Imaginary pregnancy: causes, signs, treatment methods

What is false pregnancy in women

False pregnancy is also called empty, imaginary and pseudopregnancy. This condition is a psychological disorder and is extremely rare. For every 22 thousand pregnant women, there are only two falsely pregnant girls.

Psychological pregnancy is not a woman simulating pregnancy for profit. With this diagnosis, the girl is so confident in the reality of her interesting situation that changes similar to the symptoms of pregnancy begin to occur at the physiological level. That is, menstruation stops, the stomach and breasts begin to grow, toxicosis and sudden mood changes are observed.

Scientists believe that the cause of false pregnancy is self-hypnosis. The girl is so confident in the reality that she will soon become a mother that the pituitary gland forces the body to secrete hormones and produce symptoms reminiscent of a real pregnancy.

False pregnancy is considered one of the most complex types of hysteria. After all, a woman feels the birth of a child not only on a psychological, but also on a physical level. At the same time, scientists still cannot answer the question: “Why do real physical changes occur in a pseudo-pregnant woman?” There are only guesses on this matter. However, it has long been proven that the psychological state greatly affects the physical one, so we have no reason to doubt that the reason for the stoppage of menstruation and other symptoms lies in the head of women with couvade syndrome (as false pregnancy is called).

Symptoms of false pregnancy in women

The most interesting thing about this psychological disease is that couvade syndrome causes symptoms characteristic of pregnant women. This fact may seem incredible to you, but it is true.

It will be difficult for an inexperienced woman to distinguish such symptoms from a real pregnancy. However, the first trip to the gynecologist will dispel this misconception.

Signs of false pregnancy:

Lack of menstruation. In this case, the monthly process of egg release is not restored until the false pregnancy is cured.
The breasts of a falsely pregnant woman increase in size. A characteristic curve of the spine appears, and the stomach even grows.
Signs of toxicosis appear. The woman begins to feel sick in the morning and becomes sensitive to smells.
Characteristic mood changes are also observed. A falsely pregnant woman becomes more irritable and gets tired very quickly.
In some cases, a woman may feel shocks in her abdomen, which she mistakes for the baby's movement.

As you can see, a woman with an imaginary pregnancy experiences the same symptoms as women who are actually expecting a baby. Sometimes, even an experienced woman who has already given birth cannot distinguish a false pregnancy from a real one.

Also, it is worth mentioning that a woman with couvade syndrome does not deliberately feign pregnancy, but actually believes in her pregnancy. At the same time, a pregnancy test may show two lines, since pseudo-pregnant women secrete characteristic hormones.

How is an imaginary pregnancy treated?

Modern obstetricians-gynecologists and psychotherapists can easily distinguish a false pregnancy from a real one. To do this, it is enough to do an ultrasound diagnosis, an ECG, and also take a test to determine the hCG hormone in the blood of a “pregnant woman.” If after these activities the lady has questions, they should be resolved in direct close contact with a psychologist and gynecologist. In such a case, it is necessary to determine the cause of this condition, and also tell the girl that she is not in a “position”.

If it is not possible to dissuade a woman from her imaginary situation, then appropriate hormonal medications should be prescribed that will help regulate the course of menstruation. In general, it is quite easy to convince that pregnancy is false, but not every woman, especially those who want to become a mother as soon as possible, is ready to give up her dream and again become an ordinary girl expecting pregnancy.

By the way, situations are not uncommon when an imaginary pregnancy can be caused on purpose (for example, when the uterus or mammary glands are not sufficiently developed). In such a situation, a woman may be prescribed a certain dose of estrogen and progestogen hormones for a period of 8 to 12 weeks. In order for the therapeutic effect to last for a long time, you can also use an ointment containing progesterone and estradiol.

Women should understand that an imaginary pregnancy occurs against the background of a disguised ovarian tumor. In a similar situation, identical symptoms are noted. Therefore, it is necessary to seek help from a specialist as soon as possible so as not to miss the moment and not start the course of the disease.

Causes of false pregnancy in women

As we have already said, false pregnancy is caused by problems associated with the psychological state. However, sometimes such a problem can arise due to psychological instability.

This condition is not dangerous to a woman’s health, but in some cases it can cause severe psychological distress. In order for a woman to be able to independently identify an imaginary pregnancy, she needs to know for what reasons such a disorder may occur.

