Hi everyone,

I hope you can help me. For the past 4 or 5 nights in a row I've been dreaming about babies. I'm not actually having one (that I know of, yet) and they aren't mine. It's always me saving babies from some harmful situation. In one, a baby was in a jumper with a rope around his wrist and the other end connected to a chain link fence. The yard started flooding, and I ran. Then I heard a baby crying and realized the situation of the little one. He was trying to hold his head above water and was crying. I swam to him and rescued him. In another one, I was at a college campus that was under attack by some people. I ran into the attic with a few classmates and somehow ended up with a baby in there, too. I walked away for a minute and when I came back the bad guys were in there and trying to hurt the baby. They were threatening to poke him with a needle and inject some kind of substance in him. I was begging that they leave the baby alone and hurt me instead. In the last dream I remember, this lady had a baby and couldn't take care of it. She kept saying how she couldn't take care of the baby anymore and was questioning her mother skills. I offered to take him and she gladly gave the child to me. She told me where all of his supplies were including the car seat. I took the child and locked him into the car seat (which was like a plastic enclosed case) and left. The baby got really sick and I didn't know what to do. He was having trouble breathing and I just wanted him to be OK. That's all I really remember at this point. Does anyone know what these dreams could mean??

Background about me: I do want a child really bad, but my fiance and I want to wait until after we are married to try to have children. I am also a nanny to a 3 month old little boy. I've done research on other sites and have not had any luck, so I'm hoping you guys can help. I'm confused!!

-Amanda

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 21/ Cocoa Beach, FL

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Not on this site

Amanda,
Let's see if we can't find some reasoning behind your dreams. Because the dreams have occurred over the past 4 or 5 nights we may want to focus on that time frame and perhaps just prior to the dreams. And because the dream is about babies there is probably cause to think your current situation in life {being a nanny and wanting to have a baby in the future} has something to do with your dreams. Your age {21} is also important. Older people's dreams tend to focus inward, sorting through life's experiences, whereas a younger person's dream is more often focused on actual current waking life stresses and experiences.

In the dreams the babies are not yours. That may be saying something about your nanny's job. Since everyday stresses are prominent in a young person's dreams, this may be saying something about the stresses and concerns you have with your position of taking care of someone else's baby. The water part of the dream and saving the child would probably represent unconscious concerns {water often symbolizes the unconscious}, those you may not focus on in everyday life but deep down concerns you have in your position of caring for a child.

In the college campus dream there may be a bit of attention to possible learning experiences {college, learning-see the symbolism?} you are acquiring for future experiences with your own baby. Again there is the threat of danger to the baby, perhaps defining inner fears {which are natural in motherhood} of the dangers in life for newborns. They need the protection of their mothers to survive and being the guardian {nanny-future mother} it is left up to you to protect and rescue the baby. The needle part of the dream may involve recent personal experiences {look back to situations involving needles} and the reference may be more attuned to those experiences and less to do with symbolism {although symbolism of the need is probably involved in some way}.

The last dream may be getting to the crux of the real concerns the dream is focusing on. I get the impression this is as much about the parenting skills of the mother you nanny for more so than anything. But it may also point to concerns of your won future mothering skills. The lady is unable to take care of the baby, is that something that fits with your position as a nanny {metaphorically speaking, you are taking the baby because the real mother is unable/unwilling to take care of the baby-the reason they hired you}. But since you are the not the real mother you have to leave the baby {to live your own life} which would involve the symbolism of the baby plastic {not real} enclosed car seat. The part about the baby getting sick is probably involving actual life experiences or fears. Has the baby been sick recently and was there concerns about what to do?

All in all the dream seems to be addressing the stresses of taking care of the child {nannying} and also future issues of your own parenting skills. But there may also be influences of your own upbringing as a child {was your mother good at parenting?}. I don't see in the dream any indications of childhood abuse {yours} but subtle experiences during childhood are often retained, even before a child is capable of memory. But this would be secondary to the possibilities I have stated above.

Are there some stresses involved in your nanny job that may be bothering you, especially since these dreams began? Do you feel as if the actual mother of the baby you care for lacks the ability to be a real mother? Look at those days preceding the dreams and during the time of the dreams and fit the dream experiences to real life experiences. You may see similarities with the two. Report back here {this is a learning place also} and perhaps we will be able to better understand the dreams from your follow-up comments.

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 57 Murfreesboro, Tn.

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Thank you so much for your help! A lot of this does seem to make sense, but I think I need a little bit more time to digest this information before posting a more detailed response. I will be back though!!

Oh, and just to clarify, the mother of the child I care for is a great parent, so I don't think that last dream has to do with her. She loves her little boy so much and is great with him! I'll have to look back on the days I had those dreams and try to figure out if it has something to do with it.

Again, thank you so much for you help!

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 21/ Cocoa Beach, FL

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Not on this site

Amanda,
Thanks for the follow-up reply. I hope my interpretation provided you with information that will lead you to better realizations about yourself. If there is but one truth about dreams it is the dream is about the dreamer.

If the real mother of the baby you nanny is a good mother, then perhaps the symbolism may apply to fears you possess about being a mother {natural fears for any mother}. There is probably more to the symbolism of the baby {The baby got really sick and I didn't know what to do} but that may enter into personal aspects that only you can understand. One thing that is important is your age. Personal aspects are much harder to judge in a younger person's dreams since much of those experiences are recently occurring and not a built in psychosomatic problem of life experiences.

After you have thoroughly digested my interpretation I hope you will post your thoughts. Dream interpretation is a psychological endeavor and you know more about yourself than anyone. Except perhaps your own deeper self. That is where Jung provides us with the instruments to better understand those deeper aspects. I suggest, if you have not already done so, you read up on Jung and his approach to dreams. Knowing about the psychology of dreams will give you an in-depth look at your own inner life. Those of us who work with dreams on a daily basis here at the Forum know the validity of his philosophy to the dream. Sharing that knowledge is what the forum is about.

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 57 Murfreesboro, Tn.

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Hi Gerard,
Just want to let you know that I have not forgotten to reply to your interpretation on my dream. I'm in the process (a very grueling one!) of trying to find a new place to live since our lease is FINALLY up!! It might be another week or two, but I do intend on coming back and telling you what I feel about my dream. I believe this moving has A LOT to do with it!

Thanks,
Amanda

God Bless!

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 21, Cocoa Beach Florida

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Amanda,
I understand completely. When you find time to respond please do so. As I stated in my last post there may be personal experiences that only you are aware of that may hold answers to some of the symbolism in your dream. If indeed the move you are making is quite stressful or demanding the symbology may be addressing that aspect of your life. Babies in a dream do not have to be addressing issues about real babies. They {babies} could represent something new in your life, new responsibilities, challenges. We can discuss this possibility further once you have the time to give thought to the possibilities.

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 57 Murfreesboro, Tn.

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes