Delusional pregnancy

Delusional pregnancy-what is it?

An imaginary pregnancy is often referred to as a pseudo or false pregnancy. According to some sources
^[i]
, delusional pregnancy, however, differs from pseudopregnancy in the presence of somatic symptoms of pregnancy. In the case of an imaginary pregnancy, the woman appears to be pregnant, but there are no other symptoms. Pseudopregnancy, on the other hand, involves a woman experiencing symptoms that suggest being pregnant. However, this is not confirmed by beta hcg and ultrasound. The occurrence of an imaginary pregnancy is a disorder categorized as a mental disorder. It is considered to affect about 1 woman in 22,000. real pregnancies^[ii].

^[i]
Soumya Gogia, Anastasia Grieb, Albert Jang, Mollie R. Gordon & John Coverdale (2020): Medical considerations in delusion of pregnancy: a systematic review, Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, DOI: 10.1080/0167482X.2020.1779696

^[ii] 2007 data

Delusional pregnancy- symptoms

The symptoms of an imaginary pregnancy are based mainly on the feelings of a woman who thinks she is pregnant. The symptoms of a pseudopregnancy are similar to a normally developing pregnancy. There may be absence of menstruation, nausea, breast enlargement and tenderness or nausea and vomiting. Abdominal bloating may also occur. Some women also report, in more advanced imaginary pregnancies, feeling the baby’s movements.

Delusional pregnancy- causes

Hormonal and psychological factors are believed to be responsible for the occurrence of an imaginary pregnancy. Women who are very anxious to have a child, but efforts to have a child are unsuccessful, have elevated stress levels, which in turn increase prolactin levels. This gives symptoms similar to a real pregnancy. This is one of the reasons, among others. stopping menstruation. A woman who really wants to get pregnant begins to feel the symptoms mentioned earlier and believe in the success of the efforts. Similarly, those women who are strenuously avoiding pregnancy at any given time and are panic-stricken about motherhood may react the same way. Delusional pregnancies can also be one of the elements of schizophrenia.

Delusional pregnancy- management

The first step if there are symptoms of pregnancy is to take a pregnancy test and visit a gynecologist. Ultrasound and beta-hcg determination are objective ways to confirm or rule out pregnancy. In the case of an imaginary pregnancy, psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy may be necessary. Most often, after a gynecologist has ruled out a true pregnancy, a psychiatric or psychological consultation is recommended.