
  • Pumping breast milk
  • Implementing a bottle for feeding if desired
  • Developing a feeding plan if a mother intends to return to work while still nursing
  • Wearing nursing-friendly clothing

PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE AT THRIVE WELLNESS 

At Thrive Wellness, we understand that breastfeeding doesn’t come easily to everyone, and when this is the case, the mental health of new parents can severely suffer. In my own experience as a mom to a new baby, I struggled with postpartum depression that I believe began with the intense difficulty I had breastfeeding and many unfulfilled hopes throughout my nursing journey. As part of Thrive Wellness’ integrated health care approach, we involve medical professionals, therapists, dietitians, and lactation consultants in our perinatal health care services, so that parents receive multi-faceted support as they adjust to life with a new baby. To learn more about perinatal health care at Thrive Wellness, reach out

While all Thrive Wellness locations offer interdisciplinary clinical teams who collaborate to treat eating disorders, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), and additional mental and behavioral health conditions, programs and services may vary by location.

About the Author

Thrive Wellness Waco Registered Dietitian Courtney Anderson M.S., RD, LD, CLC

Courtney is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Lactation Counselor passionate about helping clients use food as a tool for health and joyful living. Her practice is built around the marriage of medical nutrition therapy with the principles of Intuitive Eating.

She began studying nutrition science because of her fascination with food and the body. In her practice, she hopes to educate and empower others to harness the awesome benefits of the food around them, and to provide them valuable skills to apply nutrition principles in their everyday life.

By marrying her experience of disordered eating with her knowledge of medical nutrition therapy and her skills as an adjunct lecturer at the university level, she has been able to create a holistic approach to health and wellness for clients that focuses on education and practicing new skills that not only improve her clients’ health but also their relationship with food and body.

Download our free wellness guide.

Discover the power of small, sustainable changes with "How to Thrive: 10 Simple Habits for Healthy Living." This guide offers practical, easy-to-follow habits that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

