Illegitimate pregnancies,abortion, and the relationship with the pre-oedipal mother

There exists a correlation between disturbances in the early mother-daughter relationship and the adolescent's gravitating toward illegitimate pregnancy and abortion. Out-of-wedlock pregnancies may be an expression of opposing urges to separate from the mother while longing to remain very close. Abortion, the ultimate rejection of the fetus, may express hatred of the mother as well as its corollary hatred for a self that has remained merged with a hated or ambivalently regarded mother. In the clinical material it became clear that the most meaningful steps within the treatment were catalyzed by reenactments of the mother-daughter relationship and that interpretation of transference and countertransference tended to be the crucial element in the work. Movement toward more self-acceptance was paralleled by a more benign stance toward the therapist, the mother, and the daughter.This article was completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a certificate in the Post-Master's Program in Advanced Clinical Social Work at Hunter College School of Social Work. The author thanks Dr. Lucille Spira for her help in writing this article. Ms. Grill is a psychiatric social worker New York Psychiatric Institute in private practice.