Breastfeeding and mental health

Women Veterans

Breastfeeding and mental health

Breastfeeding can prompt a wide range of emotional reactions in women, from feeling relaxed, calm and connected to their baby to feeling stressed, depressed and burdened. Sometimes, women feel overwhelmed if they breastfeed but guilty if they don’t. Some women who have experienced sexual trauma find that normal sensations of breastfeeding bring back memories of the trauma, such that breastfeeding leads to intense anxiety.

Protecting the mother’s well-being — regardless of whatever personal decision she makes about breastfeeding — is vital in helping babies thrive. There are specific types of counseling and breastfeeding support that can help women who are deciding whether to breastfeed as well as women who want to breastfeed but find it challenging because of depression, anxiety, trauma or another reason.

For more information, consider speaking with your primary care provider or mental health clinician .

Related Links

• Mental health while planning a pregnancy
• Mental health during and after pregnancy
• Miscarriage and mental health
• Ectopic pregnancy and mental health
• Stillbirth and mental health

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