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Dreams are extremely special and are a reflection of some of life's thoughts, emotions, worries and doubts. Pregnant women often experience intense dreams, because a new and exciting phase of life is just around the corner. The conscious and unconscious stimuli are transformed into dreams and often nightmares. In this blog we'll tell you where these dreams come from and which dreams and nightmares are common. 

Dreams during pregnancy

Pregnancy comes with many different emotions, runaway hormones, and physical changes. Therefore, it is not surprising that these changes affect the conscious and subconscious mind, and therefore your dreams. Many new stimuli need to be processed and are converted by the brain into a story at bedtime. Some dreams can be experienced as intense, vivid, and bizarre and can startle you for a moment or make you think or doubt. That's all right - besides the pregnancy ailments - (not) (Pregnancy Portal, 2020).

Where do pregnancy dreams come from?

Dreams are, also for people without a baby in their belly, a reflection of emotions and worries from reality. Often you are not aware of this, but your brain is. The brain is a powerful organ that likes to go its own way and transform the conscious and unconscious into dreams. Pregnancy comes with many emotional and hormonal changes and the new role in life brings tension. All these things add up to make dreams much more intense in pregnant women (Pregnancy Portal, 2020)(Jankse.nl, 2016).

Types of dreams and nightmares

All kinds of things will pass by, and for every pregnant woman it is different. But there are subjects that come up again and again. We have listed them here: 

The delivery - Especially if you are pregnant for the first time, this is a moment you are very much engaged in. 
Doing something wrong to your baby - Bringing a child into the world is not an easy task, so no wonder you will experience doubts and uncertainties about it from time to time. 
Over water - This could be because of the amniotic fluid in your womb or that you literally have an abundance of stimuli and emotions.
About sex - Hormones are raging through your body, which can cause you to have intense and realistic sex dreams. This can be with your current partner, your ex or with a stranger you met on the street today. 
About loss - Pregnant women experience a lot of anxiety about losing their partner or him or her cheating during an important time in life. 
Baby names - your brainstorms about baby names can seep into your dreams for a long time.

So most dreams are a lie?

So most dreams are actually deceptions, but some are a true reflection of your thoughts, emotions and worries. But try to see it as your brain is trying to find a place for these concoctions. It can help to write things off before you go to bed, which will help you to go into the evening with more peace of mind (Pregnancy Portal, 2020)! And you certainly need a good night's sleep. 

*Did you have a lot of dreams and/or nightmares during your pregnancy? Let us know in the comments. 

Sources:

Jankse.co.uk. (2016, April 14). Nightmares during pregnancy are terrible. Janske.com. https://www.janske.nl/2016/04/15/nachtmerries-tijdens-de-zwangerschap-zijn-vreselijk/


Pregnancy Portal. (2020). Why pregnancy causes weird and intense dreamshttps://www.zwangerenportaal.nl/zwanger/waarom-de-zwangerschap-rare-en-intense-dromen-veroorzaakt