Background information: I am currently engaged to and living with the man I have been with for a little over three years. We are expecting our first child.

In my dream, I left my fiancé at his best friend's house. I went to go do something for my parents who live three hours away. I told my fiancé to stay the night at his friend's house and said I would pick him up tomorrow on my way back home. When I arrived the next morning to get him, there was a bunch of people at the house. I was in one room talking to his best friend's girlfriend and he was in another. When I went to see if he was ready to go, I saw a cute girl with blond hair pressing herself up against him, front to front. Then she kissed him. He wasn't trying to hide it or avoid it. I went over and asked her who the hell she was and punched her in the face, causing her to fall onto a table. I kept hitting her until he told me to stop and once I did, she said, "I will see you later." I said, "Oh no, you won't."

At this point, I am very upset and asking him why: "How long has it been going on and who is she?" He answered all these questions by telling me that he had been seeing her for a while, he wasn't going to stop seeing her, and he didn't want to be with me anymore. In the dream he even told me her name. It was either Christina or Suzy. I can't remember. I was hysterical, begging him not to go. I didn't want to be alone raising our child by myself. He didn't seem to care, and then I woke up feeling very uneasy and emotionally upset. I asked him about it, and he made me feel better but it still is in the back of my mind and I can't forget it.

P.S. Throughout this dream, I was eight months pregnant. I looked exactly as I do in reality.

—Michelle, Age 21, Engaged, Bradenton, FL, USA

Hi Michelle—

Dreams during pregnancy are famous for being peculiar, and your dream is no exception. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Betrayal dreams always cause us to awaken disturbed. Are the dreams messages from our subconscious minds that our partner has begun an illicit affair? Has it really been going on "for quite a while" (as the dreams often suggest), and have we been too distracted -- or naïve -- to recognize the truth?

Fortunately, the background you provide gives us the clues we need to solve your dream. As the delivery date for your baby approaches, your security needs as a new mother are rising. Because you live with your partner but are not yet married, an element of uncertainty remains. Will your partner make good on his promise to marry and demonstrate the commitment required to build a family? Or will you be left alone, as you fear in your dream, to raise your child as a single parent?

Betrayal dreams also occur when we feel vulnerable about our appearance. As you prepare to change roles in your life from being a "lover" to a "mother," and as you have watched your body change shape, it is likely you have worried about maintaining your attractiveness and sexual desirability for your partner. All these concerns heighten fears about "the other woman." Will your partner find someone who is more attractive and "fun," someone whose needs are not as demanding as yours?

Because you have no reason to suspect your partner of infidelity, your dream is a normal reflection of fears in the face of a large commitment. Now more than ever, you need a partner you can rely on -- even if you're tired, not feeling sexy, or feeling awkward in your new body shape. What's the message of this dream? During a period of change and transition, it's time to give your partner the benefit of the doubt. Ask him for the love and support you need, as you begin the deeply rewarding journey of parenthood.