If this is your first pregnancy, you might be surprised by the intense dreamlife you experience during the first 12 weeks. Whether you are dreaming about crashing waves, towering buildings or children who are all grown up already, these images are totally normal. They can help you to understand your feelings about impending parenthood.
In your dreams ...
If you’ve had a strange dream or nightmare about your baby or
giving birth, you’re not alone. During pregnancy, your dreams have more twists and turns than ever before. Often, they reflect your anxieties, because you’re thinking more about the
changes happening in your body, and about becoming a mom.
Sometimes, dreams can be vivid or even disturbing. If your dreams are upsetting you, talk to your partner, a friend, family member or your care provider. Telling someone about your dream will bring it down to size. Plus, talking to your midwife, doctor or a therapist will reassure you and may even help you explore your emotions.
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Although it's impossible to predict what dreams you may have, there are some images that can appear at certain stages of pregnancy. To help you work out what your dreams might be telling you, read on.
Why am I dreaming about grown children?
When you find you’re pregnant for the first time, you may dream of giving birth to a mature baby or grown child. It could mean that you see an older baby or child as less threatening than a
fragile newborn. Or maybe you’re anxious about
going back to work after the birth, worrying about missing out on your child's babyhood.
If this is your first baby, you may be feeling a bit apprehensive about
giving birth. Your hopes for an easy birth may account for a dream where a baby simply pops out or appears from nowhere.
Why am I dreaming about driving and buildings?
Your
feelings about your body are likely to change during pregnancy. You may love your new curves, or you may feel uncomfortable about your body. Either way, your feelings could be shaping your dreams.
Driving a vehicle is often a reflection of the way you are moving through life. Have you dreamed you were driving a truck, bus or other vehicle that was difficult to manoeuvre? It might indicate how you're feeling about adjusting to your changing shape.
For example, plummeting in a vehicle backwards down a hill with no breaks or steering wheel might mean you are feeling out of control or uncertain.
Pregnant women often dream of buildings, from simple rooms to soaring skyscrapers. These may even be places where things are literally put together, such as a factory or a shipyard. It’s easy to see a parallel with the baby being made inside you.
For the same reason, you might find that the size and complexity of your dream buildings grow as your pregnancy progresses. Skyscrapers are quite a common dream theme!
Why am I dreaming about water?
From puddles to swelling oceans, you may find that water is a recurring theme in your pregnancy dreams. We all begin our lives as water creatures, cushioned in liquid within our mother's uterus (womb). If you dream of animals, they may be aquatic creatures, such as tadpoles and fish. This can represent a desire to relate to the baby, who is submerged in water. A dream about getting into difficulties in water, on the other hand, might represent overwhelm.
Swimming is a common theme in first trimester dreams, as fluid starts to build in your uterus. You start off with just a few millilitres but will have between 800ml and 1000ml by the time you're about 36 weeks pregnant
(Boyd and Carter 2008). Little wonder that your dreams overflow with images of water!
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As your pregnancy progresses, your water dreams may become more dramatic. For example, dreaming of a giant wave may symbolize your
breaking waters.
It’s also a useful metaphor for the many emotions any expecting parent may be experiencing. You could use this as a tool by imagining yourself bracing for the wave of emotions/change coming in your life, or maybe even riding the wave. Waves often represent emotions in our dreams. Think waves of overwhelm, joy, insecurity, and excitement, which probably come and go. Some are big, some small, some last a long time, and others go by quickly. Sometimes, dreams remind us we can handle these waves.
Why not ask
your loved ones about their dreams? They may be having some pretty unusual dreams too.
Find out what dreams you may have during your
second trimester.
Don’t forget to
download our free app for a day-by-day guide to your pregnancy. My Pregnancy & Baby Today gives you all the expert advice you need, right at your fingertips.
