What Your Dreams Mean During Pregnancy

Have you been having bizarre dreams and wondering what they could signify during your pregnancy? Exploring what your dreams mean during pregnancy, we turned to professionals to decode these nocturnal narratives.

Everyone sleeps and dreams every night, but when you’re pregnant, your dreams tend to be very emotional. This is because your life is about to change in big ways.

Don’t forget that thoughts have nothing to do with the real world. Feeling unsure about becoming a parent, your changing role and your new duties are normal. Even though you feel this way, it doesn’t mean you don’t want a baby. Recognizing your thoughts, feelings, and doubts, even the bad ones, will help you deal with them more effectively.

Your dreams are another way to start a conversation with your partner. The best way to get over your fears is to talk about them.

Here are 9 common themes in pregnant dreams and what experts think they could mean.

1. Having Animal Babies

For many first-time parents, having a pet is the most like being a parent that they’ve ever been. Taking care of a puppy or cat isn’t too hard. On the other hand, caring for a baby is a whole new world. According to Hillary Grill, co-author of Dreaming for Two, having a baby with a pet is a “practicing” dream in which the pet represents the baby.

In other words, it’s a way for your mind to practice for the real thing, but on a smaller scale. These dreams may show a fear of being totally responsible for someone who can’t help themselves. The author of Every Dream Interpreted, Veronica Tonay, Ph.D., says that the animals often get older as the pregnancy goes on and take on human traits.

During the first three months of pregnancy, you may dream about bunnies, and later, you may dream about talking rabbits. Most of the time, these pictures are happy and make us feel safe. Some expecting mothers fantasize about removing their unborn child from the womb for a few minutes of playtime before putting them back. An imaginary dress rehearsal!

2. Having A Baby with An Alien

Even though it’s scary, Grill says it’s normal to dream about giving birth to an alien. Sometimes you feel like a stranger has taken over your body. And the picture from the sonogram, which can look a little bit like an alien, is the only clue you have about what your baby will look like. This dream is like giving birth to an animal in that you don’t know who this little person is or how you’ll take care of it.

“Hostility and fear of the baby are normal feelings in early pregnancy,” says Jessica Lara-Carrasco, a Ph.D. candidate in psychology at the University of Montreal’s Dream and Nightmare Lab. This kind of dream helps you figure out how you feel.

3. Taking The Baby Out of Your Uterus And Then Putting It Back

Every parent is worried about their baby’s health. This dream most likely shows how much you want to see the baby grow up properly. After making sure everything is okay, the baby is put back in the uterus to keep growing.

Grill says their study showed that people who had already lost a pregnancy or had a high-risk pregnancy were most likely to have this dream. Another possible meaning is that the worried parent is looking at the baby to answer the question, “Will I love this baby?”

4. Swimming, Drowning, and Standing in the Ocean

Many pregnant women dream about water, but the water can look different in each dream. If you dream that you’re swimming, it could mean that you’re trying to connect with your baby, who is bathed in water in your belly. Swimming could also mean you’re trying to connect with the baby living in the water. Making a baby is also a way to connect with nature because it makes you feel like you are a part of it.

Grill says that another common picture is drowning, which could mean you feel overwhelmed. Or it could mean that you’re afraid your water will break in a bad place. The ocean and its waves could be a sign that a baby is on the way.

5. Partners Who Cheat

When a partner is cheating or having an affair in your dreams, it’s generally a sign that you feel vulnerable and insecure. As your body changes, you might not always feel beautiful. This can make you wonder if your partner still likes you or if you’ll ever get your body back to how it was before you got pregnant. Use your dream as a chance to figure out how you feel and talk to your partner about it.

6. Ex-Lovers Who Show Up Again

Even if you have a recurring dream in which you and an ex-lover are reunited, that doesn’t necessarily reflect your true desires. It could also mean you’re unsure how you feel about your new job and responsibilities. Maybe you feel stuck like a door is closing on you, and you’re romanticizing a time when you had more freedom.

7. When You Forget Where You Put Your Baby

Many parents worry that this dream is an omen. “Patients have dreams about losing the baby or something bad happening to the baby,” says Marjorie Greenfield, author of The Working Woman’s Pregnancy Book. “I tell them that dreams are the way your brain works through worries and fears. A dream just reflects what you are going through in real life. It can’t tell what will happen.” Your mind is getting ready for the next big step in your life.

8. Teeth That Break or Fall Out

Lara-Carrasco says that broken teeth are a sign of losing control. The fact that you have this dream repeatedly shows how worried you are about how your pregnancy will change your life. The Sleep Foundation says that dreams about teeth falling out or breaking are prevalent. Up to 39% of Americans will have one at some point, so you’re not alone.

9. Schmoozing Celebrity

During pregnancy, it’s very normal to have dreams about fame and being a hero. Think of them as proof that you’re starting to understand how important your job as a parent is. You’ll be one of the most influential people in your child’s life. You’ll be a real star!

Meaningful articles you might like: What to Expect from Fetal Movements During Pregnancy, How to Stay Away from Hidden Toxins During Pregnancy, Top Pregnancy Concerns (and Why You Shouldn’t Worry)