False pregnancy is clinically known as pseudocyesis. It is the belief that you are pregnant when infact you are not carrying a baby.  People with false pregnancy have many, if not all the pregnancy symptoms. The only thing missing is the fetus. In rare situations, men may even experience false pregnancy. Some men experience a condition known as couvade or sympathetic pregnancy. They develop many of the symptoms their pregnant partners go through such as nausea, backache and weight gain.
 

 

What causes false pregnancy ?

 
The exact cause of this condition is unknown. However health care professionals believe that psychological factors may trick the body  into thinking that it is pregnant.

When a woman has an intense desire to  get pregnant as a result of infertility, miscarriages or impending menopause, her body may produce pregnancy signs such as enlarged breast and swollen belly. She may even have the sensation of fetal movement. The woman’s brain misinterpret these signals as pregnancy. This triggers the release of hormones such as estrogen and prolactin and this eventually leads to pregnancy symptoms.

Some researchers also believe that lack of education, childhood sexual abuse, poverty and relationship issues can also trigger a false pregnancy . You should note that false pregnancy is not the same as claiming to be pregnant for benefits such as financial help or having delusions of pregnancy such as in people with schizophrenia.

What are the symptoms of false pregnancy ?

 
Symptoms  of pseudocyesis are the same as actual pregnancy and include the following :

• nausea and vomiting
• swollen belly
• interruption of menstruation
• tender and enlarged breast
• weight gain
• feeling of fetal movement

 
These symptoms may last for a few weeks to several months or even years. A small percentage of these women may go to the hospital due to what they believe to be labor pains.

How would you know you are experiencing false pregnancy ?

 
The doctor will evaluate symptoms, do a pelvic exam and an ultrasound . During the ultrasound no baby will be seen and there will not be any heartbeat if it is a false pregnancy.  Urine pregnancy test will be negative except in some rare cancers that produce similar hormones to pregnancy.

However sometimes doctors will find  physical changes that occur during pregnancy such as enlarged uterus and softened cervix.
 
Certain medical condition that mimic pregnancy symptoms will be ruled out using tests. These include ectopic pregnancy, morbid obesity and cancer.

How to treat pseudocyesis ?

 
It can be very upsetting for a woman who has been thinking for months that she is pregnant to  learn that she’s  really not. Doctors will have to gently break the news to her and give her psychological  support such as therapy. This will help the woman recover from the disappointment.