'They feel so real, and I pretty much always start to believe I’m somehow pregnant when I’m clearly not.”
Nearly 40% of the women surveyed had experienced phantom kicks at one time or another. These women described the phantom kicks as “real kicks,” or “flutters,” and 50% of moms described the kicks as “very convincing.” On average, women who experienced these sensations say they continued about 6.8 years after giving birth. So it’s not just new moms who experience this.after giving birth. IncredibleProbably the most important takeaways of the survey was how the women felt about these sensations.
According to this survey, 25% of women describe the sensations as positive. 27% reported feelings of confusion and even feeling a bit upset by the sensations. However, 16% described the feelings as negative, and this was particularly true among mothers who had experienced pregnancy loss, including stillbirth.
In general, the researchers point out that phantom kicks are a subject that has been woefully under-researched—as is the case with so many aspects of women’s health. In fact, they point out, there is no clear consensus on what even causes phantom kicks. At the time, they explain, the mechanism that causes these sensations in women is unknown, though they assure that the sensations have nothing to do with delusions or hallucinations .