Dysphoric milk ejection reflex to nipple/areolar stimulation, thoughts of the baby or of breastfeeding, or overfull breasts, travels through both brain and bloodstream, causing emotional changes in the brain and the release of milk in the breast. Prolactin, released in a gradual wave that peaks after the beginning of a feeding, is responsible for continued milk production. Dopamine inhibits the release of prolactin, so dopamine levels must drop in order for prolactin levels to rise. Some speculate that the necessary dopamine drop is similar to (and timed with) the oxytocin spike – a sort of negative image – but that in D-MER mothers it
Birthing ball Birthing ball A birthing ball or labor ball is a large air–filled rubber ball (a gym ball about in diameter) that a woman can sit on during labor. A birthing ball allows the woman to rock back and forth seated on a softer surface. A woman on a birthing ball may need a support person to keep her steady. A birthing ball may be especially useful during back labor. Hospital policies on birthing balls vary, in part because the balls provide a somewhat unsteady seat, some hospitals are concerned about their safety if a woman falls during birth. It is