August 21, 2025
When Emma was 8, her parents noticed her food choices shrinking. At first, they assumed it was just picky eating — “She’ll outgrow it,” friends said. But by 10, Emma would only eat crackers, cheese, and chicken nuggets. Family dinners became nightly struggles, her growth slowed, and she skipped birthday parties to avoid “strange food.” Her parents felt powerless, her brother grew frustrated, and outings dwindled. What began as food avoidance soon reshaped the rhythm of the entire household. When children avoid food, most parents expect it’s a passing stage. But when restriction deepens, shrinks to only a few “safe foods,” and begins affecting growth or health, families suddenly find themselves in unfamiliar territory. This is often where Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) emerges — with effects that extend far beyond the plate. As providers, we need to be attuned to these patterns. It’s tempting to dismiss them as “no big deal,” yet for many families, they are life-altering. Sadly, Emma’s story is not unusual. Mealtimes as Battlegrounds Families living with ARFID often describe mealtimes as emotionally charged, exhausting, and unpredictable. What should be a chance to connect around the table can feel more like a negotiation or even a standoff. Parents wrestle with whether to push their child to try a new food or give in to the same “safe foods” again and again to avoid tears, gagging, or complete meltdowns. This ongoing tension can make mealtimes dreaded rather than cherished. Siblings, too, are affected. Some may feel resentful when family meals are limited to what only one child will tolerate. Others may act out in response to the constant attention the child with ARFID receives. Over time, the dinner table shifts from a place of nourishment and bonding into a stage for conflict, anxiety, and guilt — a pattern that can erode family cohesion and resilience. Social Isolation and Missed Experiences ARFID impacts more than what happens at home; it influences how families engage with the world around them. Everyday events — birthday parties, school lunches, vacations, even extended family dinners — become sources of stress. Parents may pack special foods to avoid confrontation or, in many cases, decline invitations altogether to protect their child from embarrassment or overwhelm. This avoidance can lead to an unintended consequence: isolation. Families miss out on milestones, friendships, and traditions because of the unpredictability surrounding food. The child may feel left out or ashamed, while parents grieve the loss of “normal” family experiences. This social withdrawal can compound the anxiety already present in ARFID and deepen its impact across generations. Emotional Toll on Parents The emotional strain on parents navigating ARFID is significant. Many describe living in a constant state of worry — Will my child get enough nutrients? Will they ever grow out of this? Am I doing something wrong? This worry often spirals into guilt and self-blame, particularly when outside voices dismiss the disorder as mere “picky eating.” In addition, the pressure to “fix” mealtimes can strain marital relationships, creating disagreements over discipline, feeding strategies, or medical decisions. Parents may also feel emotionally depleted, pouring all their energy into managing one child’s needs while inadvertently neglecting themselves or their other children. Without support, this chronic stress can lead to burnout, depression, and disconnection within the family system. The Role of Providers For clinicians, ARFID must be viewed not only as an individual diagnosis but as a family-wide challenge. Effective care requires attention to both the clinical symptoms and the family dynamics that shape recovery. Parent Support: Educating caregivers that ARFID is not their fault, offering psychoeducation, and helping them reframe mealtime struggles as part of the disorder — not a parenting failure. Family-Based Interventions: Coaching families in structured meal support, communication strategies, and gradual exposure work so parents don’t feel powerless. Holistic Care: Involving therapists, dietitians, occupational therapists, and medical providers ensures that the family does not shoulder the weight of treatment alone. When families are validated, supported, and given practical tools, the entire household can begin to heal. Treatment is not only about expanding a child’s food repertoire but also about restoring peace, resilience, and connection at home. Moving Forward ARFID may begin with one individual, but its ripple effects are felt across the entire family system. By addressing both the psychological and relational dimensions, providers can help transform mealtimes from a source of conflict into an opportunity for healing and connection. For those who want to go deeper, we invite you to join our upcoming training on ARFID , where we will explore practical strategies for supporting both clients and their families.
July 30, 2025
How to Recognize Overlapping Behaviors + A Case Study and Screening Tools to Help
July 17, 2025
As a parent, noticing alarming behaviors around food or routines in your child can raise some important questions. You might be asking yourself, “Is this an eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or something else entirely?” Understanding the signs and differences between these disorders is key to getting your child effective, timely treatment. In this blog, we’ll break down the overlap between OCD and eating disorders, what signs to watch for, and how to get professional help. If you're a parent wondering “Is my child’s eating disorder actually OCD?” or “OCD vs eating disorder in teens,” know that you’re not alone and you’re in the right place to find specialized care for your child. What Is OCD? Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition where unwanted thoughts (obsessions) cause anxiety, leading to repetitive behaviors (compulsions) intended to ease that anxiety. OCD can be focused on any subject. Common obsessions include contamination, perfectionism, scrupulosity, and harm, but sometimes, the content of obsessions can be focused on food, body image, or weight. What Is an Eating Disorder? Eating disorders , like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) involve disturbed eating behaviors and intense concerns about body weight or shape. These conditions go beyond dieting or “picky eating” and can become life-threatening without professional intervention. The Overlap: Why It Can Be Confusing OCD and eating disorders often share similar symptoms : Ritualistic eating (e.g., needing to eat foods in a certain order or at a certain time) Rigid rules about food (like only eating certain food groups or certain amounts of food) Excessive checking (like weighing food or body or repeated checking of expiration dates or thorough cooking) Avoidance behaviors ( like avoiding carbs, fats, or other food groups or avoiding places or objects that can trigger obsessions) Distress when routines are disrupted (either around mealtimes or exercise routines) So, How Can You Tell the Difference? Use the following chart to compare and contrast symptoms of OCD and eating disorders.
More Posts

Start your healing journey today

NEXT STEPS

Are you ready to find hope? We can't wait to connect you with the care you need. To get started with us, please reach out using the link below.   

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Learn more →

Perinatal

Mental Health

Learn more →

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Learn more →

Perinatal

Mental Health

Learn more →