Surely that can't be right? If there is no baby in the womb then how can the belly swell up and the breasts produce milk? Is someone having me on or what?
2006-08-02 07:58:01 · 16 answers · asked by DONNAIS 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Other - Pregnancy & Parenting
No, no one is "having you on." Phantom, or false, pregnancy is when a woman shows all the signs of really being pregnant. This being a physical and psychological phenomenom it's hard to tell which part is more dominant. Mostly it is hormones way out of whack and your female hormones are outweighing the male hormones. Kind of like a battle of the sexes going on inside you and female comes out on top. A woman has a certain amount of testosterone that is produced by her body. Hormonal changes can play havoc on your life and it's the lucky woman who never has trouble.
2006-08-02 08:07:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's completely psychosomatic. It's very uncommon nowadays, but before the development of such good prenatal care it was a lot more common. It develops from the strong desire-almost a need - to have a child. All of the symptoms of a true pregnancy can be present, including "fetal movement" and it can last a full nine months. Both sexes can be affected (now TH ATS weird!) and all nationalities and races are just as susceptible.
Some other conditions can also mimic the signs of pregnancy, but most of these conditions, almost all of which can be or are life threatening, only mimic a few of the signs and do not last a "full term".
2006-08-02 16:56:59 · answer #2 · answered by Missie l 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The human body is an amazing thing.
There are multiple types of "phantom" pregnancies that can range from minor to life threatening. Ovarian cysts are cysts that form on the ovaries and then burst, causing abdominal pain. Typically, these aren't dangerous in themselves, but they are often confused with appendicitis and another form of Phantom pregnancy, tubal pregnancy. This is where the fertilized egg embeds itself in the fallopian tube between the ovaries and the uterus. It is a very serious and life threatening condition. Suffice, to say, if a woman experiences any extended abdominal pains, see a doctor and gynecologist immediately.
Both of these simulate the early stages of pregnancy. A more extended form of phantom pregnancy that can include swelling and lactation is a benign or malignant tumor in the uterus. This can trigger many symptoms of pregnancy but is also very dangerous. Early and frequent visits to an ob/gyn when a woman suspects she might be pregnant is critical.
2006-08-02 15:14:37 · answer #3 · answered by soulrider 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well first of all a woman can make themselves believe that they are pregnant, its just like telling a lie and eventually it becomes the truth because you don't want to reveal that it was a lie to begin with. Some women can't handle the fact that they may not be able to have kids of their own or that they really want to keep a man in their lives and pretending that they are pregnant is easy for them to do. Women can make themselves look pregnant just by gaining weight whereas others can lactate by practicing with their nipples to get them to a stage to produce milk.
2006-08-02 15:07:11 · answer #4 · answered by navymilitarybrat76 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if there is a hormonal inbalance that can explain alot. i know one chick that thought she was pregnant for 9 months needless to say she is in psych now but it turned out that she had a thyroid problem that nobody caught. then agian on the other hand i can't help but wonder how i a girl can for 9 months and not know that she is pregnant till she has the baby. i guess it's just another great thing thanks to the wonders of modren medicine
2006-08-02 15:04:47 · answer #5 · answered by short.lil_momma 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have heard of this in dogs. and in a similar case that someone i know had a tumor or cyst and it mimicked the signs of pregnancy. But i have never heard of this happening to woman where there wasnt some other cause of it.
2006-08-02 15:04:08 · answer #6 · answered by sea_sher 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's possible when women want a child desperatly sometimes they can convince themselves that they are pregnant and really really believe it so they start feeling it. It's like the girls that deny they are pregnant and never show or gain weight. I was a teen mom I saw a few of those girls.
2006-08-02 15:07:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The mind is a powerful thing. I doubt it is very common, although Carrie on Days Of Our Lives just had one.
2006-08-02 15:02:25 · answer #8 · answered by therego2 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a girl come into the hospital who delievered a baby girl and kept asking why she was in the hospital and when we told her that she just had a baby she denied it and said the baby wasnt hers... she actually tried to leave the hospital without the baby
2006-08-02 16:34:42 · answer #9 · answered by sjeboyce 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Never underestimate the power of the human mind.
2006-08-02 17:27:12 · answer #10 · answered by Karan 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