Weird Pregnancy Dreams

“I had a dream that I gave birth to our daughter in a hotel room while on vacation. When I tried to breastfeed the baby, she looked up at me and said she’d rather have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” — Monicagail1 What Lauri says: Talking newborns are another common dream for mommies-to-be. It can be connected to your impatience about meeting your baby and getting to know her. And I think that impatience is also being referenced in the symbol of the hotel. It’s a reminder from your inner self that your pregnancy is temporary and will be over before you know it, just like our time in a hotel is short-term. As for the peanut butter and jelly sandwich — that takes me back to my own pregnancy cravings! This may be a reference to your own cravings too.

“I dreamed I was in the house I grew up in and there was a big party being set up. There was a giant breakfast buffet that stretched from the kitchen all the way to the living room. It had every type of breakfast food imaginable. I wanted to dig in, but the event planner told me I had to go change because I was in my bathrobe. I went upstairs to change, but since it wasn’t my house anymore, I had no clothes to change into and I couldn’t have breakfast.” — Truthsnark What Lauri says: When we become a parent, we tend to dream of our childhood homes more often. This is because we need to stay connected to the mind-set of being a child — so we can better relate to our kids, but also because we’re beginning to identify with our own parents too. Your childhood home was really your parents’ home that they created. You can also dream of your childhood home when you’re acting a little childish about something. On another note, has food been an issue for you during your pregnancy? Are there a lot of things you can’t tolerate anymore? Or are you finding that you’re eating way more than you should and are really packing on the pounds? Whatever the case, your dream is telling you — through the voice of the planner — that “you need to change.” Do you need to change what you eat or your behavior toward food? It may not even be about food but rather something else you desire or “hunger” for that you need to change. You had no clothes to change into because you may feel that making this change is impossible. But it’s not. The encouragement comes in the form of the breakfast food in your dream. That’s the type of food we have when we wake up and start a new day. Your dream may be telling you it’s time to wake up and realize you need to do things a bit differently.

“I had a crazy dream where I traveled to be a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding. When I arrived two hours before the ceremony, I realized I’d forgotten everything I needed to get ready.”— hmjahn What Lauri says: Anxiety over being unprepared for a big event…does this also describe how you’re feeling about the arrival of your little munchkin? You may be wondering why your dream involves a wedding — that’s because a wedding is a celebration of a commitment for life. Well, having a child is a lifetime commitment too. The anxiety in your dream is probably not about having enough diapers, ointment and burp cloths, but about not having the maternal skills you need. That’s a completely normal anxiety to experience, especially for first-time moms. Your dream is telling you to focus on the celebration because nothing else is needed — your mommy instincts are already there.

“I’ve had so many dreams about zombies. Once, they were taking over my city, and my husband and I were on the balcony of our apartment building holding shotguns. When the zombies started infiltrating our building, we climbed to the roof and started shooting the zombies coming up the stairwell. When I realized we couldn’t escape, fireworks started going off. The second dream was another zombie apocalypse, but I’m in a different house. I’m waiting for my best friend from high school and her sister. All these people are trying to get into the house, and I’m fighting to keep them out. Finally, my friend and her sister arrive, and we lock all the windows and doors.” — Switzerland87 What Lauri says: These zombie dreams may not be connected to your pregnancy but rather to something else. In fact, zombies stagger into our dreams more than you’d think! The reason they’re so common is because they tend to represent an issue in your life that should be dead and over with, but you or someone around you is keeping it alive. I’ve found that zombies most often represent grudges, some sort of anger, resentment or negative feelings you haven’t been able to let go. The way they’re invading the building reflects the way you’re allowing this issue or grudge to invade your thoughts. You need to let it go so you can live with a healthy peace of mind, not a mind consumed with grudges.

“When I was in my second trimester, I had a dream that there was a serial killer on the loose and he was dressed as the Scream killer. He’d already killed six people, and he was coming after my sister-in-law. I was with her, and as he was about to get her, I slashed him multiple times. There wasn’t any blood or anything, and my stabbing only subdued him until the police arrested him. They took off his mask and it was Neil Patrick Harris! He was sentenced to jail and started threatening us from his cell. My dad put a hit on the killer.” — Beverly S. What Lauri says: It’s common to dream of death and murder during pregnancy. Death in dreams means something in your life is ending or changing, so murder can be connected to a forced change or ending. When you’re pregnant, lots of things change and you’re forced to change certain behaviors for the baby. This is especially true if you’re expecting your first child, because your old identity “dies” off so you can have a new identity as a mother. It’s interesting that the murderer already killed six people — are there six things in your life that have ended or changed since you got pregnant, like a relationship? It’s funny that the murderer turned out to be Neil Patrick Harris! Well, he does star on the show _How I Met Your Mother _. It seems this dream was all about you adjusting to all the big changes and endings going on in your life so that you could get acquainted with your new role as “Mommy.”

“I had a dream that I was having a baby boy. I was holding up a little boy’s outfit — blue overalls and a white shirt. But the outfit was tiny! They looked like they would fit a squirrel. I heard that if you dream you’re having one gender, you’re actually going to have the opposite.” — tyla1111 What Lauri says: In my research, I’ve found that your dreams can absolutely hint that you’re pregnant before you even pee on a stick, but they aren’t good at revealing baby’s gender. I’ve found that we tend to dream about the gender we hope the baby will be. Now, why are the clothes so tiny? The clothes size in your dream probably matches the size of your baby right now. Pay close attention to your dreams during pregnancy because you’ll see that they change with each trimester. It’s pretty neat!

