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

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Example Sentences

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