nightmares about birth

[booyhoo]

for he last 3 nights i have had nightmares about my babys birth. the 1st was that OH's mum came and took the baby away from me when it was born, then i dreamt OH didnt turn up for the birth, then last night dreamt i had to have c section and OH couldnt get there on time. ( he is in the navy and at sea so this might be the case)i know its just anxieties but its really getting to me now. is there anything i can do to stop having nightmares. up until now i have been pretty calm about things but this is obviously my subconscious working. i have 4 weeks to go before im due.

hi boohoo. i've just posted about a different prob in that I'm just incredibly nervous and scared for birth so not sure if i can help. i just wanted to respond since i think i think both are caused by anxiety.

do you do anything to relax (eg yoga, baths)? it's important you try to focus on something else. i've been listening to a natal hypno CD which is helping me relax a little but i have to concentrate since my mind wanders.

hope someone else can come on here to give some better advice . otherwise,try to keep busy, take care and good luck!

It's normal to have nightmares/dreams about your baby and your birth, it's your minds way of starting to prepare you for any eventuality. Try to not worry even if they are vivid it's a positive sign that your mind is getting ready. Won't be long for you now.

Last time I was Pg i dreamt that the baby died, then that I had the baby and I lost it behind a bed etc.

This time round I dreamt that my baby wasn't in me anymore and had been eaten by a little of mice {hmm} mental or what. I've dreamt of actually giving birth and it not hurting as much as last time - all sorts goes through my head. I should point out I am really not mental

Chill out and good luck.

Dreams in pregnancy are incredibly vivid and often quite 'deep'.

well i dont remember dreaming anything last night so thats good, perhaps it just took me to write it down so to speak in order to clear my head. thanks for support, it really does help to hear that others have been through the same.

A TV progrmme I watched recently put it like this, which mkes a lot of sense to me ...

Your mind uses dreams as a way of working out things which worry you. This is a survival mechanism - it increases your chance of surviving threatening situations by giving you a chance to practice your response, kind of like having your very own virtual reality simulator. Back in cave man times a major threat would have been being eaten by a big beasty, hence all those bloody chasing dreams.

Birth is obviously a big deal, and your subconscious is trying to prepare you for it. So these dreams are to do with your anxieties, which are natural, and nothing to do with reality!!

Chamomile tea might be worth a try. It's good for settling your mind and encouraging sleep and a cup before bed is allowed in pregnancy.

thanks lowrib, i didnt know that, ( about the chamomile tea) i will try it cause although i know theyre just dreams, they have really unsettled me.