A urinalysis will usually come back negative unless the woman is suffering from an illness like a very rare cancer that releases the same hormones as pregnancy. Ultrasound is another test that will determine if a pregnancy is true or false.
This will show, in the event of a false pregnancy that there is no fetus but in some severe cases, the ultrasound may show a softening of the cervix, just as it would in a true pregnancy.
Pregnancy, whether true or false, is an exciting time for an expectant mother. For those who really are pregnant, they enjoy the 9 months they have to bond with their unborn baby, prepare a nursery and get ready to become a parent.
That said, those who think and feel like they are pregnant are also feeling that same excitement for the next 9 months and beyond. They are looking forward to raising their baby in their home — watching him or her have their first bath, take their first steps and grow like a typical kid.
Now she is about to find out that what she is feeling, what she is looking forward to, is not going to happen. It is all in her head. Now imagine being the bearer of this news and attempting to treat her; knowing that she had this excitement built up just to have it crushed. Treating a false pregnancy is very difficult since it is a delicate situation, it is not necessarily a medical problem but more psychological where symptoms can last anywhere from a few weeks to the whole 9 months, to even years.
After a doctor has proven for a fact that this is indeed a false pregnancy, they will then conduct some psychological exams to ensure that there is no underlying psychological or neurological condition. After this, they will provide psychological therapy and emotional support as these are the only way to treat pseudocyesis. Datta, S. Tarin JJ, et al. Endocrinology and physiology of pseudocyesis.
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 11 1 Gabbe S. Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies, fifth ed. What is a False Pregnancy?
What Causes Pseudocyesis? Signs of Pseudocyesis or a False Pregnancy Most women who suffer from a false pregnancy truly believe they are pregnant because they experience the same pregnancy symptoms. Tests For Pseudocyesis or False Pregnancy Since Pseudocyesis mimics every detail of pregnancy, it is important that a doctor ensures that it is actually a fake pregnancy and not a real one. How To Treat a False Pregnancy or Pseudocyesis Pregnancy, whether true or false, is an exciting time for an expectant mother.
In all cases, the woman is absolutely certain that she is pregnant. Physically, the most common symptom is a distended abdomen, similar to a baby bump. The belly can begin to expand just as it does during pregnancy when a developing baby grows. Between one-half and three-quarters of women experiencing pseudocyesis reported feeling the baby move. Many women also report feeling the baby kick, even though there was never a baby present. Other symptoms can be just as difficult to distinguish from those experienced during an actual pregnancy, and can include:.
But if a woman is experiencing symptoms like menstrual irregularity, medication may be prescribed. False pregnancies seem to disproportionately take place in women experiencing psychological instability.
For that reason, they should be under the care of a psychotherapist for treatment. The concept of a false pregnancy is nothing new. Hippocrates is credited for the first written account in B.
Mary Tudor is a famous historical example. Instances of pseudocyesis have dropped significantly in the United States over the last century. In the s, cases of false pregnancy occurred in approximately 1 out of every pregnancies.
That number has declined to between 1 and 6 cases for every 22, births. The average age of a woman experiencing a phantom pregnancy is But there have been cases reported in children as young as 6 and women as old as Roughly one-third of women with pseudoscyesis have been pregnant at least once before, and more than two-thirds are married. Women who have experienced incest could be at a greater risk of experiencing false pregnancies.
People who experience phantom pregnancy will usually have many of the same symptoms as a pregnant women including weight gain, swollen belly, menstrual irregularity, nausea, engorged breasts and increased hormones. Phantom pregnancies is are a very rare condition, with cases actually dropping in the past century.
It now only occurs in around for every 22, births. This could be when a woman experiences a strong desire to be pregnant, either because of infertility, repeat miscarriages , or impending menopause.
This can cause the body to produce symptoms similar to those of early pregnancy which the brain then confuses with real pregnancy signals and begins releasing hormones that lead to further pregnancy symptoms.
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