02/06/2026
“When I was pregnant with my fifth baby and nearing my due date, Kristen asked me a simple question:
Had I breastfed my other children—and did I plan to breastfeed this baby?
I told her I had breastfed before, but I didn’t think I wanted to nurse again. She was surprised and said, “Let’s talk about that. That’s a pretty different direction.”
I shared some of the practical challenges I’d had—oversupply, painful letdowns, mastitis. Then, very carefully, I tiptoed toward the real issue. I told her I had experienced negative emotions while nursing. I kept it vague and high-level… but she saw right through it.
She asked, “Like anxiety? Depression? Scary thoughts?”
I said yes. Mostly anxiety—but some of the others, too.
She looked at me and said, “That sounds like D-MER.”
Those words were exactly what I needed.
She explained what D-MER is, gave me information to read, and suddenly everything made sense. My experiences weren’t a personal failing. I wasn’t ungrateful. I wasn’t broken.
That conversation changed how I understood myself, reframed my past breastfeeding journeys, and—most importantly—made nursing my last baby actually enjoyable.
I wish I had known sooner. But I am so grateful she took the time to hear what I was saying underneath my words.”
-Candace W.
If breastfeeding brings up emotions that don’t match how you feel about your baby—you’re not alone. And there may be a name for what you’re experiencing. Bring it up so we can talk through it 🤍
