The human brain is a master of all sorts of illusions. And a false pregnancy is an example. It manifested itself in women, men, children and even the elderly. What “mind games” can affect physiology so much and does it happen that the body is the source of deception?
In Dagestan, a woman pretended to be pregnant for 9 months. She was afraid that her husband would leave her if she did not give birth to children for him. And after the “birth”, she swaddled two dolls, telling the family that the children had died. The inconsolable father at the funeral discovered a substitution, his wife had to confess. At the same time, she, according to her, had no doubt that she was expecting children … Is it possible to sincerely believe that you are carrying a child when this actually does not happen? And what mechanism affects the psyche and body in this case?
Mind and body are interconnected. And if a woman is obsessed with the desire to get pregnant, the brain can begin to deceive the body. And then the stomach and chest grow, weight increases, signs of toxicosis appear. A woman can even feel the “moving” of the fetus, lactation begins. The scientific name for this phenomenon is pseudocyesis. And in humans, it occurs about 1-6 times in 22 genuine pregnancies.
According to one version, the English queen “Bloody” Mary, who lived in the 12th century, had pseudocyesis. To give birth to an heir to her husband, the Spanish prince Philip II, son of Emperor Charles V, was for her a matter not only of continuing the dynasty, but also of maintaining status and relationships. The prince was handsome and 38 years younger than his middle-aged, by the standards of that time, XNUMX-year-old wife.
Tatyana Solomatina, who worked as an obstetrician-gynecologist for many years, in the book “Advice to those who have flown in” tells about a patient who maniacally dreamed of having a baby, so that her lover would divorce his wife and marry her: the woman “stopped monthly women’s chores. She was nauseous and had bouts of vomiting in the morning. There were also all other signs of early preeclampsia, such as swelling. She became irritable beyond measure. She has enlarged mammary glands. All these are signs of hormonal changes in pregnant women. Somehow the stomach began to grow too quickly – it is already noticeable. And to top it off, the pregnancy test is positive.”
The future father divorced, they went to see a doctor – and on the ultrasound it turned out that the pregnancy was false. Solomatina adds that subsequently the patient gave birth to a healthy child to the man, becoming pregnant for real.
It also happens that the body deceives the mind. The cessation of menstruation, bloating with constipation can serve as signals to the brain about a possible pregnancy, and then the pituitary gland increases the production of hormones that prepare the body for the birth of a child. In addition to the passionate desire to have children, the opposite can also contribute to the appearance of pseudocyesis – a strong fear of becoming pregnant.
Psychotherapist and journalist Jennifer Drapkin describes a case in which a false pregnancy saved a family relationship in an unexpected way. After learning that a friend of her 19-year-old son was in labor, a depressed 36-year-old woman felt excruciating pain in her stomach. Feeling more and more like contractions.
An hour later, exhausted and agitated, she experienced almost the entire spectrum of sensations that come with childbirth. The heroine of the story had four children, and her body perfectly remembered what was happening to him in such a situation.
False pregnancy is a test for the psyche and body, and it is caused by both mental and somatic causes.
Needless to say, the sudden pregnancy and childbirth were false. The psychological background is interesting: the woman did not love her son’s girlfriend and was against the fact that at a fairly young age they became parents. Having experienced childbirth at the same time as her daughter-in-law, the newly-born grandmother changed her mind, accepted the situation and felt that she was ready to hug her son, his girlfriend, and the newborn.
False, or rather, sympathetic pregnancy also occurs in men, in which case it is called kuveid. The representatives of the stronger sex may experience such signs as weight gain, nausea, headache, irritability, back and abdominal pain, especially at the time when the spouse is in labor.
The study, which included 81 men-to-be fathers, found that about half of the men gained weight in the third trimester. Perhaps this is a manifestation that shows the connection of a man with the female part, some doctors believe.
“A false pregnancy is one of the clearest examples of the closest relationship between the psyche and the body,” comments clinical psychologist Lidia Fedorova. – Waiting for the birth of a child is one of the central events in the life path for a person of any gender, the final transition from childhood to adult and parental roles.
In cultures of different times and peoples, pregnancy has always been of great importance. Generating many myths and legends, this deep theme is colored by a large number of unconscious fantasies in the psyche of every person, whether a man or a woman. For some people, such a powerful charge of these fantasies can literally manifest in the body and result in a false pregnancy.
It is noteworthy that the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, encountered such a case in his practice, which gave a great impetus to the development of the theory of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy in general.
It is important to consider that a false pregnancy is a test for the psyche and body, and it is caused by both mental and somatic causes. Only psychotherapists with a good clinical education and experience of working together with a gynecologist, endocrinologist or, if necessary, with other specialists, can manage such cases.