Pseudocyesis, or false pregnancy, is when a person thinks they are pregnant when they are not. People with pseudocyesis have pregnancy symptoms, but tests will confirm there's no pregnancy. Healthcare providers believe psychological and hormonal factors may cause it.
Symptoms of False Pregnancy
Enlarged and tender breasts, changes in the nipples, and possibly milk production. Feeling of fetal movements. Nausea and vomiting. Weight gain.
Showing a woman proof that she really isn't pregnant through imaging techniques like an ultrasound is the most successful way to bring a false pregnancy to an end. False pregnancies aren't thought to have direct physical causes, so there are no general recommendations for treating them with medication.
It's possible to have a positive pregnancy test even if you aren't technically pregnant. This is called a false positive. It's sometimes caused by a chemical pregnancy. A chemical pregnancy occurs if a fertilized egg, known as the embryo, is unable to implant, or grow, very early on.
Pseudopregnancy or "not-in-pig" is a condition that occurs when females exhibit physiological and behavioral signs associated with pregnancy, but there are no fetuses present.
This relatively rare, but serious condition, known as pseudocyesis or false pregnancy occurs when a person displays many of the symptoms of pregnancy, and believes wholeheartedly that they are pregnant, but they are not pregnant at all.
Pseudocyesis, or false pregnancy, refers to the false but non-delusional belief of being pregnant that is associated with objective signs and symptoms of pregnancy. The exact cause of pseudocyesis is not fully understood, although it may involve a complex interplay between psychological and neuroendocrine changes.
That's rare. But it is possible to get a positive result from a home pregnancy test when you're not pregnant. This is called a false-positive. A false-positive might happen if you had a pregnancy loss soon after the fertilized egg attached to the uterine lining.
But here's the thing: HCG can be present at low levels in the body even you're not pregnant — and just because a test is positive for HCG doesn't mean that the pregnancy is going to progress normally.
An elevated β-hCG in the absence of viable pregnancy can occur for multiple reasons and has a broad differential diagnosis including miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, pituitary hCG production, trophoblastic disease and phantom hCG.
How long does someone have pseudocyesis? Some people have symptoms of false pregnancy for up to nine months (the length of a typical pregnancy), while others have symptoms for only a few weeks or months.
A woman experiencing a false pregnancy may have nausea, a growing abdomen, swollen and tender breasts, and weight gain. Half to three-quarters of women with a phantom pregnancy think they feel the baby moving. Some even experience labor pains.
First of all it is important to confirm that there really is no baby present. Pregnancy testing on the blood and urine as well as pelvic examination and ultrasound will all confirm this. However, there have been cases where women have tested positive to pregnancy testing despite the fact that they are not pregnant.
How long does a phantom pregnancy last? The symptoms of a phantom pregnancy most commonly occur 6-8 weeks after your dog finishes her season, and should resolve within 2-3 weeks.
However, other elements or events can trigger a phantom pregnancy. Physical problems or psychological problems may be involved. The loss of a child, a miscarriage, a voluntary termination of pregnancy, an inability to conceive children, family problems or a period of intense stress can cause such symptoms.
Rising levels of progesterone during PMS can cause symptoms that mimic pregnancy to a T, whether it's tender breasts, a ravenous appetite, mild cramping, moodiness and fatigue, spotting, or even nausea.
Pregnancy test: A corpus luteum cyst can cause a false positive on a pregnancy test.
A borderline result is generated by some assays when the hCG level is between 5 and 25 mIU/mL. Samples reported as borderline are considered indeterminate, and clinicians should request a repeat test within 48 to 72 hours or obtain a quantitative serum hCG.
Pregnancy test false positives
While it's not as common as a false negative, it's possible for any person to get a false positive on a pregnancy test. However, PCOS is not the culprit if you get one of these rarities.
A false-positive test result only happens less than 1% of the time, but when it does, it can make the following days or weeks confusing before you realize you're not actually pregnant.
Yes! Drinking too much water — or any liquid — can affect a pregnancy test. The hormone hCG is more concentrated in your urine first thing in the morning. If you haven't missed your period yet, your hCG level may not be high enough to be detected in more diluted urine.
Serious urinary tract infections (with high levels of WBC, RBC and nitrite) can occasionally cause a false positive pregnancy test result.
Pseudocyesis is a rare disorder that affects all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups [2,3]. It is most common in women aged 20 to 39 years, but has been described in premenarchal and postmenopausal women.
“The false negative rate, if done appropriately, is less than 1%.” If someone waits until the appropriate point in their menstrual cycle and ensures that their urine is concentrated enough at the time of testing, then it's highly unlikely that an at-home pregnancy test will provide incorrect results, he explains.
Although it is rare, pseudocyesis (“false pregnancy” or “phantom pregnancy”) is a serious emotional and psychological condition. Psychological factors trick the body into believing that it's pregnant.