ABSTRACT

Objective:

To describe and interpret a woman’s perception of her body image during the breastfeeding process.

Method:

Descriptive qualitative study conducted at a university hospital in the Southeast region, Brazil. Forty-three puerperal women who were breastfeeding were interviewed. The interviews were submitted to lexical analysis using the IRAMUTEQ software and interpreted based on the Interactive Theory of Breastfeeding.

Results:

Women report dissatisfaction with changes in body image during breastfeeding. But they also value and want to keep breastfeeding because of the benefits for the child. Finally, several women express the desire to perform plastic surgery in the future because of these body changes.

Conclusion:

The woman’s perception of her body image as satisfactory/unsatisfactory indicates that body changes cover the breastfeeding process with feelings of ambiguity.Body changes are perceived by women in a personal, subjective and complex way.

Keywords:
Body image; Breast feeding; Postpartum period; Nursing theory; Women’s health