Abstract
Observation of obstetric ultrasound and of the setting in which it takes place, through an application of the Bick method, demonstrates aspects of the transition process to parenthood, siblinghood, and grandparenthood. The image and the setting provoke an intense emotional response which prompts regression. The idealised security of the baby inside is shattered by the dramatic intensity of primitive emotion aroused. Caught in intergenerational ties, the baby ends up being the target of massive parental projections, and is not able to assume the position implied when Freud talks about ‘His Majesty the Baby.’ The members of the baby's family become ‘Their Majesties’ instead. Since the doctor offers a containing setting, in which there can be a shared interpretation of images, he or she may facilitate the process of becoming a father, mother, sibling, grandparent, by helping to organise the creation of ties with the baby.
Published Version
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