Causes of false pregnancy:

Strong desire to have a child. This syndrome can occur if a woman really wants to get pregnant, but attempts are unsuccessful.
This deviation also occurs after a miscarriage or death of a child.
It happens that a false pregnancy becomes the body’s response to a woman’s psychological state associated with a disagreement with her husband. Thus, subconsciously the girl tries to solve problems in the family.
If several of a girl’s friends become pregnant, she may also experience symptoms similar to pregnancy.
As menopause approaches, a woman realizes that she has virtually no chance of getting pregnant. Therefore, she can convince herself that she is pregnant.
With a strong fear of becoming pregnant and fear of childbirth, a woman can also feel all the signs of this situation.
Diseases of the endocrine system and tumors in the ovaries can also be mistaken for pregnancy.
Suppressed sexuality, which causes delays in menstruation, can cause a false pregnancy.
Due to severe stress, overwork, and long separation from loved ones, false pregnancy can also occur.

Having convinced herself that she is pregnant, a woman begins to feel real physical changes. The strangest of them are explained quite simply. For example, abdominal growth is usually caused by the formation of a large amount of gas, which is a consequence of overeating. Other symptoms are caused by hormonal imbalance. It is because of this that the breasts begin to enlarge and menstruation stops.

Medical approach to false pregnancy syndrome

Typically, signs of a false pregnancy persist in a woman for three to a maximum of four months, although there are known cases of a patient coming to the maternity hospital with external signs of impending birth. It is easy to determine a false pregnancy through a gynecological examination - there are no objective changes in the uterus and vagina, human chorionic gonadotropin is not detected in a urine test. If necessary, an ultrasound or x-ray of the abdominal cavity is performed to confirm a false pregnancy.

When examining a patient, it is imperative to take into account the likelihood of a frozen or ectopic pregnancy, as well as tumor processes, and the presence of uterine fibroids. As for treatment, a competent explanation from a gynecologist is usually sufficient to eliminate the signs of a false pregnancy. In case of disorders of the endocrine system, special treatment is prescribed.

Usually, after a woman stops instilling thoughts of pregnancy into her head, her periods are restored and the signs of toxicosis disappear. But often the gynecologist has to work together with a neurologist and psychotherapist if the patient stubbornly refuses to believe in a false pregnancy and is prone to depression. Usually, false pregnancy syndrome does not recur if the patient has gone through this condition once.

Pregnancy is a miracle for a woman, especially if she really wants a child. However, it also happens that the pregnancy is false. Sometimes this is a manifestation of self-hypnosis, but for the most part it is a serious disease of the female body, writes the website about pregnancy and childbirth https://www.9months.ru.

Who is misled by false pregnancy?

False pregnancy is a mental state of the body. It may be associated with stress or a strong desire to have a child. This problem can arise in people with a high level of self-hypnosis and an unstable psyche.

Women undergoing infertility treatment. The desire to get pregnant in this group of women is so great that it may feel like a miracle has already happened.
Mature women from 33 to 40 years old. Approaching menopause, many women fear and realize that they will no longer be able to have a child, so during this period their psyche is especially unstable. Moreover, such symptoms can appear even in women who have given birth.
Young girls who have only recently begun sexual activity and are not married are sometimes so afraid of getting pregnant that any similar symptom is mistaken for the birth of a child in their body. By reinforcing their fears with self-hypnosis, they can get a complication in the form of a false pregnancy.
Also, similar symptoms can occur in women with an easily excitable psyche or girls who have suffered severe stress. For example, those who lost their child.

As you can see, this syndrome is typical for women who either really want to have a child, or, on the contrary, are afraid of pregnancy. All these groups of people have one thing in common - they have an unstable psyche and a high level of self-hypnosis.

However, not only women, but also men can suffer from false pregnancy. In the strong half of humanity, a similar syndrome can occur due to the pregnancy of a beloved woman. The partner is so worried about his soulmate. That he experiences the same symptoms as she does.

Interestingly, dogs and mice can suffer from false pregnancy. In this case, the dog can become very attached to the soft toy, begin to take care of it and protect it.

How is imaginary pregnancy treated?

Previously, a false pregnancy could last up to nine months. At the same time, after the third trimester, the woman began to experience sensations similar to contractions, which greatly affected her psyche.

