Patients' reactions to the birth of a male analyst's child.

After the author informed his patients he planned to be absent for one week, approximately one month hence, nearly all his patients correctly assumed that his wife was pregnant. The birth of the analyst's child revived conflicts concerning younger siblings. Male patients seemed to respond to the reactivation of oedipal conflicts by a transference intensification of their paternal identifications. Female patients reacted more negatively and more dramatically. For them, the birth of the analyst's child signified a defeat of both their positive and negative oedipal wishes. The author compares and contrasts his findings with the literature on the pregnant analyst.