ABSTRACT
Most women would not dream of going through nine months of pregnancy without the requisite prenatal care - regular doctors' appointments, special vitamins, a well-balanced diet, and diagnostic tests to check on the health of the baby. Typically, when a woman plans for life after pregnancy, she considers only her work and childcare arrangements. By the last trimester, she has probably already lined up a nanny or selected a day-care center, or at least thought about it. Today much has been made of the “supermom” phenomenon, the pressure for a woman to achieve perfection in each of her roles - mother, wife and professional. First-time mothers give birth to 40% of the children born in the United States each year. Pregnancy and birth can trigger a flood of memories for an expectant mother about her own upbringing and, in the process, reveal a wealth of information about her relationship with her own mother.
