ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the emotional upheaval in internal worlds reflected in the fantasies and dreams of pregnancy. It describes a variety of changes in close relationships and attitudes to work during pregnancy and early parenthood. The book focuses on how technological advances intercept the growing baby – real, imagined, threatened and sadly damaged or lost. It explores some of the fears, fantasies, and facts surrounding birth. The book discusses different approaches to parenting and how these affect parenting beliefs and behaviour. It examines issues relating to psychotherapy in early parenthood. Of all human practices, childbearing most emphasizes our basic gender differences, our common biological denominators worldwide and our cultural diversities. Childbearing practices reveal a society’s basic values and beliefs, as well as attitudes towards bodies, babies, women, and paternal roles.
