Oxytocin during breastfeeding lasts aproximately 10 minutes, which is the length of time that breastfeeding mothers tend to experience D-MER symptoms. The oxytocin might be triggering the aggression and protectiveness behaviors that occur when the mother is in a stressful environment.

Grinnell College

- Stress 
- Trauma (discredited)
- Dopamine
- Oxytocin

Possible causes of Dysphoric Milk-Ejection Reflex

Oxytocin has increased release when a women starts to breastfeed. During that time, women often experience thirst and hunger. Some also have a short period of decreased heartrate and bloodpressure. The release of oxytocin faciliates interactions with the baby to help make the mother less anxious. High levels of circulating oxytocin are associated with greater attachment between mother and child.

There is also the triggering of aggression and the fight-flight response. Oxytocin promotes a protective response from the mother when she is within hostile or dangerous environments with her child.

Oxytocin during breastfeeding

Unvas-Moberg, K & Kendall-Tackett, K. (2018). The mystery of D-MER; What can hormonal research tell us about dysphoric milk-ejection reflex? Clinical Lactation, 9(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/2158-0782.9.1.23

The Mystery of D-MER; What can hormonal research tell us about dysphoric milk-ejection reflex?

Oxytocin and Dysphoric Milk-Ejection Reflex

Prolactin was originally implicated as the cause of D-MER, however the time profile of it's release does not match oup with the onset of D-MER symptoms. D-MER lasts aproximately 10 minutes after onset of breastfeeding while prolactin starts producing 10 minutes after the onset of breastfeeding.

Prolactin and Dysphoric Milk-Ejection Reflex

Dopamine is involved in the production of prolactin for breastfeeding. Due to this, researchers believe it isn't involved in D-MER symptoms due to the late production time compared to symptom onset.

Dopamine and Dysphoric Milk-Ejection Reflex

Due to oxytocin  triggering the aggressive and fight-or-flight behaviors, people hypothesized that D-MER would only appear in women who experienced high levels of trauma which allowed their bodies to switch into those behaviors easier. There is no evidence that women with D-MER have higher than average rates of experienced trauma compared to women who don't have DMER.

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