Baby nightmares plague new moms

Being a new parent is scary. Even if you're been reading all the books, and trying to prepare yourself emotionally, all that new responsibility can come as quite a shock.

So much so, apparently, that most women experience disturbing dreams after giving birth.

A new survey found that 75 percent of new moms were plagued by often horrifying nightmares involving their new infant. This number is enormous, especially when you consider that only 59 percent of pregnant women experience this phenomenon, and anxiety-ridden dreams only effect 42 percent of women who've never had a child.

However, according to psychiatrists, it's nothing to worry about -- in fact, it's completely normal. People routinely work through their problems and adapt to new circumstances using their dreams.

Researchers aren't sure how long these nightmares last -- as after 3 months, many involved in the study were still experiencing them. Fortunately, in addition to the knowledge that you're body is working through a normal process, you can also take comfort by remembering that, after all, it's only a dream.