Webinar: Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER)
The benefits of breastfeeding are well known, but people are often surprised to learn how many challenges lactating individuals can face. One lesser-known experience is Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER), a condition in which a breastfeeding mother feels a sudden rush of intense negative emotions during milk letdown.
Research suggests an estimated 3%-13% of lactating individuals experience this. More research is needed, but the emerging information we have about D-MER is already being used to support those experiencing it.
In an LA Best Babies Network-hosted webinar on November 11, 2025 — for Welcome Baby Parent Coaches and other staff of our network’s home visiting organizations and Welcome Baby hospitals — Sherri Garber Mendelson:
- Defines D-MER
- Describes the cause of D-MER
- Outlines three possible symptoms of D-MER
- Discusses why D-MER might lead a new mother to stop breastfeeding
- Provides questions home visitors can ask their clients to determine if they are experiencing D-MER
- Describes four ways home visitors can help clients who are experiencing D-MER
About the presenter:
As a Registered Nurse for 47 years and a Lactation Consultant for over 29 years, Sherri Garber Mendelson has helped promote health for many people across the United States and in other countries.
Sherri currently teaches the Comprehensive Lactation Education Training (CLET) II course at California State University, Northridge. She also serves on the leadership team for the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) California; the Research Committee for AWHONN National; and as President of the Board of Directors for Perinatal Advisory Council: Leadership, Advocacy, and Consultation (PAC/LAC).
As a researcher and educator, she has worked to influence the next generation of nurses and lactation consultants, encouraging open-minded learning and questioning in the pursuit of optimal health practices.
One of her proudest contributions to nursing, advocacy, and policy is her involvement in developing and implementing the California Model Breastfeeding Policy with the California Department of Public Health. This policy, which took effect in January 2025, requires California hospitals to provide and promote optimal care for breastfeeding couplets.
Watch the recording of our November 11 webinar, and don’t miss the links to related resources below:
Resources
- Webinar PowerPoint slides
- D-MER.org
- What is Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER)? (Cleveland Clinic)