Nowadays, false pregnancy can be detected in the earliest stages. Thanks to modern equipment and experienced gynecologists, all doubts will be dispelled after the first visit to the doctor.

Treatment of such a disease involves working with several specialists. This is a psychotherapist, an endocrinologist, and a gynecologist.

For a woman who has experienced a false pregnancy, the support of loved ones is very important. It depends on the family how quickly the patient can cope with psychological trauma.

Quite often, for the patient to fully recover, a simple explanation by the gynecologist that all the symptoms are false is enough. However, in severe cases, the help of antidepressants and hormonal pills may be needed.

What is a false pregnancy (video)

Usually pregnancy leads to the birth of a child. However, in some cases, symptoms of this situation can be caused by stress or self-hypnosis. That is why, having received a positive result on the test, you need to contact a gynecologist.

A person can be deceived - this is not a secret. He can be instilled with false goals, instilled with love for the wrong ideals, and made to believe in outright nonsense. What do you think, is it possible to deceive... a woman's ovary? Suggest something incredible to your hormones? Forcing the uterus to carry out a meaningless and self-defeating plan? Are you going to twirl your finger at your temple? Absolutely right, you hit the nail on the head!

The brain, the most energy-consuming, least studied and strangest organ, is also a magnificent swindler, magician and deceiver. The human brain knows how to find reserves in case of unforeseen situations, is able to react instantly, calculate options, create super-efforts... And the brain and something that we call consciousness are able to fulfill desires.

Lose weight, grow a little more, get sick for a test. Or secretly, in a whisper, at the bottom of the soul - such a small, hidden desire. Intimate, scared, lost, without hope, but with faith, with the memory of unsuccessful tests or the harsh words of doctors. Get pregnant. Please.

And the woman begins to experience all the signs of pregnancy - first, a delay (though the test won’t show anything - “oh well - they always lie anyway!”), heaviness and engorgement of the breasts, mood changes, and for some, morning sickness. Menstruation will never return, but in a month or two - everything is on schedule! - there will be a slight weight gain, you will want watermelon. Or herrings. Or both watermelon and herring at the same time. And with ice cream!

But then, when the happy expectant mother finally goes to the antenatal clinic to fill out all the paperwork and register, the doctor will disappoint her - in fact, there is no pregnancy. Mind games, cruel brain jokes - nothing more. And the woman who proudly carried her growing belly, drooping, goes to a psychologist - pseudo-pregnancy or false pregnancy, a severe psycho-emotional disorder, is treated not by gynecologists, but by specialists in human souls.

Even Hippocrates around 300 BC. e. described 12 cases of pseudo-pregnancy, and the story of the English Queen Mary I Tudor, whose long-awaited pregnancy turned out to be false, became a textbook. According to official statistics from the US Department of Health, out of 22 thousand pregnancies, 6 are false. In the “risk group”, first of all, women are closer to the end of the reproductive period (38-45 years), who have been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant for many years, followed by women who have experienced the death of a child or a miscarriage, and women who have convinced themselves that having a child will save them. their relationship with a man. Easily excitable, unbalanced, suspicious women also succumb to desire and, especially if children appear with friends, neighbors, relatives, suggest pregnancy to themselves.

It is not surprising, but the cause of a false pregnancy can be, although extremely rarely, ... a strong fear of the birth of a child. Social morality - a woman must give birth - and the desire to realize the maternal instinct come into crushing conflict with deep-seated fear. As a result, a particularly sensitive woman may experience signs of pregnancy, but she does not agree to “go through” her fear during real childbirth. There are studies that show the important role of feelings of potential guilt and fear of the consequences of having a child. For example, in Canada, false pregnancies are four times more common among single Catholic women than among Protestant women, whose community is less aggressive about having children out of wedlock.

You should not think that a “pseudo-pregnant” woman is maliciously deceiving someone. In fact, she is more convinced than anyone else that the baby will be born soon. She feels nausea and dizziness, has a heightened perception of smells, and feels the desire to eat something “sour” or “salty.” Her belly is really growing, her arms and legs are swelling, her breasts are swelling. It’s just that, according to psychologists, the stomach increases not in order to make room for the development of a new life, but due to additional curvature of the spine, expansion of the intestines and accumulation of gases. Menstrual irregularities, changes in the mammary glands and mood swings Are mood swings in women a bad character or a disease?

