What Do Dreams of Being Pregnant Mean?

7 min read

Last Modified 22 July 2022 First Added 20 March 2022

What Does It Mean to Dream of Being Pregnant?

If you’ve ever dreamed of being pregnant you’re far from alone. In fact, new research has found pregnancy is the most common dream subject for adults in the UK.* Dreams about being pregnant come in many forms. Maybe someone who you know is expecting, or you could be dreaming it’s you who’s pregnant when you’re not in reality. These kind of dreams may mean you’re experiencing a new chapter in your life and often hint at personal growth and development. They can reflect anxiety, fear, or excitement about parenthood.

The dream:

After a long and hectic day toiling away at the office you finally arrive home. Now you’re all set to put your feet up for an evening of relaxing in front of the television.

Armed with a bowl of popcorn and a glass of red wine, you vow not to let anything or anyone distract you from doing nothing tonight. Several hours of box-set binge watching pass before you stir yourself for a bathroom visit.

On arrival a truly shocking sight greets you in the mirror – there’s a huge bump in your previously normal-shaped belly. You’re amazed to see that you’ve suddenly become heavily pregnant – not only in the blink of an eye – but all by yourself too!

A wave of nausea hits you. What. On. Earth. Is. Happening?

Just then you wake up in bed – your tummy looking just like it did when you went to sleep. Breathing a sigh of relief, you realise it was all just a vivid dream, but what on earth could it mean? And should you take a pregnancy test just to be sure?

Meaning(s) of the dream

Pregnancy has some significant religious meanings. It’s been said dreaming about being pregnant is God’s way of showing you his purposes for your life are about to come to fruition.

According to ReligionCheck, the biblical meaning of dreams is positive in that when you dream of expecting a baby it means blessings are coming your way and you should be prepared. In most cases, the biblical interpretation of pregnancy dreams is that you are about to get married or God is about to use you as a vessel to deliver blessings into other people’s lives.

On a wider scale, many world cultures view dreams about pregnancy as a positive sign – a symbol of change, growth and prosperity. Some cultures even believe it’s an indication of getting pregnant in real life, but it’s definitely still worth taking a pregnancy test before announcing the good news to the world!

Common meanings behind pregnancy dreams

With a wide variety of different forms pregnancy dreams can take, here we explore more precise meanings of each of these variations.

1. Dreaming of being pregnant when you're not

If you ever dream about taking a pregnancy test this could signify a shift is coming in your life, an event which could range from something relatively minor to one that’s completely life changing, so if you wake up from this dream – brace yourself!

It could also be a sign from your subconscious telling you you’re ready for motherhood. Such a dream can also symbolise new beginnings for someone longing to become a mother. Dreams of being pregnant can also represent anxiety about starting another life and the responsibility that comes with it.

2. Dreaming of someone else being pregnant

Dreaming about someone else being pregnant can be interpreted as a sign meaning that you miss the person from your dreams and might want to talk to them again after a long time. Dream interpreters believe this dream might also mean you’re about to get good news from your close friend or family member.

3. Positive pregnancy tests

Dreams can be a window showing us our deepest desires, fears, and worries. If you dream about a positive pregnancy test, it could be a metaphor. Perhaps you may want to get pregnant but are too afraid or have some fear preventing you from doing so.

Alternatively, you might wish to be pregnant and are dreaming about it as your subconscious feels it would be the ideal solution to your current problems.

4. Negative pregnancy tests

What a negative pregnancy test in a dream could mean to your waking life depends on how you feel in the dream. Generally, a negative result means you’re frightened of losing someone or something. Mostly though, the dream reflects your fear of losing the baby if you’re indeed pregnant.

If you feel relieved during your dream of having a negative pregnancy test, it means you are not yet ready to take a huge step and change your life. Even if the adjustments are for the better, you still think you’re not yet confident enough to take the role and the responsibility. An unhappy feeling in the dream indicates that you haven’t fully realised your personal goals yet.

5. Dreams during pregnancy

Pregnancy dreams are really common for expectant mothers. The reason for this is that the hormonal and physical changes that happen during pregnancy can make the environment in your body feel different. According to The Sleep FoundationVivid dreams and nightmares are common during pregnancy.  Researchers believe that dreams may be a way for our subconscious to work through issues that are currently on our mind. Unsurprisingly, many pregnant women report pregnancy-related dreams. You may dream about being pregnant or dream that you are meeting your baby for the first time and many mothers even dream about the sex of the baby.

Answering the dream:

During pregnancy, you might find it easier for you to recall some of your dreams. Before pregnancy, you may have had difficulty remembering your dreams in the morning. You might have even been convinced that you didn’t dream at all. According to Healthline, this can all change during pregnancy when you experience greater dream recall upon waking up.

If indeed you are pregnant, you may be dreaming more due to increased sleep time due to pregnancy-related fatigue. A study showed Trusted Source that the further along you are in your pregnancy, the more prominent your dreams may become.

And dreams can also become opportunities for creativity. A study entitled The Role of Dreams in the Evolution of the Human Mind found “dreamers may remember a newly formed idea in their sleep that logic would have otherwise prevented them from thinking up during hours of wakefulness.”

On the other hand, if you pregnancy dreams are bothering you, or if you’re having sleep disturbances, consider seeing a therapist to work through them. Healthline says this could be a sign that you need to talk to someone to work through deep emotional thoughts.

Notable appearances in popular culture:

Cultural beliefs about pregnancy strongly influence women’s expectations regarding what it’s like to be pregnant, according to a University of Cincinnati study. A group of expectant mothers were asked why they held certain expectations.

They often said they thought they had developed their expectations based on the media or family stories. Study leader Danielle Bessett explains, “In a lot of cases, women in the study brought all these expectations from a lifetime of exposure to stories and other advice and family tales to their pregnancies.”

Asked what cultural symbolism can be found in dreams about being pregnant dream analyst Ally Mead told the Huffington Post that because pregnancy is universal this dream isn’t confined by culture or ethnicity.

She explained that pregnancy dream symbols can include the lotus flower, normally associated with Asian cultures, and the Celtic knot; associated with the cycle of birth and death. “It’s amazing how often these come up and then eventually result in a literal pregnancy.”

Just like dreaming of being pregnant, dreams of giving birth can also have significant meaning to your life.

* The research for Secret Linen Store used a list of more than 390 common dream subjects to find which are being searched the most worldwide.

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