Mothers of hospitalized infants and loneliness in caregiving

an experience report of an outreach project in a Human Milk Bank

Abstract

This study presents an outreach practice conducted through psychoanalytic listening in a Human Milk Bank for mothers seeking guidance on breastfeeding in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil; this healthcare setting fostered the use of the “extended clinic” approach. The objective was to report the outreach student’s experience in listening to mothers of hospitalized infants. Narrative accounts of what had been heard described transference-related aspects in the relationship with the outreach student. The phenomena were discussed weekly with the project coordinator, contributing to reflection on and understanding of each listening encounter. The analysis was conducted through the reading of the material, guided by evenly suspended attention, in order to identify the following field: loneliness in caregiving. This field revealed the mother’s loneliness during her infant’s hospitalization, as well as the burden and responsibility placed upon her as the sole caregiver. It is concluded that this experience enabled a sensitive perspective toward mothers of hospitalized infants and breastfeeding, while also highlighting the relevance of outreach practice by providing experiences that articulate theory and practice, contributing to the development of skills for a more human and sensitive future professional practice in healthcare psychology.