With a delusion, women don't experience symptoms. Women who have a delusion of pregnancy are mentally ill and believe that they're pregnant, even though they have no symptoms. It's important for doctors to distinguish between the two because a delusional pregnancy requires different psychiatric treatment than a phantom pregnancy. We don't know what causes phantom pregnancy, though experts suggest that both psychological and hormonal factors are at play.
Because it's such a rare condition, there's not much data, and studies are largely based on individual case reports. Basically, the body is tricked into thinking it's pregnant. An increase in hormones such as estrogen and prolactin lead to pregnancy symptoms. A psychosomatic condition. Because of intense pressure or desire to be pregnant, a woman's brain triggers hormonal changes that cause pregnancy symptoms.
This may happen when a woman has struggled with infertility or had a miscarriage or loss of an infant, or another traumatic event.
It also sometimes happens to women who have an intense fear of pregnancy. Some experts theorize that abdominal growth, the sensation of feeling fetal movement, and the experience of labor pain may be due to increased activity in the sympathetic nervous system the body's "fight or flight" system. Another medical condition. Sometimes a completely unrelated illness can cause elevated hormonal levels or other physical reactions that lead to pregnancy symptoms.
These conditions include ovarian tumors, severe depression, cancer, obesity, and ectopic pregnancy. Even weight gain, constipation, or gas — when paired with psychological factors — can cause abdominal distention that a woman may interpret as pregnancy. In one recent study, more than 16 percent of cases of phantom pregnancy were linked to medical conditions. Major depressive disorders. Women with severe depression or severe stress may have changes in reproductive hormones.
In addition, antipsychotic medications can cause some pregnancy-like symptoms, such as weight gain, loss of menstruation, and breast tenderness. If a woman has a phantom pregnancy, her pregnancy test will be negative. Her body won't produce human chorionic gonadotropin hCG , the pregnancy hormone. An ultrasound will also reveal that there's no baby. Provide evidence. The caregiver should strive to be empathetic.
She might assure the patient that her belief that she was pregnant was understandable given the symptoms, for example. Address other medical conditions. After determining that a woman has a phantom pregnancy, her caregiver will want to rule out — or address — other medical conditions that may be causing the pregnancy symptoms. Reduce symptoms. If the woman isn't having menstrual periods, for example, the caregiver may restore them with the use of hormonal intervention, if necessary.
She might also help address symptoms such as nausea and fatigue. Provide psychological support. BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world.
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Medically reviewed by Carolyn Kay, M. It's too early Hormones are too low You're overhydrated It's user error It's a faulty test You're an exception Your period's coming You're ovulating It's psychosomatic It's the medication Emotional roller coaster Takeaway Share on Pinterest. How to deal with the roller coaster of trying to conceive. The takeaway. Parenthood Becoming a Parent.
Implantation Bleeding vs. Period Bleeding: How to Tell the Difference. The Best Pregnancy Tests for Read this next. Medically reviewed by Nancy Carteron, M. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. This is a common question for those who are trying to conceive and for those who are concerned about experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. You may be experiencing some pregnancy-like symptoms and wonder if they could be signs of pregnancy. It can be difficult to determine whether or not your symptoms are related to pregnancy.
The first problem is that the first signs of pregnancy vary from woman to woman. The second challenge is that not every symptom is experienced during each pregnancy. The biggest challenge is some illnesses have pregnancy-like symptoms. The American Pregnancy Association looked at the most commonly reported first signs of pregnancy. After comparing and researching the available data, we were able to identify some of the most commonly experienced causes of these symptoms apart from pregnancy.
A missed period is the most commonly reported first sign of pregnancy. However, this symptom is one of the easiest to explain away with another cause, which could be any of the following:. You can contact the American Pregnancy Association at M-F 10am-6pm to discuss your concerns or ask questions about your pregnancy symptoms.
Nausea or morning sickness is the second most commonly reported early pregnancy symptom. This sign of pregnancy can also be accounted for by various other causes:. A change in breasts , including swelling, tenderness, or discomfort, is the third most commonly reported early sign of pregnancy.
This symptom can be explained by the following:. Rounding off the four most commonly reported symptoms of pregnancy is fatigue or tiredness. This symptom is easier to account for with another cause.
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