Why All Those Weird Dreams Before Birth?

One of the stranger ‘symptoms’ of pregnancy is having vivid, weird dreams, especially shortly before the birth. We look at why they happen and what you can do about them

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Chandini smiled at her husband, Rivin, as he walked down the aisle. Everything was so bright and vivid, she wanted to shade her eyes even inside the school hall; and the smell of the flowers in her hands almost overwhelmed her. Rivin looked so handsome! So did Kumari, her boss, as she waited for Rivin. What a beautiful couple they make, her mom and fellow bridesmaid murmured in her ear. She agreed, but thought that getting married in scuba gear spoiled the day in some way... Luckily the penguins, her old roommates from boarding school and the extended cast of the original Melrose Place in the audience didn’t mind. Not even when it became time to say the ‘I-dos’ and the bride and groom sang them in a duet.

Weird? Certainly. Yet this is one of the more ‘normal’ dreams experienced by our readers during pregnancy. Others range from the absurd to the naughty, like giving birth to dolphins on the roof of your house to well, let’s just call them X-rated. But what do these dreams mean, and why do they pop up during pregnancy?

WHAT DO DREAMS MEAN?

According to psychologist Dr Shaital Moodley, it’s normal to experience vivid dreams during any period of transition in your life, whether it’s starting a new job, getting married or having a child. “Dreams are the mind’s way of processing and dealing with situations and scenarios,” she explains. “Often, we get so busy that we don’t have time to sit and reflect on all the different situations that we are faced with. When we’re asleep, the mind begins to process and make sense of all the different stimuli that we have encountered during the day. By dreaming, the mind sorts out a mixture of scenarios and feelings and puts them into context.”