A 'phantom pregnancy' is when a woman experiences pregnancy symptoms but isn’t actually carrying a baby. Find out more about false pregnancy here.
are so compelling they begin to believe they are pregnant even when they are not. We take a closer look at the rare condition of false pregnancyFalse pregnancy or pseudocyesis is when a woman believes she is pregnant and experiences some of the symptoms, but tests prove she isn’t actually carrying a baby. It tends to affect older women, and can last for weeks, months – commonly nine months – or even years, depending on the severity of the condition.
“In the 20 years I have been practising I have only seen three cases,” says Dr Trudi Seneviratne, chair of the perinatal faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. “It was more common in the 19th century when people were more prone to hysterical episodes, but with medical advancements and pregnancy tests it has become less common.”
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