While many women find breastfeeding an enjoyable bonding experience, some will have an involuntary and overwhelming urge to remove their child from the breast.
Intense negative feelings during breastfeeding can be caused by breastfeeding aversion response (BAR).
Women describe BAR as a “skin-crawling” feeling or like “fingernails on a chalkboard”, as well as feeling angry or violated.
With little recognition and understanding of the experience, it can be unexpected and confusing for women, says Alexandra Shanks, lactation and breastfeeding information officer at the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA).
“Especially when a mum has had a comfortable and happy breastfeeding journey to a certain point and then starts to experience these negative feelings.”
Ms Shanks says breastfeeding aversion can really conflict with a woman’s desire to breastfeed.
“She wants to breastfeed, and is choosing to, but then experiencing these negative feelings which can be difficult to manage and navigate.”
What is breastfeeding aversion and how common is it?
Breastfeeding aversion response is considered a common phenomenon but is not a diagnosable condition, says Nicole Highet, who has a background in clinical psychology and is the founder and executive director of the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE).
“It’s a physiological [experience] with mental health implications,” she says.
“It’s clinically recognisable, but it’s not in a diagnostic manual around mental health issues
Melissa Morns is a breastfeeding researcher and pioneer in this space who experienced BAR while tandem breastfeeding her toddler and newborn.
Tandem feeding is when siblings who are not twins are breastfed, either together or at different times.
Dr Morns established a support group for BAR in 2013 and has since dedicated much of her research to it.
A 2023 study led by Dr Morns involved more than 5,500 Australian breastfeeding women and found as many as one in five reported having experienced it.
She says a simple definition of BAR is a feeling of aversion while breastfeeding that conflicts with a woman’s desire to breastfeed, and most of the time lasts throughout the whole feed