False pregnancy or pseudocyesis is a condition that makes a woman believes that she is pregnant. She might have symptoms similar to pregnancy, but she is in fact not pregnant. False pregnancy doesn’t mean a miscarriage because there was never a baby. However, symptoms can last long enough to make a woman, and even the people around her, believes that she is pregnant.
What causes a false pregnancy?
More recently, physicians began to suspect that the roots for pseudocyesis come psychological and physical problems. Although the exact cause is unknown, doctors suspect that psychological factors may trick the body into “thinking” that pregnancy does occur.
When a woman feels desire or even a strong fear of pregnancy, her brain misinterprets these signals as pregnancy, and triggers the release of hormones, such as estrogen and prolactin, which are the causes of the symptoms of an actual pregnancy. Some researchers have claimed that poverty, lack of education, sexual harassment, or relationship problems may play a role in triggering false pregnancy.
What are the symptoms of a false pregnancy?
Pseudocyesis often resembles a real pregnancy in all respects, except for the presence of the baby. In all cases of pseudocyesis, women really believe that she was pregnant. Physically, the most common symptoms are a swollen abdomen, much like having a baby, caused by a buildup of:
- Gas
- Fat
- Urine
The second symptom is irregular menstruation cycle. Some women even report feeling a baby moving, despite the fact that there never was a baby in there. Other symptoms that can occur in a false pregnancy are similar to the actual pregnant, namely:
- Morning sickness and vomiting
- Breast pain
- Breast changes (including size and pigmentation)
- Lactation
- Weight gain
- Navel sticking out
- Increased appetite
- Enlargement of the uterus
- Softening of the cervix
These symptoms are very similar to women who are actually pregnant, so the doctor can sometimes be fooled.
Tests to detect false pregnancy
To determine whether the pregnancy is real or false, the doctor will usually evaluate symptoms, give an pelvis test and an ultrasound.
Sometimes, doctor will find physical changes that are similar to a real pregnancy. That is why an ultrasound is necessary. If the pregnancy is false, the baby will not be visible in the ultrasound.
Is there a treatment for false pregnancy?
If the pregnancy is indeed false, medications aren’t usually recommended as the cause is often psychological. However, if a woman is experiencing symptoms such as irregular menstruation, medication may be prescribed.
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