Myth and reality surrounding a birth: A brief intervention with a growing family

Abstract

This paper shows how a traumatic birth can reactivate mother's early infantile anxieties and unmetabolised past experiences making it impossible to bond satisfactorily with the baby. It describes the struggle of two new parents who were unable to accept the gap between the myth and the reality of the birth process, together with the phantasised and the new baby. A new pregnancy acted as a catalyst and made them realise that a therapeutic intervention was necessary. A brief piece of work which involved both parents and the child helped them to get in touch with some of their powerfill unconscious phantasies to mourn the loss of their phantasy baby and to face reality.