What Do Dreams About Being Pregnant Mean? 8 Interpretations

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Dream analysis is a technique used to reveal underlying motivations and interpret the symbolic representations of dreams (1). If you have recurring dreams about being pregnant, you should patiently assess what’s occurring in your life or what your desires are.

Pregnancy means to nurture a new life inside you, which may symbolize creation or a new beginning apart from the desire to have children. However, dreams can have interpretations completely different from what you presume. Keep reading this post as we have put together some meaningful interpretations of pregnancy dreams.

Why Do People Dream About Being Pregnant?

Dreams about pregnancy are common and can arise for various reasons. These dreams may be influenced by psychological, biological, emotional, and physical factors. They could be a product of the subconscious mind processing emotions and life changes.

Dreams occur during REM sleep, when your brain is highly active, almost as much as when you’re awake (2 ). This state allows your mind to process feelings, and pregnancy-related dreams may symbolize emotional or psychological changes rather than literal predictions.

Pregnant women themselves often experience vivid dreams. Pregnancy dreams experienced by women who are pregnant can be linked to hormonal changes, as fluctuations in hormones can affect sleep patterns and dream vividness (3). According to a study, 67-88% of pregnant women report having at least one dream related to babies, pregnancy, or childbirth (4).

What Could Pregnancy Dreams Mean?

Pregnancy dreams may reflect feelings about motherhood, responsibility, or personal growth or even reveal anxieties or hopes about life changes (5). Here is a compilation of eight probable reasons for dreams about pregnancy.

1. Start of something new

Women create new life hence dreaming of pregnancy could mean you are yearning to be creative in your waking life.

• You probably want to do something artistic or exciting down the line.
• This dream could also be about a new change or new idea, project or a goal in your personal life.

• This aspect is in its growth and developmental stage.
• It can be anything from wanting to start something new or just getting a makeover.

2. Stage of pregnancy

It is important to take a look at what stage of pregnancy you were in your dream.

• If the dream involves a pregnancy in its early stages of conception, it could suggest that the particular aspect of your life has been a recent event or change.
• If you have already given birth to your baby, then it could mean that the childbirth event has taken place.

• If you have found neglecting your baby. For example, forgetting to feed him or her. Meaning something in your life needs your complete focus and you haven’t been giving it your undivided attention. Maybe these dreams are a sign that you need to focus more on your maternal responsibilities.
• Towards the end of their gestation period, women often “nest,” where they start making a home and special space for the child. Dreams may be a reflection of how this home may look.

Quick fact

Research shows that first-time mothers may have more pregnancy-related dreams than those who have had children before (3).

3. Wishful thinking

Sometimes dreams like this may actually mean what it is.

• Maybe your unconscious mind is telling you it’s time to embrace motherhood, especially if you are married or in a stable and happy relationship.
• If your mood in the dream was happy and content, then it could be a desire or anticipation that you secretly want to get pregnant and start a new chapter in your life with your partner.
• If in your waking life, you aren’t ready for a baby, but still dreaming about it, this may mean fear of added responsibilities in your life.

4. Dreams & desires

Pregnancy dreams have a high degree of complexity. It can be broken into many layers of interpretations.

• Such dreams may indicate unacknowledged desires and feelings related to fertility in your waking life.
• People who have given up on their dreams or actual goals in life often dream of pregnancies.
• For example, someone who wanted to be a dancer, but took the conventional path and became an engineer, may be tormented with dreams of pregnancies until he or she realizes their true passion and acts upon it.

Michelle Tillman, a mother of two, shares her experience of having dreams about being pregnant after trying to conceive for a long time. She shares, “I guess you would call it an open vision. I was sitting on my couch, and it was like my head just went back, and I closed my eyes. I saw myself telling all of the people who I work with because I work at a church, and I know they’ve been believing in me and my husband, believing with us to be able to conceive. In the dream, I closed my eyes, and I heard myself sobbing to them. I was like, ‘God finally did it. We’ve been trying for almost two years, and God did it.’ I said that in the dream or the vision, and I woke up or came back to my senses, and I just wrote it down. I had a vision.” Michelle is now a mother to two beautiful children (i).

5. Someone else is pregnant

Dreaming about someone else being pregnant could indicate a sense of distance or disconnection from them.

• It might mean that their life is moving forward in ways that you feel you are not part of.
• Seeing someone pregnant may represent a need to strengthen or nurture relationships in your life.
• It may simply reflect your admiration or joy for their growth and happiness. 
• Additionally, this dream may symbolize your awareness of changes or new beginnings in someone else’s life that could indirectly impact you.

