The breastfeeding and bonding EMDR protocolSummary sheet:  The breastfeeding and bonding EMDR protocol (Luber)

The process of giving birth and having a new baby are strong emotional experiences. Because of this intensity, many women are vulnerable to psychological problems, including anxiety, depression, and adjustment disorders. Breastfeeding is not simply a question of food intake, but of creating a bond between mother and child. The Breastfeeding and Bonding Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Protocol is the implementation of the R-TEP approach to the difficulties of breastfeeding as soon as they begin to appear, while the mother is in the maternity ward. The protocol refers not only to breastfeeding but also to bonding because they are interconnected. The protocol uses specific negative cognitions concerning the difficulty/distress related to breastfeeding; taking care of the infant and bonding; the selective use of EMD, EMDR, and EMDR depending on the level of focus; and the installation of resources useful to deal with the mother's new role and tasks. This timely focused intervention for breastfeeding difficulties, during such a sensitive and transformative phase of a mother's life, may have high great preventive value and very significant consequences on her psychophysical health, on the first fundamental hints of bonding with her baby, and on her child's development.

Book Section

English

Valentina Chiorino
Sara Roveraro
M. Caterina Cattaneo
Roberta Salerno
Isabel Fernandez

Chiorino, V., Roveraro, S., Cattaneo, M. C., Salerno, R., & Feranndez, I. The breastfeeding and bonding EMDR protocol. (2019). In M. Luber (Ed.), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Scripted Protocols and Summary Sheets: Treating Trauma in Somatic and Medical-Related Conditions (pp. 427-466). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co