First months in baby mother relationship: challenges from gemelar situation

Abstract

It is due to the mother and baby’s perceptive and relational skills, and their relational dance, that the bonding behavior gradually develops; and it is the quality of this relational dance that will depend, a posteriori, on the individual solo and the articulation of two interconnected but independent developments. However, in the case of twin mothers, they have to establish individual relationships with two or more children of the same age, taking into account their identical needs as well as their different personalities, needs and patterns of interaction. The research presented here seeks to investigate the existence of a relationship, within the first six months of life, between the type of mother-twin bond binding and the mother’s differentiation. In terms of procedures, three semi-directive interviews were conducted with forty clinical twin mothers, one after delivery and the other both three and six months. For data analysis, a quantitative methodology was chosen, using a correlational analysis of the variables. The analysis concluded that there was no clear relationship between the two variables. Nevertheless, the quality of the mother-infant relationship seems to be affected by variables such as the maternal experience of childbirth in relation to yourself and babies; clinical complications during childbirth; the first maternal image of the real babies and the babies’ stay in the incubator; the ability of the mother to integrate the real baby into the imaginary baby; the maternal perception of the (dis) advantages of the twin situation and their competence to deal adequately with both children and each in particular. Thus, it is understood the importance of twin mothers being supported, particularly in the postpartum period, as they face a multitude of challenges that can affect the processes of attachment and separation-individuation.

Keywords

• vinculação
• separação-individuação
• díade mãe-gémeos