NURSING MOTHERS’ SOCIAL REPRESENTATION ABOUT BREASTFEEDING

Abstract

This research, based in the Theory of Social Representations, aimed to comprehend the meaning that the nursing mothers give to breastfeeding and about the reasons for their interruption. Forty nursing mothers, who used the public health service in 2014, participated in the research. The data were obtained through semi-structured interviews, and analyzed by the technique of the Discourse of the Collective Subject. Four central ideas resulted from the question about the meaning of breastfeeding: it prevents diseases; it promotes child’s health and growth; it develops bond and love and it causes discomfort. The five central ideas about the reasons that led them to stop breastfeeding were: baby blame; the milk dried; weak milk; breast problems e the return to work. The results pointed out the significance of breastfeeding and the reasons for the discontinuation of breastfeeding for nursing mothers. Besides, they showed the importance of orientation and follow-up from prenatal to lactation in the Health Care Network.