###### Created: 2024-03-12 12:18 ###### Areas & Topics: #medicine #obstetrics #psychiatry ###### Note Type: #permanent ###### Connected to: [[Stay With Me]] - Pseudocyesis is an obstetric-psychiatric condition, where a woman holds the false belief that they are pregnant and experiences the physical symptoms of pregnancy (e.g. abdominal enlargement, reduced menstrual flow, morning sickness etc.) - The term comes from the Greek words *pseudes* (meaning false) and *kyesis* (meaning pregnancy). - It is a condition more commonly seen in rural or underdeveloped countries, where woman aren't typically seen by a physician until they are close to, or in the initial stages of labour. ### Pseudocyesis and Delusion of Pregnancy - Pseudocyesis is similar to a condition known as 'delusion of pregnancy', where a woman holds a false belief of pregnancy but does not exhibit physical symptoms. - However, researchers believe there is large overlap between the conditions and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. ![[_ 1.webp]] ### Resources https://rbej.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1477-7827-11-39 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_pregnancy https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3361851/