◆Myths: Stress & breastfeeding in emergencies◆

Mothers and Babies need...
! Warm support! Appropriate information

Do women experiencing stress‘lose’ their breast milk?
Courtesy of F.B. Monika

Photography by Melanie Aldridge

Information About Breastfeeding During Emergencies
Multilingual versions of Do women experiencing stress ‘lose’ their breast milk? – La Leche League(LLL) Asia & Middle East
https://www.lllasia.org/do-women-experiencing-stress-lose-their-breastmilk
English information on breastfeeding in emergencies – LLL Asia & Middle East
https://www.lllasia.org/english-emergency-infoChinese information on breastfeeding in emergencies - LLL Asia & Middle East紧急情况下的母乳喂养
https://www.lllasia.org/chinese-emergency-infoJapanese information on breastfeeding in emergencies - LLL Japan
災害時のための情報
https://llljapan.org/hisai_support/
Arabic information on breastfeeding in emergencies - LLL Asia & Middle East‫اﻟرﺿﺎﻋﺔ اﻟطﺑﯾﻌﯾﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺣﺎﻻت اﻟطوارئ‬https://www.lllasia.org/arabic-emergency-info
Multilingual information on breastfeeding in emergencies - LLL Asia & Middle East
https://www.lllasia.org/multilingual-information
Multilingual resources on infant feeding in emergencies – La Leche League International
https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/infant-feeding-emergencies-multilingual/Multilingual brochure Breastfeeding is Emergency Preparedness by Magdalena Whoolery
https://www.lllasia.org/breastfeeding-is-emergency-preparedness
Multilingual infographic Early Initiation of Breastfeeding During Emergencies and others by
Infant Feeding in Emergencies (IFE) Core Grouphttps://www.ennonline.net/ifecoregroupinfographicseriesMultilingual comic based on the IFE’s Operational Guidelines on Infant Feeding in Emergencies
https://www.ennonline.net/comicbasedontheogife
Feel free to copy and distribute for noncommercial purposes so long as

Courtesy of Radhika Rao

It is easy to become worried when you hear such words.
What happens to your ability to produce breast milk
when you are under strong stress?

appropriate credit is given to the creator and it has not been modified.
© 2018 by La Leche League Asia & Middle East is licensed
under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Ⓒ 2016 La Leche League Japan
Translated and adapted with permission
La Leche League Asia & Middle East 2024
lllasia.org

Do women experiencing stress‘lose’ their breastmilk?

What can I do to build up mybreastmilk supply again?

Though the milk flow may‘temporarily’ stop, it is designed
to flow again.

Frequent breastfeeding and lotsof contact with your baby makethe milk flow again.

• Stress does not affect the hormone Prolactin whichmakes breastmilk• Stress has a short-term effect on Oxytocin the otherimportant hormone for breastfeeding
The World Health Organization explains this as apositive mechanism that stops milk flowing at difficult
moments – for example when an early human motherwas fleeing with her baby from a wild animal – it is
helpful that the milk does not start flowing whilerunning but once mother and baby are safe andsheltered the milk flow starts again when the baby
goes to the breast.

• The milk is still all there inside the breasts, ready forthe baby• Ready to be made in response to the baby sucking• The let-down reflex, which starts the milk flowing,has temporarily stopped
Everyone is highly likely to be stressed during and after
an emergency and disaster situation. Breastfeeding isan amazingly adaptive activity designed to win despite
everything. All a breastfeeding mother has to do is put
the baby to the breast frequently and have lots ofcontact with the baby and soon the milk flow will startagain.

Being comforted and receiving support helps mothers.
Breastfeeding can be soothing and will help promote healing and calmness for babies and mothers.
Adapted from Infant Feeding in Emergencies by Carol Bartle