ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the impact of the birth of a sibling and with it the birth of a new sibling matrix. The way this matrix unfolds will be shaped by the hopes and expectations of the parents and all the circumstances that surround the family. Embedded in the archaic history of its forebears will be legends, histories and family myths about sibling relationships. In addition, the parents will have their own siblings in their minds. Deep in their psyches they will hold memories and phantasies about how they were received by their brothers and sisters or how they experienced the arrival of new family members. The infant-observation pioneer Esther Bick was convinced that the over-riding concern for a child first experiencing a sibling is loss of identity. For its nine months in utero, the new baby sibling will be getting to know its environment.
