Pseudocyesis, or false pregnancy, refers to a condition where a woman experiences symptoms of pregnancy such as abdominal growth and morning sickness despite not actually being pregnant. It is believed to be caused by psychological or physiological factors that mimic the symptoms of pregnancy. A sonogram or ultrasound is needed to definitively rule out biological pregnancy in cases of suspected pseudocyesis. While symptoms may feel very real to the woman, treatment typically involves counseling or therapy rather than medical intervention for a nonexistent pregnancy.

1. PSEUDOCYESIS

2. Pregnancy: the state, condition or
quality of being pregnant.
Pregnancy: "the condition of carrying
developing offspring within the body“
Gestation.

3. Pseudocyesis, false pregnancy,
phantom pregnancy: the state, condition or
quality of being pregnant... without being
pregnant.

4. Symptoms Explained
The first indication of pregnancy is usually missed
menstruation. 56-98% of women with pseudocyesis experience
menstrual irregularity or cessation.
The explanation for that can be several factors.
Being stressed out can decreases the amount of the hormone
GnRH, causing a woman to miss her period.
Changing of one's schedule, for example: losing a lot of sleep or even
switching from working a day shift to working a night shift.
Being overweight or underweight
Using certain medications (especially birth control, of course)
Being sick
Menopause and peri-menopause

5. Another common symptoms of pseudocyesis is Nausea (and
vomiting) which can be the result of anything really. A mere nervous
stomach at times can lead to nausea and vomiting.
Fatigue is another symptom that can be the result of anything (bad
sleeping habits, stress, another sickness, etc...).
Sore breasts can be a premenstrual sign. In the case of a missed
period, breast tenderness can still occur.

6. Breastmilk production is a symptom that can occur without
pregnancy, believe it or not. Here are some possible causes:
Prolactinoma - a benign (noncancerous) tumor in the pituitary gland where
prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production, is produced.
Medications such as thioridazine (an antipsychotic) can also stimulate
prolactin production.
Enlarged pituitary gland condition.
Mammary gland stimulation by sucking on the nipples (as in sexual foreplay).
This increases blood flow to the glands.
Mammary duct ectasia - a condition in which the milk duct beneath the
nipple becomes clogged or blocked. Usually occurs in women in their 40s and
50s

7. The Most Bizarre Symptoms Explained
The most obvious sign of pregnancy is the
large, noticeably distended abdomen. The cause of a
distended abdomen in pregnancy is the enlargement of
the uterus due to a growing fetus. If a pregnant woman's
stomach wasn't growing at all, that's a reason to be
concerned.

8. What about if a woman's stomach is gradually
growing, just as a pregnant belly grows, but she's not
pregnant.
63 - 97% of women with pseudocyesis appear
pregnant.
For years, scientists and medical professionals have
been trying to find the cause for the large abdomen in
women experiencing a phantom pregnancy.
There are a few theories that account for this strange
symptom. Scientists and medical professionals believe
that perhaps the distended abdomen is caused by gas
build up, fat, urine, or feces.

9. Another bizarre symptom for a non-pregnant
woman in experiencing "quickening", the
sensation of the baby moving.
Either this is caused by gas or it is psychological
because there is no baby to feel. Still, women
with pseudocyesis truly believe that they can
feel the nonexistent fetus moving.

10. LWD (Labor Without Delivery)
In true pregnancy, once the time comes for the fetus to come into this
world, the uterus begins a pattern of contractions to push the baby into
the birth canal. The cervix dilates, widening for the baby to pass
through. As labor progresses, contractions become stronger and get
closer together. Usually, when the cervix is fully dilated and contractions
are relatively constant, the woman is able to push her baby out of her
body and into the real world.
.
Yes, women with pseudocyesis can go into labor just as pregnant women
go into labor. They feel the contractions, their water breaks, they have
the desire to push, the whole nine. Yet, there's no baby to give birth to.

11. Pregnancy vs. Pseudocyesis
Sometimes the only thing that differs false pregnancy from true
pregnancy is a sonogram/ultrasound. In medical examinations for
pregnancy, such as a pelvic exam, pregnancy may be confirmed in a
person with pseudocyesis. This is because a woman with this condition
has a soft and enlarged uterus just as a real pregnant woman does.
There have been cases of positive home pregnancy tests due to the
production of some of the pregnancy related hormones produced in a
woman with pseudocyesis. So, to reiterate, a sonogram/ultrasound is the
only surefire way to rule out pregnancy as a diagnosis.

12. Pregnancy vs. Pseudocyesis
Sometimes the only thing that differs false pregnancy from true
pregnancy is a sonogram/ultrasound.
In medical examinations for pregnancy, such as a pelvic exam, pregnancy
may be confirmed in a person with pseudocyesis. This is because a
woman with this condition has a soft and enlarged uterus just as a real
pregnant woman does.
There have been cases of positive home pregnancy tests due to the
production of some of the pregnancy related hormones produced in a
woman with pseudocyesis.
So, to reiterate, a sonogram/ultrasound is the only surefire way to rule
out pregnancy as a diagnosis.

13. Getting Rid of a Phantom Baby
How you you get rid of a baby that doesn't exist? Usually, once a
woman gives birth, the pregnancy symptoms all disappear but how
does a woman rid herself of the pregnancy-related symptoms when
she was never pregnant in the first place?
Some symptoms, such as the cessation of menstruation, can be
ended (or in this case, restarted) by medications. Most patients with
pseudocyesis may consult a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Sometimes, putting a patient under anesthesia can rid them of the
distended abdomen. Treatment depends entirely on the patient.

14. The Afflicted
In the United States, between 1 and 6 of every
22,000 births are phantom pregnancies.
The youngest documented case was in a 6 1/2 year
girl and the oldest documented case was in a 79 year
old woman but the average age is 33. More than 2/3
of women who have experienced a phantom
pregnancy were married and 1/3 were pregnant at
least once in their life.

15. The people who are most affected by pseudocyesis are
women in their late 30s or 40s who have fertility problems
or are desperate for a child. Women who have suffered a
miscarriage or have lost a child are also susceptible for
pseudocyesis. Generally, women going through a phantom
pregnancy are emotionally unstable and may have other
psychological problems.
An extreme fear of becoming pregnant have also been
shown as a risk factor for developing pseudocyesis.
Women who were the victims of incest have been shown to
possibly be at greater risk for pseudocyesis.

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