What are the signs of false pregnancy?

(June 26, 2010)

Signs Of False Pregnancy

A false pregnancy, medically known as pseudocyesis, is not a very common psychological condition in women. However it can be quite serious and could cause emotional concern to the woman suffering from it. It refers to a condition, where a woman who is not pregnant, believes that she is, (at times, despite the fact that there is no physical evidence pointing towards pregnancy). Women suffering from false pregnancy, also referred to as pseudo-pregnancy, often go through symptoms that are associated with real pregnancies. It is believed that women who have a very strong desire to get pregnant and go through the entire process can suffer from this condition. These women normally experience the symptoms of false pregnancy at the same time that a close friend or a relative gets pregnant. Studies indicate that this condition is linked to the pituitary gland, which produces an extremely high level of hormones. This imbalance of hormones is usually sparked off by anxiety and stress, causing psychological and emotional upheavals, eventually causing the woman to believe that she is pregnant.

Signs of false pregnancy

Women, who have been through this condition, claim to have and at times even exhibit the following symptoms:

•    They go through cravings for specific food and food types just like normal pregnant women.
•    Their breasts become larger and more tender as compared to before
•    They go through the motions of morning sickness
•    Even their periods cease
•    Their abdomen widens, as in the cases of real pregnancies.

However, a pregnancy urine test will usually indicate that in spite of having all the above symptoms, the woman is not actually pregnant. The woman however may insist that she is pregnant, because of a deep rooted desire to conceive. In some rare cases, women suffering from false pregnancy syndrome have even tested positive on pregnancy tests, further baffling medical experts.

Women who are most at risk

The women, who are most likely to suffer from this condition, are the ones who are probably in their 30s or 40s, or who have been trying to conceive for a very long time. Women suffering from problems related to infertility or women who have been through a miscarriage or the loss of a child are also at risk.

Treatment

As the main causes of false pregnancy are factors like anxiety and depression, which cause emotional imbalances, treating this condition requires proper counseling aimed at dealing with the emotional and psychological concerns that a woman faces.

 

Submitted by P T on June 26, 2010 at 08:10

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