Full term phantom pregnancy PLEASE HELP!

[nicky1976]

Hi, I am quite frustrated with my situation and hope that I can get some help here. I've had a hard time finding much info online. I experienced a miscarriage Feb 2nd 2012 at almost 16 weeks. I had blood hcg tested and it was less than 5 so not sure how long before visiting the ER that the loss occurred. I had an ultrasound that confirmed no fetal tissue and was given no explaination of what happened. No further medical treatment at that point. As time went on my pregnancy symptoms continued and my belly began to "show". I "knew" that an ultrasound and blood test wouldn't miss a 4 month pregnancy, but my body was saying otherwise. I continued to grow and grow (gained 50 pounds) I also felt "movement" a sensation I had never felt before. Logically I knew it wasn't possible, but a part of me had that "what if they were wrong"...Fast forward and when I would have been about 38 weeks (had the pregnancy continued) I started to lose pieces of what looked like a mucus plug this lasted a week.(clear, thick, odorless, like rubber cement-nothing I had ever seen) Around this time I started having sharp pains in my cervix-very brief. I also began having menstrual type cramps that would come and go. These things of course fed my illogical hope that I was still pregnant. Literally everything lined up with what a normal pregnancy would have. I would have been due on July 27th 2012. I went to a local GP to find out what was going on with the pain and distended abdomen (July 26th). I did not mention that I thought I may still be pregnant-I know how crazy that would have sounded. Had a pap and pelvic and was told my uterus was enlarged. Wet prep was negative. All other labs were fine. I had an ultrasound today to find out what was causing the enlarged uterus. A nurse called back to say everything was normal. No growths, tumors, and obviously no pregnancy. After this final confirmation there is absolutely no doubt in my mind. I am not a delusional person, I know that I'm not pregnant. The problem is my body doesn't seem to get the message. I literally LOOK full term pregnant and am still experiencing all the symptoms (including "movements"). I just want this to end and for my body to get the message so I can go back to looking and feeling normal. Again, I do not have any mental illness, and am well aware that I am not pregnant. I need to know how to STOP a phantom pregnancy. I will not speak to my doctor about this, I feel very embarrassed. I can't find any information about this condition or how to make it stop online (about humans) other than stories of Queen Mary. Please help.

[Fedupwithphanthom7]

I've been dealing with this since 2005 were now in 2016. It's VERY frustrating, when you talk to Doctors they think your crazy I've been in and out of the hospital for this and have been literally laughed at. My next option is to some form of abortion. I can't let this destroy my life and my self esteem anymore than it has.I hope they come up with some type of treatment for this. because this thing totally changes my path in life to say the LEAST!

[Pops15]

I know this is an old post but if you get this what happened?! I am experiencing the same, I miscarried September 26th 2015. Also I had to do a pregnancy test 2 weeks after we lost our baby and test was negative. So to me am I not pregnant! Roughly about 6 weeks after miscarriage I started to get really strong pregnancy symptoms, did a test negative. so just put it out of mind and I'm not pregnant. Well as time goes on I start feeling flutters, so I go to the doctors sounding crazy as tests negative and I am still having a period, these periods are shorter but I thought that could be to do with the miscarriage. Doctor did bloods which came back negative. As more time goes on I'm putting weight, I am usually a small girl always been a size 8 and quite short,  I'm really healthy, like to stay fit. I have a daughter the age of 12 and was small with her, but 6 months later I feel bigger than I was at 9months with my daughter!!i have went up two bra sizes, I am having to wear size 10 maternity trousers even tho I am not pregnant to fit my bump. It's embarrassing and I am getting so insecure. I have continued to go back to the doctors and have been tested for so much to find the problem, to the doctors I am very healthy!! The doctors finally sent me for a pelvic scan and stomach scan and no pregnancy!everything fine!!usually you would be over the moon to hear that everything is ok, but now I'm getting frustrated. I now have the stomach of a 6month pregnant woman, I feel movement mostly at night when I am settled and the movement is growing like a txt book pregnancy. I am so confused and scared. Have read you can have a fake labour? The doctors now think I am crazy and I now don't want to go back. I am very well aware that I am not pregnant so why is this happening!! :(

[sweetm8]

Thank you for your advice  i seemslike the obvious thing to do. i shall try my best to dismiss the fact at I am not pregnant and hopefully I will get   pregenant.  I am 48 and  hoping for a miracle.

