Beginner (casual familiarity with topic area e.g., treated one case)

Introductory

Women expect to experience breastfeeding as a time of bonding and connection with their babies. However, for some women, breastfeeding may trigger a range of difficult thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations, such as dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D-MER), breastfeeding aversion and sexual arousal while breastfeeding. These experiences can be incredibly distressing and challenge not only how women view themselves but also how they relate to their babies.

This workshops aims to increase understanding about the diversity of emotional responses to breastfeeding and the underlying mechanisms at play. Utilising a biopsychosocial framework to describe the hormonal neurophysiology of breastfeeding, participants will develop dyadic formulations for understanding embodied emotions and related cognitive appraisals. Case studies will be used further illustrate these phenomenon, highlighting some of the maladaptive approaches that women often rely on to cope with these experiences and the potential negative this may have on maternal-infant bonding. Using a transtheoretical approach, clinicians will develop intervention skills to facilitate maternal-infant bonding and support mothers to meet their breastfeeding goals. Participants will be given tools to assist in the assessment, formulation and intervention selection to assist with these complex presentations.

Deepening professional knowledge about difficult embodied emotional responses to breastfeeding improves the ability of clinicians to offer mothers compassionate, individualised care to support these families to meet their breastfeeding goals.

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants should be able to:
• Identify and reflect on own expectations and beliefs related to embodied emotions while breastfeeding
• Recognise and differentiate embodied emotional responses to breastfeeding from other perinatal mental health concerns including PNDA, perinatal OCD, perinatal PTSD
• Describe the hormonal physiology related to dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D-MER), breastfeeding aversion and sexual arousal while breastfeeding
• Conduct a dyadic risk assessment regarding risk of harm to mother and infant
• Develop a dyadic formulation to inform treatment selection.
• Implement clinical interventions targeting managing difficult embodied emotions