I gained weight, became moody and felt my baby kicking… doctors told me I wasn’t pregnant

She felt a distinct fluttering sensation in her lower abdomen. Within weeks, it turned into perceptible thumps resembling fetal movement.

Sydnee Bardeson, 30, of South Dakota, had began experiencing the unmistakable symptoms of pregnancy, despite having a Nexplanon birth control implant in her arm.

It was only six weeks after the birth of her second child in 2023, but her stomach wasn’t growing and her home pregnancy tests were consistently negative. 

Bardeson told the Daily Mail: ‘I honestly felt crazy when I was getting negative tests day after day. I think I took six to 10 tests before actually bringing it up to my doctor. 

‘It was strange to tell them that I have multiple signs of pregnancy and I’m confident I’m pregnant, but my tests are coming back negative.’ 

For every 3 million American women who give birth every year, a few hundred experience all the profound physical signs of pregnancy, only to discover that the child they felt growing inside them never existed. 

This rare condition, known as pseudocyesis or phantom pregnancy, is not the sign of a psychotic break, but a medical phenomenon where the mind convinces the body it is gestating life.

Phantom pregnancy is estimated to affect between one and six out of every 22,000 women of reproductive age. They tend to be 20 to 39 years old, though cases as young as five and as old as 79 have been documented.

Phantom pregnancies, often triggered by a profound desire or fear of pregnancy, trick the brain into releasing hormones like prolactin, causing lactation and breast tenderness, and cortisol, which disrupts ovulation and mimics pregnancy symptoms. 

As many as 80 percent of women with a phantom pregnancy see changes in their breasts, including spontaneous milk production and tenderness, as well as missed periods, weight gain, morning sickness, and food cravings or aversions. 

When Bardeson gave birth a second time in August 2023, she knew she wanted to ensure she had a break before trying for a third. 

Soon after giving birth, the mother-of-two got the matchstick-sized implantable form of birth control Nexplanon in her upper arm. It releases a continuous, steady dose of a synthetic hormone called etonogestrel, a type of progestin.

Her menstrual periods over the next three months lasted for weeks at a time. Meanwhile, her mood was continuously getting worse. 

While convenient and 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy, Nexplanon has a known risk of causing depression or worsening existing depressive symptoms, and this is noted in its official prescribing information.

Bardeson said: ‘I had postpartum depression after my first pregnancy and experienced similar but way worse symptoms with the birth control: symptoms like not wanting to get out of bed, feeling empty, and, not necessarily suicidal thoughts, but thoughts that I would be okay if I didn’t wake up.’ 

About three months after she gave birth, Bardeson began to feel an odd sensation in her belly.

She said: ‘The “flutter” feeling started to begin in my lower abdomen, and the best way I could describe it was the feeling of bubbles in a Sprite, but in my stomach. 

‘After a couple weeks of feeling the symptoms it progressed to a small thump.’ 

But nothing was visible to the outside, and nothing could be felt from the outside.

The movements became harder and harder to ignore. Yet each pregnancy test confirmed that she was not actually pregnant. 

She eventually decided she needed to hear it from her doctor, who confirmed the phantom pregnancy. This is generally how the condition is resolved. 

‘Thankfully, my doctor was very understanding and reassuring,’ she said. 

‘I had just had my birth control implant put in, and they had given me a pregnancy test prior, but she assured me that they could do another one or run a blood test.

‘I received another negative pregnancy test from her clinic, and for some reason, just getting the confirmation from my doctor was a relief. I was not in any business to be pregnant a couple of months after having a second baby.’ 

Her symptoms went away shortly after hearing the results from her doctor directly.  

Doctors say that several factors could be at play, such as post-delivery hormonal shifts and the readjustment of her stomach muscles after two C-sections. 

‘I was also experiencing a bit of postpartum anxiety, so there were a lot of factors to consider,’ Bardeson said. 

Bardeson has suffered three pregnancy losses: one chemical pregnancy, a very early miscarriage occurring shortly after implantation, and two miscarriages. 

One of Bardeson’s miscarriages required dilation and curettage (D&C), a procedure to surgically remove tissue from the uterus to prevent infection or heavy bleeding. 

The grief of pregnancy loss can, in rare cases, trick the body into believing it is still expecting. It can be a physical manifestation of psychological trauma, usually triggered by the intense desire for a child following a miscarriage.

Experts explain that the emotional distress, including feelings of guilt, anger, and self-blame after a miscarriage, can rewire the brain’s perception of the body. 

It can cause the mind to misinterpret familiar physical sensations, like bloating or a missed period, as proof of a continuing pregnancy.

Some women who experience a phantom pregnancy have more visible symptoms. 

In 2023, Indian psychiatrists documented the case of a woman who had not had a period in two years. 

Her body sent unmistakable signals of pregnancy: her abdomen swelled visibly after gaining about 12lbs (6 kg), she craved specific foods, and her appetite surged, all of which, she insisted, confirmed she was five months pregnant. 

She even reported feeling distinct ‘fetal movements’ for months, though doctors identified them as intestinal contractions.

The woman held onto her belief despite overwhelming medical evidence, including negative pregnancy tests, ultrasounds revealing no fetus, and clear MRI results. 

Doctors determined the case was shaped by psychological trauma. After contracting HIV from her late husband and being abandoned by her family, she endured a previous traumatic miscarriage. 

Constant blame from her partner for their ‘incomplete family’ intensified her longing for a child. 

Treatment was a two-part approach. Doctors gave her antipsychotic medication and supportive therapy to help her understand and accept the medical evidence.