[Malaikamama]

My Name is Cherlie, I have the same thing going on, urine test negative, ultrasound don't show anything, but my belly is big like a 5 month old pregnancy. And I see my grand parents in my dream telling me that I'm pregnant. I have faith that in the next couple months I will have a girl, that's what my grand parents who are dead more that 10 years ago told me.

[Hilda_Rios]

my sister in law actually went through this and her placenta came out when she was supposed to be 6 months i believe, it just came out naturally. They found out it was a phantom pregnancy because there was no fetus or heartbeat in the sack on her first ultrasound, then a week later she had another ultrasound to be sure and yup there was no baby. Her "water" broke and that's when her placenta came out, but it happened on its own. I'd say you should contact your doctor and let him know what your going through and what you would like.

[DesireeBocanegra]

I don't know this may sound 'stupid' but maybe if your body "finishes" being pregnant by going through 'labor' maybe that will help. .that's all I can think of

[butterfy]

exactly the same thing is happening to me now we are 3 years further and especially at night I do sometimes feel movements, I know it is not true...when I had my miscarriage after 16 weeks in 2011 I could not except that this was the end...and I guess my body continues to feel that way.
I had an early child birth in 2004 when I was 6 months pregnant and the baby survived a little more than a month in the hospital, I write this down and it could appear to someone that it is nothing....but this was the darkest time of my life and a time of being all alone with my grief, stressed out, wandering every day is he going to make it....only those mums who had this experience can understand me...I know.
But I would like to get back to normal and get rid of my big belly... I am not able and I am not mentally strong enough to fight...even a diet seems to be impossible to follow, although in the past it was never a problem.
PLEASE HELP ME to find sites or advice...Thank you all !!!

[dorik314]

You may find better answers if you look up pseudocyesis- I believe it's the medical term for phantom pregnancies. I had looked it up a few months ago for a friend of mine and found a butt load of information. I agree with one women who commented earlier that perhaps your hormones never went back into check and that caused your body to continue to be pregnant. I mean, talk to your doctor, if s/he is not useful or makes you feel uncomfortable, talk to a specialist,.I'm sure there's quite of few out there. Much luck!

[ashsue]

I thought i was preggers last summer. I gained weight had all the symptoms but i kept getting my period. So i went for a bolld test it was negative i thought ok i must not so stop thining it cuz my brain is playing tricks. I wanted kids at the time but just not yett so i didnt think i could be imagineing it.two weeks after my blood test i had to go to the hospital and they gave me an mri thinking it was my gallblader but instead i had two cysts and their symptoms mimic pregnancy. Fast gorward to this summer i havent taken my brithcontrool for a year not and still haven concived.i went for my yearly letting my doc know im constantly cramping like all month but she refuses to do further testing until i start ttc for 6months. I feel like something is wrong down their but i also feel crazy and wanting to get pregnant but cant cuz of my job. I think ive had more cysts since then cuz ill start feeling preggers but after the5th negative test im always like hum must be cyst. Why wont they try to find out whats wrong i hurt all the time and constantly have to tell my self im not preggers it just a cyst.it can make ur brests sore make ur period irregular cause pressure and fullness also bloating and sleeping position uncomforatible. It took a few monts for it to really sink in that i wasnt preggers and my bod to get back to normal well almost normal.