Treatment

Today, a doctor can quite easily distinguish a “real” pregnancy from a false one. Due to the fact that the embryo does not develop in the womb of a woman, certain studies (pregnancy test, ECG, ultrasound) can accurately establish that no additions to the family are expected yet. Even if the causes of the condition are mental, you need to consult a gynecologist. The doctor should be most concerned not with the somatic (physical), but with the mental well-being of the patient. He must find out the reasons for the appearance of such a condition, understand them and very subtly explain to the woman her condition. In most cases, this is enough for all signs of an imaginary pregnancy to disappear. If a woman cannot be convinced that her pregnancy is the result of self-hypnosis, the help of a psychotherapist is needed. In addition, the doctor can additionally prescribe hormones, when taken, menstruation resumes and the obvious effect of all symptoms ceases.

False pregnancy is a unique expression of a woman’s mental immaturity. Even if a doctor manages to prove to a woman that she has inspired herself to expect a child, this does not mean that recovery will occur. This phenomenon can have relapses and be repeated many times during periods of psychological tension, stress, depression, tedious waiting to give birth to a child and unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant.

Sometimes an imaginary pregnancy is induced artificially, for example, due to underdevelopment of the mammary glands or uterus. Over the course of 8-12 weeks, the woman’s dose of estrogens and gestagens is gradually increased. To maintain the effect of treatment, an ointment containing estradiol and progesterone is used.

Overall, this is a mental problem. However, a similar condition can also be caused by an ovarian tumor. Impaired ovarian function may be accompanied by an enlarged abdomen, signs of pregnancy, and severe pain in the lower abdomen. In this case, you must urgently consult a gynecologist.

History knows many examples of how crowned persons, who were required to give birth to an heir to the throne, experienced false pregnancy syndrome. Doctors point out that this condition is by no means a simulation. It’s just that the body of a woman who, at any cost, needs to become a mother, or she desperately wants it, at some point begins to produce almost the same hormones that are synthesized during pregnancy, forcing the patient to believe that she is expecting a child. This condition requires particularly careful attention on the part of the doctor, including vigilance for the development of uterine tumors.

Concept of false pregnancy

The manifestation of this kind of phenomenon is visually no different from real pregnancy, since the menstrual cycle changes, morning sickness appears, and the stomach can even visually grow. However, the woman is not pregnant. Today, this phenomenon is more characteristic of young women, but there are rare cases in women after old age. Thanks to medicine, there are simple ways to determine pregnancy using modern medical equipment.

In medicine, there is recognition of the causes that lead to the occurrence of false pregnancy:

Reasons related to the psychological part of the female consciousness. The phenomenon of self-hypnosis has long been known; it is thanks to this property that a woman feels pregnant and even feels all the symptoms of pregnancy, including hormonal changes in the body.

The reason may lie in the disease of secondary amenorrhea. The disease consists of the absence of menstruation for up to six months.

Stressful situations and rebooting the body. This phenomenon can manifest itself during prolonged physical exertion and general fatigue of a physical and psychological type.

Symptoms accompanying false pregnancy are also determined:

Accompanied by an enlarged abdomen and a woman’s weight gain;
Lack of menstruation;
General weakness;
gag reflexes;
Nausea;
Accompanied by sudden mood swings;
General irritability;
Taste preferences change;
The woman may feel slight movements of the imaginary child;
Accompanied by a positive test.

Signs of false pregnancy

False pregnancy is defined by medicine as a psychosomatic disorder. Combines psychological, psychiatric, endocrine and gynecological disorders. It is rare - one case per 20-22 thousand women. In developing countries this figure is higher.

With pseudopregnancy, the patient is firmly convinced that she is carrying a child. A false pregnancy is accompanied by frequent signs of a real one:

no menstruation;
breast enlarges;
suffers from morning sickness;
abdominal volumes increase;
fetal movements are felt;
colostrum is released from the breast when pressed;
Pigmentation of the areola increases.

The emotional state is unstable, fatigue and drowsiness are felt. Unusual eating habits appear. With longer periods, the spine acquires a orthodic curve typical for pregnant women, and the gait changes.

