Why do mothers volunteer for infant observation and what do they make of the experience? A qualitative study

ABSTRACT Observations of a mother and her newborn infant form part of the curriculum on many psychoanalytic trainings and post-graduate courses, yet there has been little systematic research into observed mothers’ perspectives. This study aims to explore mothers’ motivations and experiences of being observed, in order to help inform ethical considerations, both around the practice of observation and the possible needs of mothers being observed. Twelve mothers were interviewed, all of whom had been observed as part of the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families postgraduate courses. A qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the interviews revealed the complexity of mothers’ interests and of their feelings towards the observers, as well as the mixed and emotionally intense experience of being observed during early motherhood. For some mothers, this experience led to an increased capacity to reflect, helping them to observe themselves, their babies and their relationship with them. However, some mothers described a different experience, in which they felt constantly scrutinized, and found themselves performing for the observer in a way that felt unnatural. The findings are discussed in relation to psychoanalytic theories of early motherhood. This paper concludes by considering their implications for the practice of parent-infant observations.