Definition

False pregnancy, also referred to as Pseudocyesis, is a condition when the woman thinks that she is pregnant, when the fact is that she is not. The belief is strengthened by the presence of signs and symptoms that are associated with pregnancy. And the condition is such that it resembles the state of actual pregnancy in every manner except that the fetus is not present. The term pseudocyesis was first used by John Mason Good from the Greek words pseudes (false) and kyesis (pregnancy). This condition is also known as spurious pregnancy, feigned pregnancy, imaginary pregnancy, hysterical pregnancy, phantom pregnancy and grossesse nerveuse (mental pregnancy).

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms associated with false pregnancy are so similar to that of actual pregnancy that it is very difficult to distinguish between the two. The similarity is such that even many health professionals are deceived by them. Research has shown that 185 of women with pseudocyesis were diagnosed as being actually pregnant by medical experts. Symptoms like amenorrhea (absence of menstrual period in a woman of reproductive age), morning sickness (nausea and vomiting), tender breasts and weight gain, which are witnessed during actual pregnancy, are witnessed during pseudocyesis. Abdominal distention, that is the most conspicuous symptom of actual pregnancy, is also the most common physical symptom of false pregnancy (60 - 90 %). The abdomen expands in a manner that is similar to this expansion during the genuine version and the effect is that the woman becomes absolutely convinced that she is pregnant. The cause for this is thought to be build up of gas, fat, feces or urine. The second most common physical symptom is menstrual irregularity and occurs during 50 to 90 % of pseudocyesis cases. Other symptoms include sensation of fetal movements even when actual fetus is not present (50 - 75 %), gastrointestinal symptoms, labor pains, breast changes or secretions, uterine enlargement and softening of the cervix. One percent of women go on to eventually experience false labor.

Causes and Treatment

Many explanations have been offered to explain this phenomenon, but none of this has been universally accepted. Psychodynamic theories state that this phenomenon is due to emotional conflict i.e. an intense desire to become pregnant or because of an intense fear of becoming pregnant. This state of mind creates changes in the endocrine system, affecting the quantity of or the presence or absence of certain hormones in the body, which explains some of the symptoms. Another theory states that the desire of wish fulfillment i.e. if a woman desires pregnancy badly enough then she may interpret minor changes in her body as signs of pregnancy. Biological factors include the effect of stress on hypothalamo - pituitary - adrenal axis, constipation, weight gain and the movement of intestinal gas.

The treatment that is most successful is the use of imaging techniques to demonstrate to the “patient” the absence of the fetus. Other treatments include treating the symptoms, so that their cessation will falsify the belief.