[Jillian_Eileen]

I understand your anguish and frustration! My first two pregnancies were in the 80s. Urine test came back negative but  had an old country doctor who told me, no worries.. if it waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck its a duck. So he gave me prenatal care, and late in pregnancy 6th or 7th month, the tests came back positive. I never really gave it a thought until I had further false negatives and NO medical support. Once I decided to believe them and not my body the pregnancies ended in a matter of weeks. This has happened 4 additional times. Currently age 54, menopausal and apparently 6 months pregnant or so I look and feel but not according to my urine and blood tests. Here we go again, deep sighs.  Add to the mix that I am a psychic/medium and convo's with the not so dead are commonplace it should come as no surprise when I tell you  that in my live births as well as those who 'went away' there was an awareness of a presence of 'another' who had a decided factor in how the phantom pregnancy should go. In my current situation, long before I faced up the 'here we go again' factor my psychic friends around the globe experienced him, in very real and meaningful ways, not realizing at first that he was connected in anyway with me. The connection was made after my dad, dead now 10 years, showed up in a dream to tell me to stop arguing with myself and just accept the fact that I was 3 months pregnant.  It is more than a little annoying that unless Western Medicine can confirm the miracle, its just the rantings of a lunatic. This should be a time of joy and anticipation, of planning and preparing. Should it turn out to be a 'false pregnancy' its more than a physical event, the mind and heart are invested in a certain outcome so medical support would be greatly appreciated. I do believe our bodies have a Wisdom tht we should listen to and trust. I do believe in a reality  far beyond comprehension of this one. I do believe miracles do occur. And I do believe I am pregnant, despite evidence to the contrary, my spirit self and community consistently affirm that I am. That is Faith, my friend, contrary to evidence proving otherwise, I know what I know. Our minds are powerful creators. So I am taking it one day at a time, giving myself prenatal care, and waiting to see what happens  over the next couple months. PS NO I am not crazy, nor was I wanting a baby at this point in my life, nor do I understand the mechanics of whats happening. And thats ok.

[LittleLeaf83]

When you keep thinking you are pregnant your body releases the hormone HCG Which in turn makes your body react as if it's pregnant it can't go on for months...try looking up hysterical pregnancy/ pseudocyesis it is rare but I'm sure this is what you are experiencing...what happened to you happened to me I don't know why you couldn't find anything on it...as soon as you google hysterical pregnancy it'll come right up...and seeing a doctor would be best waiting it out wont help...I was cured by having a D/C procedure...this happened after I had a still birth at 22 weeks so I think the aspect off loss plays a big role in this occurring :)

[Charliemay1980]

Hi there,
I'd be really interested to find out if and how this has been resolved? I too think my body thinks its pregnant although I've got neg urine tests so far and I'm still having periods (irregular ones) my body won't give up. Sore breast, swollen abdomen, metal taste in mouth.. It's ridiculous. Just want it to stop!! :( I've not even had a miscarriage and only just decided, hmmm maybe I'll ttc.. I'm 32 with girl of 10 and boy of 6.. Confused :/

[nicky1976]

Thank you so much ladies. Your support is greatly appreciated. Ya know there is literally a support website for every condition under the sun, I've been a member of several groups for miscarriage/fertility issues. You can google almost any physical or emotional ailment and find groups of people. With this there's not the same resources available. I did find a "crazy" group of women who "knew" they were pregnant although blood tests and u/s's said otherwise. One woman just knew she was pregnant for 2 YEARS!! This seems to mostly happen with people who are emotionally unstable, and while I've struggled with things through the years I think I've handled things pretty well. As I said I've been in loss support groups and gone to counselling. I wasn't delusional about my loss. Right now I just really want my body to look normal again. I'm 5'4 and normally about 130. I've gained 50 pounds and most of it in the abdomen area. It's very strange, not flabby buy solid and I look very pregnant. I've had many tests and a scan and everything looks normal. This is NOT my normal, lol, Again, I know I'm not... it's just maddening!!! Again thanks for all the support.

[mommyofhayden_]

I just want to say that i am very sorry that this is happening too you. I hope that you find your awnsers soon. I couldn't possibly imagine what you.are going through. You are in my thoughts. <3

[joanne152]

I found some info here:    http://www.webmd.boots.com/pregnancy/false-pregnancy-pseudocyesis        hope is helps.

