Quando o cuidado se faz ambiente: relato de experiência extensionista sobre a escuta de mães da UTIN no Banco de Leite Humano

Abstract

The Human Milk Bank (HMB) offers various services to mothers, such as breastfeeding guidance, milk collection, and speech-language pathology and medical consultations. An important group served by the HMB consists of mothers whose maternal journey is marked by the experience of having a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). These women present specific needs that require a care environment not only for the baby, but also for themselves. This study aims to present an extension project experience in an HMB, involving the provision of psychoanalytic listening to individuals seeking some of the services, and its relationship to the concept of a “good enough environment” for mothers with babies in the NICU. The extension activities took place between September 2022 and February 2023 at the Human Milk Bank of the Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Uberlândia. Based on the reading of narrative reports produced by the extension student during the practice, two main thematic fields were identified: (1) fatigue and care, and (2) care and hope. The study proposes a reflection on how the care environment impacts the physical and psychological well-being of mothers, highlighting the importance of environmental provision—whether in hospital or family settings—and the role of qualified, engaged, and sensitive listening offered within the HMB space to support mothers during this period of their lives.