Pregnancy: The Psychology of Dreams

“Pregnancy dreams are nature’s way of assisting the woman through the process of transformation from woman to mother.” – Raina M. Paris, author of The Mother-to-Be’s Dream Book

Your pregnancy is going to bring about plenty of physical changes, and there are even a few stereotypical mental changes that often come to mind, but what I’m sure you haven’t thought of yet is what your dreams during pregnancy are going to be like.

Or, perhaps, you’re already experiencing the gradual progression of bizarre dancing behind the back of closed eyelids and just want to know… what is going on here? I’m going mad!

You’re not going mad, I assure you. These dreams are perfectly normal and perfectly healthy; in fact, there’s even a science to this profound mental expansion that you should take a closer look at. They’re not just dreams, they’re an awakening of sorts.

Dreams During Pregnancy: A Profound Progression

According to Paris, each of your trimesters will bring about a different stage of dreaming that falls in line with your body’s mental and physical state as it prepares itself to give birth.

  • First Trimester Blasts from the Past

Any unresolved issues that you may have tend to resurface as your body and mind begin to fully realize that you’re about to undergo a major life milestone; one which will press the reset button in a lot of ways.

  • What to Expect: Unresolved issues in the form of childhood memories, ex-boyfriends, traumatic life experiences, or people who revolved around major turning points.
  • Themes: At this stage in your pregnancy, these dreams will represent your vulnerability, which will often be symbolized via nakedness. Due to this vulnerability, your mind may react protectively, or territorially, which could become a factor within the dream.
  • Second Trimester Bonding & Anxiety

Once you’re this far along in your pregnancy, you become keenly aware of the life growing inside of you and start bonding with your infant as an actual person, profoundly connected to you. Dreams during pregnancy, at this stage, will reflect that bonding experience and it will also become a worry for you to protect it.

  • What to Expect: Dreams of animals, and creatures in mother-nature, bonding with their offspring, which can be followed by anxiety-filled dreams of leaving your baby somewhere, or of it being born with some deformity.
  • Themes: These dreams are representations of the bond that is forming between you and your child, which can inspire new fears of losing that bond. These dreams during pregnancy are normal, and simply mean that you care about your child and are worried about it even when sleeping; a theme that will repeat long after the baby is born.
  • Third Trimester Imagery & Star Status

At this point in your pregnancy, your body and mind are preparing for the act of giving birth as the date grows closer and closer.

  • What to Expect: Vivid imagery of colossal acts of nature, i.e. tidal waves, volcano eruptions, hurricanes, tornadoes, dams bursting, etc. Celebrities may even make an appearance!
  • Themes: These images are representations of the act of giving birth itself, sometimes even becoming less symbolic, as you may dream of the entire act of giving birth. As for the celebrities, well… you are the star in this, so you might just see stars!

It’s important to keep in mind that no matter how bizarre these dreams during pregnancy seem to get, they are a perfectly normal symbolism of what you’re going through. In fact, in a way, they’re helping to prepare you for what’s coming, so pay attention, and embrace them!

If you don’t believe me, believe Dr. DiLeo:

“For first-time mothers especially, the bizarre dreams are a very real acknowledgement of the emotional investment of a pregnancy. This responsibility can weigh a bit heavy. I explain to my pregnant patients that strange, anxiety-producing dreams are simply the psyche’s way of processing all that the conscious mind is already rationalizing.” – Obstetrician,Dr. Gerard DiLeo, MD

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