A mãe que não embala o berço: um estudo de caso de duas gerações de mães abandonantes

Abstract

This study discusses the process of child abandonment in maternal perspective, identifying the birthmother’s profile and the relationship of her life story with this denial. In light of the literature this phenomenon is surrounded by factors of personal, family, social or economic issues that contribute for a mother to give up her son for adoption and is related in this research. The birthmother is the one who abandons leaving or delivering the child to be cared for by others and this research seeks to differentiate abandonment from giving to adoption. We interviewed two generations of birthmothers [forty-three and twenty years of age] who have already left some children between zero and three years [seven and two children respectively] through the interview and looked up motivations and feelings that have approached the abandonment. Therefore, it was necessary to evaluate and describe the daily life of each female figure under different stages of the life cycle. The categories used to analyze the similarities and differences of the two women were: childhood, adolescence/ youth, sexual initiation, maternity, children and relationship with partners, delivering children. What is clear from the study is that this delivery or abandonment reflects the life history of each one, and that the feelings and motivations are complex and can only be analyzed in each case. The study concludes that negligence generates abandonment, which in this perspective, those who did not have a model of secure attachment with their parent or caregiver, will be more prone to abandonment.