What Is a False Pregnancy?
False pregnancy is also called pseudocyesis or phantom pregnancy, and it is a phenomenon in which conception has not happened, or there is no baby inside the womb, but still, a woman feels she is pregnant. This is because of the appearance of the revealing signs of pregnancy like morning sickness, backache, growing belly, weight gain, and irritability. One gets almost all the symptoms of pregnancy except a developing fetus in the womb.
If this medical condition happens in a man, it is called Couvade.
What Is the Prevalence Rate of Pseudocyesis?
It is a very rare condition, as mentioned by the Indian Journal of Psychiatry. Pseudocyesis is mostly seen in women, especially those in the child-bearing ages between 20 and 44 years. However, it can occur in any woman, including those in their young age or old age. About one to six women for every 22,000 births experience pseudocyesis. The highest prevalence of pseudocyesis is seen in the African population, with about 1 in every 160 women facing it. Also, 80% of pseudocyesis cases occur in people who are married. It can also happen more than once in an individual.
What Causes Pseudocyesis?
Although there is no clear evidence about the cause of pseudocyesis, it is believed to be a psychosomatic condition. The belief or hope of pregnancy stimulates the body to develop pregnancy symptoms. While, in a few cases, some medical conditions may be responsible for pseudocyesis, which includes the following:
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Hormonal balance caused by an intense desire to conceive after a pregnancy loss or miscarriage can bring about pregnancy symptoms.
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Distention of the abdomen due to physical factors like gas, weight gain, or tumors might influence the woman to believe in pregnancy when combined with psychological pregnancy delusions.
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Physical and hormonal factors like the presence of pituitary tumors, ovarian cysts, uterine cysts, ovarian growths, and uterine growths can be a cause of pseudocyesis.
Pseudocyesis is seen in people living in rural areas where medical care is difficult, and women reach a medical facility only later in their pregnancy. While pseudocyesis is not usually seen in developed countries where ultrasound scans are taken at the initial stages of pregnancy.
Despite the access to medical care or the socio-economic background of the individual, pseudocyesis is common in people with psychological distress.
What Increases the Risk of Pseudocyesis?
A woman is more likely to develop pseudocyesis when he has any of the following:
1. History of
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Pregnancy loss.
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Depression or any other mental illness.
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Trauma.
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Sexual abuse or abuse by the partner.
2. Lower socioeconomic status. Although women of all socioeconomic statuses can have pseudocyesis, it is increased in people with low socioeconomic status.
How Is Pseudocyesis Manifested?
The symptoms of pseudocyesis are characterized by the telltale signs of pregnancy which are accompanied by a belief in pregnancy. The duration of the symptoms of pseudocyesis can be anywhere between a few months to around nine months, the duration of an actual pregnancy.
The following are the symptoms of pseudocyesis;
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Loss or missed menstrual period.
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Loss of appetite.
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Nausea.
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Vomiting.
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Changes seen in the area of nipples and areola.
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Breast soreness.
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Weight gain.
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Abdominal distension.
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A sensation of baby kicks.
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Labor pains.
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Feeling of contraction.
How Can We Diagnose Pseudocyesis?
The pseudocyesis can only be diagnosed with a pregnancy test and an ultrasound. Of which, ultrasound is a definitive test that helps in diagnosing pseudocyesis, and it helps in confirming the absence of a growing fetus. However, pregnancy tests are also reliable to check for pregnancy. The pregnancy tests detect the increased level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the blood to produce a result. This hormone is increased during pregnancy, which is made use of by the urine pregnancy test to detect pregnancy. The only drawback about this test is that, at times, it can produce false-negative results when there is not enough hCG in the blood.
If the symptoms of pregnancy are present even after pseudocyesis is diagnosed, then additional testing should be carried out to look for other medical problems like hormonal imbalance or the presence of tumors.
How Is Pseudocyesis Treated?
In most people, once the pseudocyesis has been determined with an ultrasound scan, it is sufficient to diminish the signs of pregnancy. This is possible only when the symptoms are not caused by any chronic medical conditions.
While, in some, diagnostic proof for pseudocyesis is not enough, and are not convinced that they are not pregnant. In such cases, care from the psychiatrist or psychologist is needed. Use of psychotropic drugs, either with or without psychotherapy, may be required in a few.
What Should I Do If My Loved One Has Pseudocyesis?
Although pseudocyesis is a treatable entity, the amount of grief and pain on both the affected person and their partner is high. When your loved one has pseudocyesis, treat them with more compassion, understand and validate that person's feelings, and try to acknowledge the actual facts. Be gentle with them because they do experience intense grief and agony. It might be literally impossible to convince someone that they are not actually pregnant. When you feel like they are not convinced, do not hesitate to reach out to a healthcare professional.
Conclusion:
The emotional distress you experience after having a false pregnancy is immense. However, it is not something to be ashamed of. Rather talk with your doctor about the medical causes that might have caused the symptoms. Believe that your pregnancy journey is nowhere behind, and you will get one soon.
