A False Pregnancy

A few months ago I was convinced I was pregnant. I think I knew in my heart I wasn't but my head convinced me otherwise. We are not trying for another baby in fact another pregnancy is definitely not something we want to go through again after everything that's happened in the past. We are completely happy and blessed to be a family of four, not forgetting our two angels in the sky.
So before I go any further I will say now that I have done a pregnancy test and it was negative so I know I am not pregnant but I'm still having all the signs and symptoms of early pregnancy. Why?

I googled Phantom / False Pregnancy as I have heard about it in the past and it does actually exist. Women of all ages but especially around the age of 33 experience a false pregnancy. Their mind is convinced they are having a baby.

For me it started when I picked up a bottle of vodka in Tesco. I don't drink vodka but nonetheless I popped it in the trolley and that night I drank a vodka and coke. Something in me then realised I only ever want a drink of vodka in very early pregnancy. I drank vodka in the early weeks  before I knew I was pregnant with both big and little J.  I spoke to Daddy and he laughed it off but I didn't. From that moment I started to experience early pregnancy symptoms.

Everyones pregnancies are different with all different kinds of symptoms. Some women experience nausea, some women get tired, some women have strange cravings, some women notice a change in their body instantly especially their boobs and some just know. For me I had everything except for the nausea.

I fell asleep one afternoon which is so unlike me I never sleep during the day. I bought vodka when I don't drink vodka. One morning I woke up and my boobs seemed larger than the day before and were quite sore. My body around my stomach area seemed more rounded but above all that I just felt pregnant.

Buying a pregnancy test and getting a negative result was something I have experienced too many times over the years. Trying for a baby and not getting pregnant is the hardest thing to go through. Seeing a negative result is heartbreaking but this time when I saw it I just thought 'oh well' I'll try again in a few weeks. Again convinced I was pregnant.

It had been about 6 weeks and four negative pregnancy tests later when I started to think 'I wasn't pregnant' It was hard to come to terms that I wasn't actually pregnant as I was so sure I was.

Was I experiencing a false pregnancy? and if I was why?

Experiencing a false pregnancy is quite rare but it does happen. I obviously thought I was going crazy but after reading about it, it does happen to women especially those who in the past have failed to have a baby, those who have experienced multiple miscarriages and those who have lost a child through stillbirth. I have experienced multiple miscarriages and also two stillbirth pregnancies so maybe that is the reason why I was so convinced.

We spent so many years trying for a baby that at one point it was all we could think about. At times now it does feel strange that the 'want and need' for another baby isn't there anymore when it was our life for years and years.

For me I have been able to except I am not pregnant quite quickly and I am assuming my symptoms will fade over time but I know for others this could be a long and hard process. Some women can actually go for the full 9 months thinking they are having a baby and even go in to labour which much be heartbreaking.

If you are or think you are experiencing a false pregnancy then depending on your own personal circumstances I would recommend you see a doctor. The mind is very powerful and making us believe we are pregnant when we are not is quite scary when you think about it. There may be another medical reason behind your signs and symptoms so getting expert advice is always best.

Michelle