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No, it doesn't necessarily mean you're actually pregnant.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart — Last updated on Apr 21, 2023
There are some common dreams that many of us have — like those of our teeth falling out or maybe about cheating in a relationship.
When I was 14, I dreamed that I was in the middle of my high school with a baby bump under my dress. My teachers were yelling at me for being a delinquent and they asked me what I had to say to myself.
What does it mean when you dream of being pregnant?
Spiritually, dreams of being pregnant often mean the birth of something new. This may not necessarily mean a new baby, but rather the birth of a new idea or creative endeavor in your life. No, it doesn't necessarily mean that you are pregnant in your waking life.
"Most commonly, pregnancy dreams would refer to new life and new potentials within you," explains Greg Mahr, MD, psychiatrist, author of "The Wisdom of Dreams," and director of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. "These potentials are so early that they are not even born yet, they need to be nourished and developed first."
Along with new beginnings, dreaming about being pregnant could also signify your creative future, the qualities of others that you admire, struggles currently brewing within your mind, the success of your current relationships with others, good news on the horizon, or even bad things yet to come.
What It Means If You Dream About Yourself Being Pregnant
"In a woman of childbearing age, such a dream might refer to the wish to become pregnant or an internal readiness for pregnancy," says Mahr. "On very rare occasions. it could even anticipate an actual pregnancy."
However, dreams about being pregnant aren't always a precursor to an actual pregnancy and have more of a psychological or spiritual meaning. For many people, being pregnant in a dream could be a sign that you want to embark on a new creative project, business idea, or job.
Are you feeling creative? Have you been thinking about taking art classes or finally pursuing that book? This might be your mind’s way of saying “Go for it!”
If you’re already taking a creative turn in your life, dreaming about pregnancy could be a sign that you feel proud of your work. You might want people to celebrate your accomplishments and might have the urge to toot your own horn.
Biblically, dreams about being pregnant are God's way of showing you that His purpose for you may soon become clear. That might not necessarily be in the form of actual pregnancy, but rather a symbolic way to show you that you're on the right path.
What It Means If You Dream About Someone Else Being Pregnant
Dreaming of someone else’s pregnancy might be a sign that you admire that person’s creativity. If you feel jealous of their announcement, it also could be a sign that you wish that you could create something the way they do.
A deep-seated desire for kids may also be a reason because, let’s just face it, people tend to dream about what they want. The more you think about something or want something, the more likely it is that it will probably come across in your dreams.
If you have babies on the brain, it’s very possible that the dream is just your subconscious reflecting that wish. In some cases, it could also be a sign of anxiety.
What It Means If You Dream About Being Anxious About Pregnancy
Pregnancy can also be a sign of shame, if you don’t have a partner or if you're in a situation where people would judge you for having a kid. This is doubly true when you’re a teenager. After all, no one wants to be a teen mom; it’s a mark of shame.
For people who view pregnancy as a bad thing, this dream could signal that you feel like you have a burden forced on you. You might also feel like you’re anxious about events you might not feel are in your control anymore.
Some people claim to have had a pregnancy dream when they became pregnant. Anecdotal evidence suggests that women who are pregnant have a tendency of dreaming of children or babies.
So, if you have been trying to conceive and feel like the dreams are a little bit too realistic, you may want to grab a pregnancy test if you believe old wives’ tales. Of course, it could be nothing, too.
What It Means If You Dream About A Stranger Being Pregnant
Similar to dreaming of yourself being pregnant, if a stranger is pregnant or giving birth in your own dream, it may mean that there will be new changes that will soon be a part of your life.
What It Means If You Dream About Being Pregnant With A Boy
If you're dreaming about being pregnant with a boy, it likely means you want to have a baby boy. That, or it symbolizes masculine qualities like strength or assertiveness.
Perhaps these are qualities you possess, qualities you envy, or they're simply qualities that you admire from afar. Dreaming of a baby boy could also mean the start of a new phase in your life is coming soon.
What It Means If You Dream About Being Pregnant With A Girl
Similarly, dreaming about being pregnant with a girl could mean that you want to have a baby girl or could be symbolic of feminine qualities. Dreaming of a baby girl could also be a sign of good fortune, luck, and health.
What It Means If You Dream About Being Pregnant With Twins
Dreaming about being pregnant with twins might mean that something in your life is causing conflict. This conflict may be between you and another important person in your life, or even two opposing ideas that you are trying to choose between.
What It Means If You Dream About Being Pregnant With Triplets
If you're dreaming about being pregnant with triplets, you probably have a lot on your plate. You're juggling multiple problems at once and it's becoming too much to handle.
What It Means If You Dream About Giving Birth
Dreaming about giving birth follows the same creativity trope but one that is closer to its reveal. Giving birth in a dream often means you are very close to following through on a new idea, project, or goal.
What It Means If You Have Recurring Dreams About Being Pregnant
According to Mahr, recurring dreams "may mean that its message has not been heard."
If you have recurring dreams about being pregnant, Mahr suggests you "keep working with the dream, so that its message is fully felt and experienced. Consider discussing the dream with a trusted friend or therapist."
What It Means If You Dream About A Man Being Pregnant
Dreaming about a man being pregnant means that a man is carrying your burden or lightening your load. There is a man that you depend on to help you through your struggles. That, or a man in your life is about to achieve great, new things.
What It Means If You Dream About The Inability To Become Pregnant
If you dream about being infertile, or the inability to get pregnant, you're likely going through a creative slump. You're struggling with productivity. Is work burning you out? Are you going through writer's block? Have you put your projects on pause?
What It Means If You Dream About Feeling The Baby Kicking
If you dream about feeling the baby kicking, all seems to be going right in your life right now. You're satisfied with how things are going, and all of your relationships seem to be successful.
What It Means If You Dream About Having Morning Sickness
Dreaming about having morning sickness could be seen as having a heavy burden to bear. Something in your life is causing uneasiness within you, and it manifests itself into a dream.
What It Means If You Dream About Taking A Pregnancy Test
If you're dreaming about taking a pregnancy test, the interpretation differs depending on the result and how you're feeling.
A positive pregnancy test and a positive reaction could mean that good news is incoming. A positive pregnancy test and a negative reaction could mean that you're anxious about the future or about your relationship with someone important.
A negative pregnancy test and a positive reaction could mean that you've dodged a bullet in some way or that you've had some important personal growth, while a negative reaction could mean that you feel like a failure.
The bottom line is, it's important to be paying attention to the dreams you're having — they may give you an inkling of what's going on in your real life.
Think about keeping a dream journal for when you have these vivid dreams so you can log what you saw and how you felt in order to reach the conclusion of why you had the dream in the first place.
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Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer based out of Red Bank, New Jersey whose work has been featured in Yahoo, BRIDES, Your Daily Dish, New Theory Magazine, and others. Follow her on Twitter for more.