Maternal representations include the mother’s expectations, fantasies and desires about the baby, and have great influence on this relationship. This study presents the report of a clinical experience in which these representations in adult mothers were analyzed, using Interview R (Stern et al., 1989). Three mothers (ages ranging from 26 to 31), whose babies were between three and six months old, answered the interview. Representations of these women about themselves, about the baby and their own mother were analyzed. The information obtained showed that the representations about their own mothers influenced the maternal model of these mothers. The identification of mothers with their babies was also demonstrated from representations about the child. Representations about themselves showed different perceptions and feelings as a mother and a person. It’s important to emphasize that the analysis of maternal representations using Interview R enabled a mapping of the mothers’ representational world, which does not exclude the use of other instruments for this purpose.
mother-baby relationship; maternal representation; Interview R.