Resumo

SONEGO, Joice Cadore  e  LOPES, Rita de Cássia Sobreira. Motherhood experience in adoptive mothers. Aletheia [online]. 2009, n.29, pp.16-26. ISSN 1413-0394.

The present study investigated maternal feelings regarding adoptive motherhood. Nine adoptive mothers who adopted their children when they were infants took part in the study. The children were around two years old when data were collected. A semistructured interview was used, focusing on themes such as their children’s development and the motherhood experience. The data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. The mothers demonstrated a strong idealization both regarding their children and their motherhood experience. Almost all mothers said they felt an immediate love for their children, when they first met them. Besides the idealization, maternal ambivalent feelings were also observed. At the same time the adoptive child was seen as not being different from a biological child, he/she was also portrayed by mothers “as if” he/she was their child, as well as “special”, “different”. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Palavras-chave : Motherhood; Adoption; Idealization.

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