“The night before I get an ultrasound, I always dream that I’ve forgotten to complete an important homework assignment for high school and I have to finish it quickly. I graduated 10 years ago!” — apollonia10 What Lauri says: You’re having anxiety over not having something completed. But that’s basically what ultrasounds are — a peek into something that’s not yet complete (your baby!). The fear you have about the incomplete homework assignment is most likely connected to the fear that the ultrasound might show something wrong with the baby. And if you think about it, your baby is your homework. It’s an assignment given to you by nature, and like homework, you want to make sure you do a good job! Don’t worry. Let nature do its thing and you already know how to keep healthy, so stay positive so you don’t interrupt the process.

“I had a dream that I went into labor with my daughter while I was at my childhood babysitter’s house. I was sitting in the recliner, felt no pain, and my baby just came sliding out. My baby came out in shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce! When my daughter was actually born, she looked exactly the same as she’d looked in my dream (well, without the shrimp cocktail part!).” — Michelle S. What Lauri says: Having a painless delivery is a common dream for first-time mommies because you’ve never experienced labor and delivery before, so the inner mind has nothing to reference it to. Why was your dream at your babysitter’s house? There may be something about her that you would love to apply to the way you care for your own baby. And as far as the shrimp-cocktail-looking baby, well…let’s be honest. As much as we love our little bundles, they all kind of look like a shrimp when they come out — all pink and curled up!

“One night I dreamed that I was dating Michael Buble. I told him I loved him. Then I said, “I love you because your pulse races in your throat whenever you want to sing along to a song but can’t.” I said that because we were in public and some song was playing that we both really liked. It was a weirdly specific dream, and I “might” have a small obsession with Michael Buble in real life because I love the way his voice sounds. And my husband can’t carry a tune at all!” — SunnyHuny What Lauri says: Whenever a celebrity makes a cameo in your dreams, you need to ask yourself what stands out about that celebrity to you. Michael Buble is a singer, so the message of this dream might be found in the title or lyrics of one of his songs. Do you remember the song that was playing in your dream? If not, then what song of Michael Buble’s first comes to your mind? For example, if it’s “Haven’t Met You Yet,” you could certainly apply that to your pregnancy, having not yet met your baby. Whatever the case, this is a fun dream and shows us that right now you’re really “Feeling Good”!

“I spent eight months of my pregnancy with the creepiest, scariest and craziest dreams about fish. Some of the dreams included holding up a fish tank hanging on the wall because it broke (the fish in that tank were so creepy-looking), a fish chasing me through the kitchen, being stuck in a room with 50 fish tanks, all containing scary fish trying to get out of the tanks… The dreams scarred me so much that I don’t like fish anymore. I don’t swim in lakes, the ocean and not even a pool unless it’s the shallow end.” — Jennifer R. What Lauri says: Fish are super-common in pregnancy dreams because, like a fish, the fetus is a water-dwelling creature and, as a pregnant mom, we’re kind of like a walking, talking fish tank! It seems that, since the fish in your dreams were menacing, perhaps your pregnancy was difficult. Just like the fish wanted out of their tanks, you were probably eager to get your own little water-dwelling creature out of your tank (ahem, uterus!). Remember, dreams are symbolic, not literal. Don’t let the imagery in your dreams keep you from enjoying certain things.

“One night after I fought with my husband, I dreamed I was in an old haunted house inhabited by vampires. The vampires kept a basement full of babies because they were obsessed with youth and beauty and wanted to feed off the babies’ life and blood. There was this little girl trying to swim across a lake to get away from the vampires. I tried to save her, but it was hopeless because the vampire was too fast. Then there was a Halloween parade led by these horror-movie-esque serial killers who also lived in the haunted house.” — Vixey529 What Lauri says: Your dream is a good example of why you should never go to bed angry at your hubby! Your dream shows how the fight was still “haunting” you as you drifted off to sleep. The vampires could be a reference to your baby because, while he’s still in the womb, he’s sucking and feeding off you. However, there may be something else these vampires represent. They could be letting you know that you’re letting something else drain you of your time, thoughts or energy. Are there any emotional vampires in your life that you need to get rid of? A basement in a dream represents the place within your psyche where you suppress or push down issues you don’t want to or know how to deal with. Just as a basement is deep down in the house, deep down are you obsessed with your youth and beauty? Are you afraid your pregnancy is going to take away your fit figure? The Halloween parade is interesting, and it may be connected to what you and your hubby were fighting about. Were you fighting over an issue, information or something you or your husband was parading around, so to speak, and putting on display? The serial killers are most likely about someone’s repetitive behavior of putting an end to things.

“I’ve had a lot of dreams where I’m either cheating on my spouse or he’s cheating on me. These are coming out of nowhere because we’re very happy together and are very close. None of the dreams involved sex, just an attraction and possibly hugging.” — Cheri M. What Lauri says: These dreams may seem like they’re coming out of nowhere, but trust me, dreams are _never _random. Cheating dreams are common during pregnancy, especially once your body becomes big, uncomfortable and what you think might be “unsexy.” Pregnancy often gets in the way of “sexy time” with your hubby, and deep down we worry that he may begin to become attracted to other women. And even if you two are still okay in the intimacy department, pregnancy might be getting in the way of other things in your relationship. For example, when you two go out, you’re probably the one getting all the attention, and your inner self realizes hubby is getting “cheated” out of the spotlight, so you might be the “cheater.” And there may be times when your partner gets to have a drink or do something active that you can’t do anymore, causing you to feel “cheated.” Dreams like yours are a reminder that while pregnancy involves a lot of sacrifice, it’s important to remember each other’s needs and perspectives.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.