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

Thrive • Aug 02, 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:

Fatigue during the baby’s newborn stage: Exhaustion from caring for a new baby may make it difficult for parents to regulate their emotions and can also contribute to perinatal anxiety and depression.
Hormonal changes in the postpartum period: The fluctuation of hormones following childbirth can contribute to shifts in mood that can lead to a deterioration in mental health.
Other experiences in this life stage: An array of circumstances may manifest during the perinatal period that can harm mental health, such as dealing with the implications of unresolved trauma , experiencing fear over becoming a parent , trouble with one’s partner , or other life stressors .

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.

The post Normalizing Nursing Complications: Breastfeeding Challenges, Perinatal Mental Health, and Lactation Support first appeared on Thrive Wellness.

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Clean House, Healthy Mind: Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health

By Sage Tippie • 23 Apr, 2024

Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health Spring is a time of new beginnings, change, and transitions, including in our homes. With the warmer weather kicking motivation into high gear, Spring can be a prime time to do a deep clean. Not only is a clean space aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but it can also help to improve your mental health. Learn about how tidying up your space can also tidy up your thoughts below along with tips for cleaning when you’re struggling with your mental health. 4 Reasons Why Cleaning is Beneficial to Mental health 1.Decreased Stress Not only does an uncluttered space provide a sense of calm, but the physical act of cleaning can release feel-good endorphins, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. As you cross tasks off your checklist, your body also releases Dopamine. Also known as the “happy hormone”, Dopamine provides a sense of accomplishment and pride that can promote motivation in other areas of our lives. 2. Improved Focus Studies have shown that an uncluttered space can also lead to an uncluttered mind. Your focus can be drawn away from important tasks by a chaotic, messy space. Research has also shown a connection between procrastination and clutter, as an unwillingness to tackle larger chores like cleaning can translate over into various areas of our lives. By keeping your space tidy, it can inspire you to stay on top of other major tasks like work and school assignments. 3. Regulated Emotions According to this 2015 study , cleaning can function as a practice in mindfulness, providing an increased sense of calm and inspiration. Slowing down while cleaning gives you room to relax and free your mind of burdens, stressors, and irritants that can affect your mental health. Cleaning can even be considered a practice of self-care as the action helps you to connect with yourself and the outcome allows you to better enjoy your own space. 4. Sense of Order and Control When experiencing mental health struggles, people may feel a lack of control over their lives and emotions. Cleaning even small areas of the home can provide an increased sense of order and control as you cross tasks off your to-do list. Through realizing your own power by simply completing minor tasks like cleaning, it can reaffirm your ability to do more. 10 Tips for Cleaning When Struggling with Mental Health Mental health struggles and disorders commonly create barriers to one’s ability to clean and properly practice personal hygiene. Although these behaviors are normal side effects of mental health disorders, we want to work to aid our clients in cleaning to the best of their ability even in difficult times. Below, Thrive Wellness occupational therapist Meadow Deason shares some helpful tips she gives to clients when they struggle with cleaning due to mental health conditions: 1.Ask For Help Having support to clean can make a huge difference. Do the cleaning with the person helping you and have them hold you accountable. 2. Don't Wait for Motivation Motivation might not come before action, but it can build as you begin to see the results of your efforts. 3. Start Small Start with one area or one task and go from there. For example, concentrate on your bedroom first and then move on to the living room and bathroom. 4. Do Something Daily Even if you do only one small cleaning task a day, doing that one task creates momentum and prevents small tasks from building up and becoming overwhelming. 5. Use Sensory Modulation Change your environment by playing music, adjusting the lighting, or using aromatherapy. This can help to put you in a new headspace for cleaning. 6. Start with "High Impact" Tasks Start with more intensive or all-over cleaning tasks such as picking up clutter or doing the dishes. The visual "noise" of some tasks makes a large impact on the entire space, building motivation to continue cleaning. 7. Make a To-Do List Write a detailed to-do list of tasks and cross them off as you go. Physically marking down what you’ve accomplished can promote increased motivation. 8. Reward Yourself Set up a reward system where you reward yourself with a favorite activity or item when you complete a task as an incentive to clean. 9. Use the Rocket Method Don't think about it, just choose a task, countdown from five or ten and then start. This can help you to avoid potential anxiety and dread that can prevent you from cleaning. 10. Gamify Tasks Make up a game for your tasks or time yourself to promote increased engagement in cleaning. Your ability to complete tasks can be affected by a multitude of different factors and conditions including OCD , anxiety, depression , ADHD , and more. If you are struggling with motivation due to your mental health, help is here at Thrive Wellness.

child getting bandaid from doctor while mother smiles

The Importance of Whole Family Primary Care: A Q&A with Dr. Stephanie Wright

26 Mar, 2024

By serving the whole family, physicians are able to have a better understanding of family dynamics, family health care goals, and history of disease in the family.