Pregnancy is a stage of great changes that affect women both physically and psychologically. Fear, anxiety, expectations or uncertainty, are some of the sensations experienced by pregnant women and, as at any other stage of life, these feelings can also occur in our dreams.
People say that pregnant women dream more frequently, and perhaps because of the many awakenings that usually characterize this stage, the memories of those dreams are sharper. Dreaming about the time of delivery is usually quite recurrent but what does it mean?
For Patricia Garfield, a well-known American psychologist and author of the book "Women's bodies, women's dreams", the set of changes, feelings and sensations that women experience during pregnancy promotes the emergence of dreams where all this is reflected.
If you are pregnant, perhaps the moment of childbirth is what anguishes you most, especially if you are first time. Questions like, will everything go well ?, Will I know how to recognize the moment ?, Will my child be born healthy? ... They tend to be a constant during pregnancy, which increases as the time approachesI dream that my birth is a nightmare!
When we sleep, our brain continues to work and all those fears, insecurities and questions that disturb us during the day, are manifested by our subconscious in the form of dreams that, in this case, can turn into nightmares.
If you are pregnant and you are also a first time, the lack of knowledge about childbirth along with the fears that this moment usually arouses, could play tricks on you.
The fact of having nightmares with childbirth during pregnancy should not worry us or make us think that they can hide an alarming meaningSome women manifest dreaming of premature birth. Others feel distressed because they dream that give birth with difficulties, in unknown places and surrounded by danger. And others say they dream that they give birth to a son who is not a baby but an older child or even an animal.
In this interview with Patricia Garfield by the Center for Dream Studies in Chile, the psychologist states in relation to this point:
“Many women become unnecessarily anxious about their pregnancy, because they don't know that dreaming increases during the pregnancy and that dreams of anxiety are quite common during this period. Dreams about childbirth and delivery, even if they are alarming, actually help the body prepare, providing a practice for the future birth. ”
Other recurring dreams during pregnancy
But the time of delivery is not the only dream that pregnant women have. In fact, each trimester of pregnancy is usually characterized by a certain type of dreams that seem to respond to the concerns and new concerns that arise as the pregnancy progresses.
- Dream of water
According to psychologist Patricia Garfield, dreaming of water can be common in the first and third trimesters. Water symbolizes amniotic fluid and life and dreaming about it in the final stretch of pregnancy could be related to the time of delivery.
Therefore, if you dream of seas, rivers, aquatic animals, fountains or even see yourself swimming or fighting against huge waves you already know the explanation it can have.
- Dream about baby sex
Dreaming about the sex of the baby is also very common in the first part of pregnancy. Mothers often want to know as soon as possible if the child they expect is a boy or a girl and this restlessness also moves to dreams.
Many women claim to have their baby's sex right in dreams, but really, the chances of success are 50 percent so it is possible to think that if we are right it could be due to a simple matter of chance.
- Dreaming of the baby's name
For some mothers who are not yet clear about the name they will give their child, dreaming of a name can be understood as a disclosure or a possible alternative that had not been considered so far.
- Dream about your baby's physical appearance
Many are moms who claim to have dreamed of their baby's physical appearance during pregnancy. According to studies, 15 percent of pregnant women dream about it, a percentage that increases in the final stretch of pregnancy.
Some women, They indicate seeing their future baby very clearly and even get to look like one of the two parents. Be that as it may, dreaming about what our baby will be like is an anticipated opportunity that gives us our imagination of knowing our child ahead of time.
- Erotic dreams
Dreaming about having sex is usually common during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, and could be due to a purely hormonal issue.
However, for Patricia Garfield, this type of dreams expresses the woman's concern regarding the physical change she is experiencing and the fear of not feeling attractive in the eyes of her partner.
- Nightmares related to your ability as a mother
As we have seen, the increase in nightmares during pregnancy is common due to the stress and insecurity burden that the future mother carries. These nightmares are not only related to childbirth, but also to other aspects related to the health and care of the future baby as well as our ability as mothers.
The doubt about whether we will be good mothers or we will know how to do it well, it is likely that it will stalk us throughout the pregnancy, hence the nightmares related to this sometimes become recurrent.
Dreams are dreams
Experts recommend talk about dreams when they worry us, especially if they occur in a stage of great vulnerability such as pregnancy. Talking with your partner and trying to find a meaning to the dream you have had can help you relax and see things from another point of view.
In any case, we must not forget that the hormonal changes that are experienced during pregnancy, as well as the worries and insecurities that lurk at this stage, can make us more likely to dream; without these dreams necessarily having a meaningEven so, if you have recurring dreams about pregnancy or childbirth that distress and worry you, do not stop Check with your gynecologist. He is the one who can best inform you, reassure you and help solve all the doubts that cause those uncertainties that your subconscious feeds on.
- IStock photos
- More information Center for dream studies in Chile
- In Babies and More Do we dream more during pregnancy ?, To dream that you are pregnant without being pregnant
