Cookery Workshop: recovery of daily routine of accompanying mothers in a neonate intensive care unit

resgate da cotidianidade das mães acompanhantes de recém-nascidos de uma unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal

Abstract

Eating can be considered a core human activity, not only for its frequency and importance, but because it gives the opportunity for individuals to meet and share a meal. This meeting favors a kind of socialization, but transcends the mere ingestion of food. This article reports the experience of a cookery workshop held with mothers accompanying their children at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Sofia Feldman Hospital, Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. When deciding to remain with their hospitalized children, mothers move away from their daily routine temporarily, from their attributions as wives, mothers and companions. Therefore, the cookery workshop is a chance to recover this daily routine. During the workshop, the mothers are encouraged to suggest recipes from their daily routine and their own experience, and to participate in all stages of the activity. After the preparation, the group meets to enjoy the food produced and share information, impressions and perceptions about what was done. This activity enables mothers to restore elements of their daily routine and is important for them to face up and overcome the conflicts they experience at this time.