[nicky1976]

Thank you Kfrasher...When I came to this site it was in search of being able to ask a doctor a question. It was listed as a site with free medical advise. When I went to post my question to the OB/GYN there was an option to pay for an answer or to post a free question. I haven't found a "free" forum where a doctor responds on this site yet.
Don't get me wrong ladies. I truly appreciate that you all took the time and care to respond to me.
This is a very difficult thing to go through, and finding info on it is next to impossible. It doesn't make sense to me. I've gone through several losses before, so I know what to expect. When we found out at 16wks that we had lost the baby, I went through the grieving process. I accepted the loss. My body however did not. I feel like there must be more women who have gone through this, but I know how hard it is to talk about. Even though I know it's not my fault-it feels very embarrassing. Again thank you all.

[kfrasher]

I'm sorry u didn't find the answers you were wanting hun, but we aren't doctors on this forum. I think there is a specific forum u can ask a doctor a question.?! I've never used it, but have seen it b4 on here. Goodluck to you! :-)

[nicky1976]

Wow, it's very clear that doctors on this site only reply to paid for questions. I came here in the hopes of getting some anonymous medical advice...guess I better get the checkbook for that, huh?

[glittergirl88]

I think you're focusing too much on it. My guess is that you wanted to be pregnant so bad and you thought that you were still pregnant, so you began searching for pregnancy symptoms and because you wanted to be pregnant so bad your brain tricked your body into thinking it was pregnant so you felt all of the symptoms and believed more and more that you were pregnant and your body was tricked into thinking you were pregnant too so it began doing what a pregnancy body does. This is completely normal and it does NOT mean you are crazy. I was obsessed with wanting to become pregnant and I remember how big of a fight it was to convince myself that I wasn't pregnant and that my brain was tricking my body. Anyway, so now since you know you're not pregnant I think you should find something to do to take your mind off of being pregnant, only then will your body relax and go back to being normal. I know how hard it is, but let me tell you this, the month you forget about trying to get pregnant is the month you will conceive. I tried for a year and a half and then decided to forget about it and plan a trip to Hawaii, what do you know? Bam! Pregnant! I had a miscarriage, but I felt better knowing that I actually could get pregnant so I relaxed and a month later, bam! Pregnant again! I'm now almost 33 weeks with a healthy baby girl. So don't give up hope, just do your best and let God take care of the rest. Good luck to you!

[nicky1976]

Thank you so much for all your responses. This condition (phantom pregnancy) is VERY rare in humans. I'm pretty good at researching things online, and there is very limited info on this topic. There's a lot of info on dogs going through this...What I have found is things mentioning "mental instability" and being "histrionic" (had to look that up it means dramatic). I do not want to appear like some crazy lady-as I have struggled with infertility. I do have hormonal issues (PCOS) but have found no link between the 2 in my research. I really am not ready to speak with my doctor about this, and was hoping that one of the online doctors would have some info for me, or that someone else may have gone through the same and could offer their story...

Thanks again for all you imput and taking the time to care.

Blessings

[munosana]

Talk to your doctor weather its normal or not and if they don't help keep looking you never know

[mom2b819]

I think u should talk to ur doc... im sure they have heard something similar before! They know the human body and may be able to give u an explanation. To me it sounds like ur hormones have not gone back to normal causing ur body to believe u are still pregnant. U may need help with regulating them from a doctor.. btw I don't think u sound crazy because  some people have phantom movement for months after they have a child.. but goodluck im no doc I just said what I think it may be

[Morrisfamily2012]

I've never heard of this particular stiuation. I can offer you this. My sister did not have a period for 6 months and her belly grew as if she was pregnant. She went to the dr and they ran test and all. Everything came back fine same as you. She had also had a m/c at the beginning of the 6 months. Her dr preformed a d&c even though there was nothing in her uterus. After the d&c she had 2 normal cycles and her uterus went back to normal size. She has 4 kids before this happened. Now a dr didn't say this but in my mind it was like since her body had made 4 babies already it was doing what it was suppose to do.