Banca de DEFESA: MAYRA SHAMARA SILVA BATISTA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : MAYRA SHAMARA SILVA BATISTA
DATE: 26/11/2025
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Plataforma Google Meet
TITLE:

Maternal Narratives in Brazilian Online Forums: Experiences of Choosing Not to Breastfeed and of Being Unable to Breastfeed

KEY WORDS:

Breastfeeding. Discussion Forums. Online Social Support.

PAGES: 75
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Saúde Coletiva
SUMMARY:

Introduction: Breastfeeding, although widely recommended and associated with numerous benefits, can become a complex experience, permeated by difficulties and ambivalences. In the current sociocultural context of constant transformation, this practice acquires new dimensions and challenges, whose understanding is crucial to guide health and care practices. Objective: To explore, in Brazilian online forums, how the experiences of “not being able to breastfeed” and “not wanting to breastfeed” are lived and expressed. Methodology: This cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted with an exploratory and descriptive design. Data were collected from public forums on the BabyCenter Brazil platform between 2023 and 2024, using the search terms “não consigo amamentar” (“cannot breastfeed”) and “não quero amamentar” (“do not want to breastfeed”). The texts obtained (topics and comments) were organized into three corpora: two related to the “cannot breastfeed” axis and one to the “do not want to breastfeed” axis. The material was analyzed using Descending Hierarchical Classification (CHD) in the software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires (IRaMuTeQ). The automated lexical classification results were validated through interpretative coding performed by three independent researchers. Results: Three textual corpora were analyzed. IRaMuTeQ divided the first corpus into five lexical classes, the second into three, and the third into five. Altogether, the two corpora on “cannot breastfeed” yielded eight lexical classes, highlighting aspects such as physical difficulties, pain, insecurity, emotional impact, bonding, and support strategies. The corpus on “do not want to breastfeed” generated five lexical classes centered on social pressures, maternal judgments, clinical difficulties, autonomy, and infant demands. In both cases, the forums functioned as spaces of support, information exchange, and validation of maternal trajectories. Conclusions: This study broadens the discussion on not breastfeeding, demonstrating that the experience is shaped by emotional, social, and cultural factors beyond biology. Virtual forums emerge as ecosystems of support and information, where normative discourses are questioned and maternal autonomy is fostered. The findings reinforce the importance of care practices that embrace diverse forms of mothering and highlight the potential of integrating qualified digital support into public policies promoting breastfeeding.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1692571 - ANNA CECILIA QUEIROZ DE MEDEIROS
Interno - 1152605 - FRANCISCO CLEITON VIEIRA SILVA DO RÊGO
Externa à Instituição - ELOÁ LOSANO DE ABREU