False Pregnancy (Pseudocyesis): Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

When you’re trying to get pregnant, every sign and discomfort that you experience will point towards pregnancy. If you can’t wait to be a parent, then you must have had moments where you’d have thought that you were pregnant but actually weren’t. If your period was late by a few days, you must have taken it for a sign of pregnancy. A missed period is a sign of pregnancy, and so is nausea, morning sickness, or fatigue. If you experience one or more of these symptoms and take a pregnancy test, which comes negative, you will obviously be disheartened. Furthermore, if these signs are accompanied by some physical signs of pregnancy, and you are not pregnant, then you will wonder what’s wrong. Well, it could be a false pregnancy. False pregnancy is also known as phantom pregnancy or pseudocyesis. 

What Is False Pregnancy or Pseudocyesis?

Pseudocyesis is the medical term for false pregnancy. In the case of pseudocyesis, a woman experiences many symptoms of pregnancy, but the pregnancy is false as the foetus does not develop. According to the American Pregnancy Association, the woman experiences symptoms similar to pregnancy symptoms, such as a growing belly, morning sickness, irritability, weight gain and back pain (1). This condition is also known as phantom pregnancy. Surprisingly, this condition also occurs in men and is known as sympathetic pregnancy. It is mostly observed when a man’s partner is pregnant.

How Common Is False Pregnancy (Pseudocyesis)?

Pseudocyesis is quite rare. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the exact number, it is roughly around 1 to 6 cases per 22,000 births, as mentioned in a 2008 study published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry (2). False pregnancy is found mostly in societies where there is pressure to conceive or places where healthcare facilities are limited.

What Are the Causes of Pseudocyesis?

While researchers have not been able to pinpoint the exact cause of pseudocyesis, there are reasons to believe that the reason could be either physical or psychological. Physical reasons could be ovarian cysts or tumours. Most evidence shows that pseudocyesis is common in women who have an intense desire to become mothers. The intensity sends a signal to the brain, which makes them believe that they are pregnant. The rest of the body receives signals and is prompted to behave as it would if it were pregnant. Pseudocyesis occurs with many bodily systems working in tandem. The endocrine, cortical, hypothalamic, and psychological functions work together complexly. Stress on the ‘hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal’ axis is another reason found in relation to phantom pregnancy traits (3).

Who Is At the Risk of a False Pregnancy?

It has been observed that false pregnancies occur in certain types of cases. Women who have had the following conditions are more at risk than usual:

• Multiple miscarriages
• Infertility
• Loss of a child
• Mental breakdown

Women who want a baby with intensity may experience a false pregnancy.

What Are the Symptoms of False Pregnancy?

Phantom or pseudo-pregnancy symptoms are usually typical. In such cases, women feel signs and symptoms of pregnancy or, rather, what they think the symptoms of pregnancy are, which is why they believe that they are pregnant. The Cleveland Clinic lists some false pregnancy signs and symptoms (4):

• Missed periods
• Swollen belly
• Weight gain
• Enlarged breasts
• Changes in the skin and hair
• Frequent urination
• Morning sickness
• A feeling of foetal movement

Usually, the woman will notice a false pregnancy belly and think that she is pregnant. It is advised that pregnancy is established only after the required pregnancy tests.

What Are the Characteristics of False Pregnancy?

The main characteristic of a phantom pregnancy is the absolute belief of the woman that she is pregnant. Irregularity with menstruation is commonly seen in women who are suffering from a false pregnancy. A majority of women with a phantom pregnancy will report that they feel foetal movement.

How Is False Pregnancy Diagnosed?

There are several ways in which a false pregnancy is diagnosed. Some of these include:

• Blood test to establish pregnancy
• Urine test to detect pregnancy
• Though the previous two methods are commonly used to diagnose pregnancy, they are not a reliable false pregnancy test. An ultrasound test of the abdomen and pelvis area will have to be done to establish the pregnancy. In case of a false pregnancy, the ultrasound will not show up a heartbeat, neither will a foetus be seen.
• Other conditions could be the cause of the symptoms of pregnancy such as obesity or ovarian cysts. Tests will have to be done to diagnose these conditions.

Treatment for False Pregnancy

There are two factors to consider when treating a false pregnancy. If the condition has been caused due to some physical or physiological reason, then this will be treated first. In the case of cystic ovaries, the treatment plan will include medication, lifestyle changes, and maybe even meditation. And if the ovarian cyst is big or harmful, then surgery will be required. If the false pregnancy is brought about by a psychological reason, then it will have to be treated with the help of psychiatrists and therapists.

In either case, the woman might have become invested in the idea of being pregnant. Apart from the pregnancy, she might have also prepared herself for raising a child. Once it is established that the pregnancy is false, the woman will need a lot of care and customised pseudocyesis treatment. The dream of having a child is a very dear one, and having those hopes unfounded can be emotionally hard for the woman. It is best that you talk to your doctor and also with a therapist to make peace with this apparent loss.

FAQs

1. What is the difference between pseudocyesis and true pregnancy?

The major difference between false pregnancy and actual pregnancy is the presence of a foetus. A real pregnancy has a real foetus, whereas a false pregnancy or pseudocyesis has a psychological belief of the presence of a foetus. A woman with pseudocyesis feels she is pregnant and experiences pregnancy symptoms, but a blood test or an at-home pregnancy test will show negative.

2. Can you get a positive pregnancy test result with a false pregnancy?

No, the possibility of getting a positive pregnancy test with pseudocyesis is NIL. This is because at-home pregnancy tests check for the pregnancy hormone hCG, which is generated only during actual pregnancy. Blood tests, urine tests, and ultrasounds will also confirm negative in a false pregnancy.

3. Is pseudocyesis or false pregnancy a delusion?

No, pseudocyesis or false pregnancy is not a delusion (2). Women diagnosed with delusional pregnancy do not have any pregnancy symptoms, but they believe they are experiencing it. In many cases, antipsychotics are significant reasons for the delusion of pregnancy (5). In the case of pseudocyesis, a combination of psychological and neuroendocrine factors are the reasons behind having symptoms similar to pregnancy. Doctors provide different treatment options for both.

A false pregnancy looks and feels like any other pregnancy but is, in fact, not a real pregnancy. There is no foetus, and is caused by a number of factors. If you suspect that you’re pregnant, visit a doctor, get a blood test and have an ultrasound scan performed, as they are the most reliable tests for establishing a pregnancy.

References/Resources:

1. What is a False Pregnancy?; American Pregnancy Association; https://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/false-pregnancy/

2. Ibekwe. P. C, Achor. J. U; Psychosocial and cultural aspects of pseudocyesis; Indian J Psychiatry.; PubMed Central; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2738334/; April 2008

3. Tarín. T. J, et al.; Endocrinology and physiology of pseudocyesis; Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology; https://rbej.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1477-7827-11-39; May 2013

4. Pseudocyesis; Cleveland Clinic; https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24255-pseudocyesis

5. Yadav. T, Balhara. Y. P, Kataria. D. K; Pseudocyesis Versus Delusion of Pregnancy: Differential Diagnoses to be Kept in Mind; Indian J Psychol Med.; PubMed Central; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3361851/; January 2012

Also Read:

Chemical Pregnancy
Uncommon Signs & Symptoms of Pregnancy
Early Pregnancy Symptoms Before Missed Period
Pregnancy Symptoms After Missed Period – Am I Pregnant?

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