Gate control method – if breastfeeding is uncomfortable or mothers experience persistent pain (for example if breastfeeding through pregnancy, or nurslings with restrictive ties, or if they have Raynaud’s condition), creating a physical sensation elsewhere in the body can confuse the pain signals in your brain and make breastfeeding more tolerable for the interim. Some mothers squeeze their thighs or pinch one hand with the other. It is best to seek advice from an infant feeding specialist or face-to-face breastfeeding support if this happens.
Supplements & hydration – mothers who struggle with their postnatal menses find taking Evening Primrose Oil useful to regulate their emotions, and mothers who are tandem feeding often say using magnesium chelate lessens their aversion. Hydration with water, particularly at night, often helps aversion abate if it is not severe. Joining our free peer-to-peer aversion support group, or taking our free structured support course online can help mothers to understand their aversion, their own personal triggers and causes, and how to alleviate it.
When Breastfeeding Sucks by Zainab Yate is published by Pinter & Martin, £12.99.
Zainab Yate BSc, MSc (Medical Ethics & Law, Imperial College) is an independent infant feeding researcher & campaigner. She is currently Vice Chair of the North London Research Ethics Committee, with the Health Research Authority in the UK (HRA). She is founder of Infant Feeding Research Ethics, and a member of the King’s College London Research Ethics, Governance Policy & Integrity Committee (KCL). She lives in Hertfordshire with her family. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