When the expected date of birth approaches, the woman feels cramping muscle spasms. She mistakes them for labor pains.

In the United States of America, not so long ago - in 2010 - a case was registered in which a patient who avoided medical examinations on religious grounds arrived at the maternity ward with a pronounced picture of labor. During the examination, the baby's heartbeat was not detected. Doctors performed a Caesarean section, but there was no baby in the uterus.

Symptoms of false pregnancy, due to hormonal imbalance, may be accompanied by a positive test for hCG - human chorionic gonadotropin. In healthy women, it begins to be produced 6-8 days after fertilization of the egg. The test result gives the woman a reason to make sure that she is really pregnant.

Treatment of the phenomenon of false pregnancy

In the conditions of modern medicine, the ability to determine a false pregnancy is quickly and effectively revealed by ultrasound or ECG; as a result of these tests, it is possible to obtain an accurate answer to the question of pregnancy. It is also possible to use a pregnancy test, but in this case it may not show 100% results.

When the first symptoms of pregnancy appear, you should immediately consult a specialist. The gynecologist must conduct a full examination and establish a diagnosis. If the diagnosis is that the woman is not pregnant, then upon hearing the doctor’s diagnosis, the imaginary pregnancy ends. When truthful information is realized as a result of the examination, self-hypnosis loses its power in the woman’s subconscious.

Treatment for false pregnancy usually involves a prescribed course of treatment with the help of a psychotherapist. The specialist prescribes sedative medications, as well as a course of visiting a psychotherapist. The duration of treatment is individual for each woman, since the psyche is a serious aspect for the life of the body.

False pregnancy is a complex and quite rare mental phenomenon. A woman exhibits all the signs of pregnancy (absence of menstruation, nausea and vomiting in the morning, dizziness, abdominal enlargement, etc.), although in reality she is not pregnant, i.e. the growth and development of the embryo does not occur in it.

Today, modern methods of treatment and diagnosis make it possible to quickly identify a false pregnancy, but in the recent past there were cases where women were hospitalized, suspecting the ninth month of carrying a child and an early birth.

Most often, young girls who have recently completed puberty and young girls make this “mistake,” however, an imaginary pregnancy can also occur in older women. Cases of such an error have occurred even among women who have given birth multiple times.

Symptoms of an imaginary pregnancy

At a time when a girl wants to get pregnant or, on the contrary, is afraid of motherhood, the body, in both cases, can play a cruel joke by presenting her with symptoms characteristic of pregnancy:

Amenorrhea
Morning sickness
Breast augmentation
Increased breast sensitivity
Mood swings
Whims
Fatigue
Lactation

During a false pregnancy, the power of suggestion is so great that the level of the hCG hormone increases - the test can show a positive result. The longer the apparent pregnancy develops, the more symptoms appear. Uterine contractions begin to be interpreted as fetal movement. But on the first visit to the gynecologist, everything falls into place, the doctor easily diagnoses an imaginary pregnancy. By the way, reluctance to visit a gynecologist is one of the symptoms of imaginary pregnancy in women. But even after visiting a doctor, it is impossible to convince the patient that she is not actually pregnant.

Causes

The causes of false pregnancy are mental. At first the woman thinks she is pregnant. Then she becomes so involved in this role that not only her behavior changes, but the entire physiological state of the body changes, and signs of pregnancy appear. The reasons for this phenomenon are closely related to the psyche. This phenomenon is observed, as a rule, in older women who passionately desire to have children. Sometimes it occurs (as a protective mechanism) in young girls who are afraid of getting pregnant.

In addition, an imaginary pregnancy can be a consequence of so-called secondary amenorrhea. Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation for more than 6 months. It can be caused by a slowdown in the maturation process, suppressed sexuality, physical fatigue, exhaustion of the body, stress, as well as prolonged separation from family.

Symptoms

This condition can occur in different ways. With a pronounced form, menstruation stops and the uterus enlarges. At first, these women (like “real” pregnant women) exhibit symptoms characteristic of pregnancy—nausea and vomiting in the morning. They gain weight, their breasts and stomach enlarge. Women even “feel” the movement of the fetus, which intensifies as the “due date” approaches. After reading scientific literature and articles on the Internet on this topic, the girl thinks that the diagnosis is confirmed and that in the near future she will give birth to a child.