WOMEN'S PERCEPTION ABOUT BREAST MILK DONATION IN THE SCOPE OF THE HUMAN MILK BANK IN A REFERENCE HOSPITAL

Breast milk donation is characterized as an activity carried out by healthy lactating women, whose milk production exceeds the child's normal needs and who are willing to donate voluntarily. The objective of the present study was to analyze the perception of postpartum women about donating breast milk within the scope of the human milk bank in a tertiary reference hospital. This is a descriptive and exploratory study using a qualitative approach, where a semi-structured interview was carried out, with evaluation of the results using Bardin's content analysis technique. The sample was made up of 27 women aged 18 to 43 who were hospitalized in rooming-in and breastfeeding exclusively at the breast. After carrying out the interviews, the data was analyzed and 04 central themes were created with the following thematic categories: Knowledge about the Human Milk Bank; Knowledge about Breast Milk Donation; Motivation to donate breast milk and difficulties in donating breast milk. Among the main findings, the lack of information about the functioning of the human milk bank stands out; the need for guidance on the processes and criteria for donating breast milk; women's recognition of the importance of breast milk, demonstrating empathy and solidarity; the lack of information and access to Human Milk Bank services, especially in remote regions or with limited infrastructure, as well as the lack of publicity about the benefits of donating breast milk for babies and women, thus impacting the health and recovery of babies, bringing suggestions for adherence to this practice. It can be concluded that mothers' perception of donating breast milk is associated with the need to help others, to save children who are hospitalized in a vulnerable situation.