Becoming a father: a psychoanalytic perspective on the forgotten parent
Diamond, M.J.
Psychoanalytic Review 73(4): 445-468
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0033-2836 PMID: 3107013 Document Number: 269743
This article has presented a psychoanalytic perspective on the process of becoming a father. It began with a discussion of the neglect of the father during pregnancy and briefly considered evidence as to the unique contributions made by fathers of the newborn. Nine psychodynamically based wishes emerging throughout the developmental process were next proposed to embody the male's motivation to become a father. The final section examined seven specific phases of expectant fatherhood, from getting ready through parturition.