6. Pregnancy anxiety

Dreams about pregnancy may reflect fears and anxieties related to parenthood or pregnancy in real life. 

• As a new parent, the anxieties and worries that come with parenthood can often manifest as vivid dreams filled with “what ifs” related to the challenges of parenting in real life. Such as fear about dropping your child, forgetting them somewhere or getting lost. You may have these thoughts in real life and then they manifest in your dreams.
• Such dreams may also be a reflection of your worry about being prepared for the changes that come with parenthood or other major life shifts.

7. Pregnant with twins

Another common pregnancy dream involves carrying twins. While this doesn’t mean you will be pregnant with twins, it may symbolize that you are subconsciously considering the possibility of this scenario.

• This dream may also occur if twins run in your or your partner’s family, or if you know someone with twins. 
• Having such a dream may reflect feelings of balancing dual responsibilities, managing two important aspects of life, or simply imagining how life could look in such a situation.

8. Boy vs. Girl pregnancy dreams

Dreams about the gender of a baby might reflect your personal hopes, expectations, or subconscious desires.

• You may have such dreams if you deeply desire a boy or a girl, as it’s natural for these feelings to emerge in your dreams, especially if you haven’t found out the baby’s gender yet.
• As these dreams are simply a reflection of your inner thoughts and feelings, such dreams cannot predict a baby’s gender accurately.

Spiritual Meaning Of Being Pregnant In A Dream

Dreams about pregnancy often symbolize growth, creativity, and new beginnings. In various cultures, such dreams are seen as good omens and can represent spiritual potential or the emergence of something new in one’s life.As per varied sources, in some African cultures, such dreams are thought to carry messages from ancestors or serve as omens for the family. Within Moroccan or Islamic traditions, such dreams are often interpreted as a sign that “there is a problem weighing heavily on your consciousness (6).” Similarly, in biblical interpretations, dreams of pregnancy are seen as a sign of blessings coming your way. However, it’s important to note that dream interpretation is highly subjective and can vary based on individual life experiences and cultural beliefs. 

Analyze Yourself What Your Dreams Of Being Pregnant Mean

Here are a few questions that can help you analyze what your dreams of being pregnant mean:

• Have you been thinking of quitting your job or a possible career change?
• Are there any plans of acquiring a new residence maybe or new projects that you have been contemplating over?
• Has there been any new idea that you haven’t acted upon and passionately believed in?
• Any plans for a change in your lifestyle?
• Are you thinking of having a baby or are already expecting a baby?
• Are you thinking about how you or your partner would fare as parents, or whether your partner is prepared to embrace fatherhood?

Quick tip

If your pregnancy dreams are causing distress, you may start a dream journal or talk to a friend or loved one. It will help you process your dreams better (7).

Infographic: Dreams During Pregnancy

While we’re on the subject of pregnancy and dreams, did you know that pregnant women dream a lot? There are many reasons behind it. Scroll down for interesting information about dreaming when expecting, as we have explored this topic in our infographic.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: What Do Dreams About Being Pregnant Mean? 4 Interpretations

Image: Dall·E/MomJunction Design Team

Dreaming about being pregnant can be a powerful symbol of new beginnings and potential. Discover the message behind this dream and unlock its hidden meaning.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Michele WaldronPsy.D, LADC-I, CSCT

Dr. Michele Waldron is a licensed clinical psychologist, certified couples counselor, licensed alcohol and drug counselor, and sex therapist with five years of experience. She received her Psy.D from Antioch University, New England, and has a group practice that supports adults’ relationships and sexual health.

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shreeja pillaiMSc

Shreeja holds a postgraduate degree in Chemistry and diploma in Drug Regulatory Affairs from the University of Mumbai. Before joining MomJunction, she worked as a research analyst with a leading multinational pharmaceutical company.

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Rebecca MalachiBSc

Rebecca is a pregnancy writer and editor with a passion for delivering research-based and engaging content in areas of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and post-pregnancy. She did her graduation in Biotechnology and Genetics from Loyola Academy, Osmania University and obtained a certification in ‘Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy’ from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU).

Read full bio of Rebecca Malachi

Reshmi DasMSc

Reshmi Das has over four years of experience as a clinical coordinator, medical content writer and medical conference coordinator. Her continuous interest in medical journals and writing makes her write well-researched articles for MomJunction.

Read full bio of Reshmi Das