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Taking the psychology of pregnancy seriously : implications for intervention : a review of the psychoanalytic literature

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Pregnancy has evolved from being predominantly understood as a medical phenomenon
to what psychoanalytic theorists would regard as a holistic experience encompassing both
physiological and psychological changes. According to psychoanalytic theorists,
pregnancy is a transitional phase and a time of susceptibility and flux for most women.
This often results in psychic turmoil where boundaries between conscious and
unconscious process become more permeable. The pregnant woman's dreams and
fantasies create an inner working model of relationships and this in tum provides a
template of how her relationship with her baby will be experienced and conducted. This
link to the unconscious increases insight into the process occurring between the woman
and her evolving relationship with the fetus and provides the health professional with
clues for early intervention. However care should be taken by health-care professionals
to communicate the psychological processes during pregnancy within the cultural
framework of the pregnancy mother for positive outcomes to be achieved. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die wyse waarop swangerskap verstaan word het ontwikkel vanaf grotendeels mediese
verskynsel na wat die psigoanalitiese teoretici sal beskou as 'n holistiese ervaring wat
beide die fisiologiese en die sielkundige veranderinge insluit. Die psigoanalitiese
teoretici beskou swangerskap as 'n oorgangs fase en 'n periode van vatbaarheid en
veranderlikheid vir die meeste vroue. Dit gee dikwels aanleiding tot psigiese wanorde
waar die grense tussen bewustelike en onbewustelike prosesse meer deurdringbaar word.
Die swanger vrou se drome en fantasiƫ skep 'n innerlike werkende model van
verhoudings en op sy beurt voorsien dit templet van hoe haar verhouding met haar baba
ervaar en hanteer sal word. Hierdie band met die onbewustelike verleen insig in die
proses wat tussen die vrou en haar ontwikkelende verhouding met die fetus voorkom en
voorsien die gesondheids werker van leidrade vir vroeƫ intervensie. Die gesondheids
werker moet egter versigtig wees om die sielkundige prosesse gedurende swangerskap
binne die kulturele raamwerk van die swanger moeder te interpreteer om sodoende
positiewe uitkomste verkry.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52476
Date January 2001
CreatorsBurke, Elspeth
ContributorsKruger, Lou-Marie, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format36 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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