Processus de maternité et fonctionnement limite : une approche longitudinale à l’aide du Rorschach

Objectives

This article aims to study the psychic changes during maternity in primiparous women without psychic and organic disorders and to put into perspective the reorganizations during the maternity process in patients with a borderline psychic functioning.

Method

This paper is based on longitudinal data collected with the Rorschach test. Two clinical cases revealing this processual dynamic will be analyzed and discussed.

Results

The analysis of Rorschach protocols of two women with different psychic elaboration capacities reveals an experience of boundary invasions linked to the precariousness of psychic envelopes between the end of pregnancy and the beginning of postpartum, followed by a reinforcement of certain defensive mechanisms post-delivery in order to compensate for the state of disorganization linked to the processes of motherhood.

Discussion

The analysis of these data will allow us to observe modalities of psychic arrangements specific to the maternity process as well as reorganizations, close to a “symbolization catastrophe”.

Conclusion

The psychic dispositions of women during maternity allow us to detect borderline arrangements of psychic functioning during this period.