Doctors believe that increasing skin-to-skin contact between the child and parent can reduce the negative reaction a parent with D-MER experiences.  Massages are also suggested to be beneficial.

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- Skin to Skin contact
- Mindfulness
- Stable environment
- self-care
- nutrition

Possible ways to reduce the effects of Dysphoric Milk-Ejection Reflex

Skin-to-Skin contact between a parent and child during breastfeeding is able to increase oxytocin and decrease stress in the parent and child. Contact soon after birth is heavily correlated to reduced stress.  In the child, there is a decreased sympathetic nervous system response.Babies are also less afraid and more social with the mother.

Skin-to-Skin contact during nursing

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?

Skin contact to reduce D-MER

Mothers are able to focus on their breather, the present moment, and treating themselves with compassion. Reminding yourself that negative thoughts are not facts can allow the parent to disperse their symptoms.  One mother discribed engaging in mindfullness while breastfeeding as a way to distract herself and reassure herself that the emotions she was feeling weren't really hers. It acts as a powerful mechanism of downregulation.

Mindfullness to reduce D-MER

Stable and safe environments can redice the effects by decreasing the environmental factors that might cause deffensive responces or stress. Other environmental factors, such as music, comfortable seeting, and warmth can help to decrease the liklihood of D-MER  symptoms. 


Warmth triggers the oxytocin responce which can help regulate the parent's symptoms.

Environmental changes to reduce the effects of D-MER

Some women have benefited by increasing their levels of protein consumption to reduce symptoms. Modulations in diet can also lower insulin levels, for example reducing the amount of carbohydrates consumed.

Nutrition in reducing the symptoms of D-MER

The breastfeeding parent can reduce the number of times they do milk-ejection. For example, fewer instances of breastfeeding or pumping can ease symptoms. They can also stop breastfeeding all-together and use formula for the child instead.

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