What is a false pregnancy? | Afrilatest.be

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What is a false pregnancy?

A false pregnancy, or pseudocyesis, is a condition in which a woman does not get her period and also has symptoms that resemble those of pregnancy (including nausea, fatigue, bloating, painful, larger or sensitive breasts, etc.), while there is actually no fetus in the uterus. After some time, but later than normal, menstruation usually occurs.

Also read: 10 possible causes of a bloated belly

How does a false pregnancy occur?

Usually the cause is psychosomatic: if a woman wants to get pregnant so badly, the brain can set all sorts of physical changes in motion. They hope so fervently for a pregnancy that their body fulfills those wishes without actually being pregnant. A bit like a placebo effect. It can also occur in someone with a great fear of giving birth, or someone who doesn't want to get pregnant at all. That's like the pink elephant principle. If you're not allowed to think about a pink elephant, you suddenly can't think of anything else but a pink elephant.

Also a traumatic event can be a trigger: a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, a death…

Finally, you can also physical or psychological disorders pregnancy symptoms. A tumor on the ovaries, for example, or a .

Also read: The impact of fertility treatments on a relationship

What can you do about it?

To find out if you are really pregnant, it is best to take a pregnancy test or have your blood checked. If you are not pregnant, you will need help from experts, because treating the disease itself is often not so obvious. Talk to your GP, psychologist or gynaecologist about it to get the right help for your situation.

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