The Pressure to Breast-Feed Is Hurting New Moms

University of Kansas sociology doctoral student Carrie Wendel-Hummell spoke to 30 middle and low-income moms who had symptoms of “perinatal mental health disorders” (PMADs)—which include prenatal and postpartum depression and anxiety, postpartum psychosis, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder—and found that some of the biggest factors in exacerbating their PMADs were breast-feeding troubles, sleep deprivation, and unhelpful partners.

While the public health push for breast-feeding is certainly good overall, Wendel-Hummell’s study, while extremely small, should make us consider that the messaging towards and treatment of new moms who are struggling with breast-feeding might be counterproductive and harmful, particularly to moms also dealing with PMADs. “My research findings also demonstrate how these messages lead to significant mental health stress when breastfeeding does not go well, including internalized guilt for not giving their children what is perceived as the absolute best,” Wendel-Hummell writes.

Though low-income women felt less guilt about breast-feeding than their middle-class counterparts, “Low-income women still spoke of feeling pressured to breastfeed by doctors and nurses,” Wendel-Hummell notes, “Even a mother who chose to pump and bottle her breast milk, rather than nurse due to past sexual abuse, was continually pressured to nurse by her doctors. Others felt intimidated or manhandled by lactation specialists.” One low-income mom told Wendel-Hummell: