Pregnancy Dreams & Their Meaning: Losing Baby? Water? Death? Experts Sound Off On What It's About

Experts have long determined that a pregnant woman is likely to experience increased dreaming due to the hormonal changes in her body. Some dreams, however, appear to be more disturbing and distressing than others. What do these dreams mean and what should a pregnant woman do about it?

One of the most common pregnancy dreams involves water or swimming. Psychologist Ian Wallace describes this as the "ultimate selfie" because water is a representation of the mother's emotions and feelings, according to Fox News. The quality of the water — whether it's turbulent, calm, murky or clear — is also a reflection of the mom's emotional state.

Another common pregnancy dream involves losing or forgetting the baby in a public place. Therapist Pamela Wiegartz told Fit Pregnancy this dream reflects a mother's anxieties and worries over her competency as a parent. Any mom anticipating parenthood has these feelings, so it's a normal concern.

Dreaming of animals is also common to pregnant moms, particularly in the second trimester. This reflects the mother's growing attachment for the fetus in her womb. At this point, the mother is beginning to bond with her baby as the due date draws closer.

Celebrities appearing in a pregnant mom's dream is symbolic of the mother's important role to the child. According to Parents, this means that the mother is embracing the idea that she will become the most influential center of her baby's life.

Pregnant moms are also prone to nightmares that involve critters, destruction, harm to the baby or even death. According to dream expert Patricia Garfield via WebMD, dreaming about this is normal because pregnant moms are anxious. Even those with a happy and easy pregnancy could have nightmares because of the anticipation for the baby's arrival.

Experts advise pregnant moms to open up to someone about these dreams to appease their anxiety, worries and other concerns. It's always helpful to confide in a doctor or a therapist so that these feelings are processed and threshed out. Moms should also bear in mind that dreams, more often than not, have no direct bearing on what's really happening in real life.