Bizarre Dreams Reflect Pregnancy Angst
Dreams About Baby in Danger Common for New Mothers, Study Shows
Knowing that these bizarre dreams during pregnancy and the newborn period are common might be reassuring in itself. "If women are really being distressed by these nightmares, they should get some kind of treatment," Nielsen says. One option, he says, is progressive relaxation, in which one learns to relax the muscles, one by one, and completely relax.
Be aware, too, that the nightmares may continue for awhile after childbirth, he says. "We studied the women up to three months postpartum, and no decrease in nightmares was noticed yet," he says. "We are now looking up to six months, to see if they stopped."
Yan-Go concedes that sleep deprivation is an especially tough problem for new moms to overcome, but advises them to sleep when the baby sleeps and to trade off feeding shifts with their partner, pumping their milk if necessary. "Get a high school student to help out," she adds. "Ask everybody to come and help you. Pay your sleep debt."
Bizarre Dreams Reflect Pregnancy Angst
Dreams About Baby in Danger Common for New Mothers, Study Shows
Advice for Women
Knowing that these bizarre dreams during pregnancy and the newborn period are common might be reassuring in itself. "If women are really being distressed by these nightmares, they should get some kind of treatment," Nielsen says. One option, he says, is progressive relaxation, in which one learns to relax the muscles, one by one, and completely relax.
Be aware, too, that the nightmares may continue for awhile after childbirth, he says. "We studied the women up to three months postpartum, and no decrease in nightmares was noticed yet," he says. "We are now looking up to six months, to see if they stopped."
Yan-Go concedes that sleep deprivation is an especially tough problem for new moms to overcome, but advises them to sleep when the baby sleeps and to trade off feeding shifts with their partner, pumping their milk if necessary. "Get a high school student to help out," she adds. "Ask everybody to come and help you. Pay your sleep debt."
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