Abstract
In this article we explore the meanings attributed to breastmilk, and the different actors and moral mechanisms that guide and regulate the practice of breastfeeding in Brazil. Our focus is “cross-nursing”, an act in which a baby is breastfed by someone other than his own mother - contraindicated by the Ministry of Health, due to the risk of disease transmission. From the analysis of various materials, such as reports and posts on social networks, we observe how cases of cross-nursing resonate from a “script”, in which healthcare professionals warn of such risks, while attesting to the safety of human milk banks, where donated milk is pasteurized. Thus, we analyzed ambiguities around breast milk and breastfeeding, drawing attention to the historical processes of establishing human milk banks in Brazil. Finally, in the light of discussions about care, we discussed different ways of experiencing family, motherhood and breastfeeding.
Keywords:
breastfeeding; motherhood; healthcare; risk