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phantom pregnancy

British  

noun

  1. Also called: false pregnancy, pseudopregnancy. Technical name: pseudocyesis. the occurrence of signs of pregnancy, such as enlarged abdomen and absence of menstruation, when no embryo is present, due to hormonal imbalance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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We follow Yejide through a phantom pregnancy, infant mortality and a second wife as Adébáyò builds a vivid cast of secondary characters who bear witness and contribute to the disintegration of her marriage.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 15, 2018

Among those she turned to were spiritual “healers” – including one Monsieur Philippe whose interventions only appear to have helped trigger a phantom pregnancy for the Tsarina.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 21, 2018

Duchardt’s second strategy was to admit that although Montgomery was the killer, she was not guilty by reason of insanity – because, he believed, she had been suffering from a phantom pregnancy, or pseudocyesis.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 24, 2016

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