Maternity and the Imaginary Baby

Abstract

This article aims to discuss the process of conception and mourning of the imaginary baby, highlighting its importance for the mother-baby bond. During pregnancy, the woman undertakes imaginative work from which she builds the imaginary baby, conceiving it as an idealized and perfect image of the fetus she carries in her womb. The imaginary baby is the result of the future mother's expectations, desires and daydreams, being the target of the pregnant woman's narcissistic and libidinal investment. After birth, this idealized baby will be confronted with the reality baby, which will never be exactly the same as the one fantasized during pregnancy. Thus, it will be necessary for the mother to grieve for the loss of the imaginary baby so that she can bond with the real baby, ensuring a space for his psychic constitution as a subject differentiated from her and bearer of his own characteristics and identity.