My husband (32M) is convinced I (26F) am pregnant. I’m not, but he won’t believe me. What do I do?

A Redditor shared her concern about her husband, who has become convinced she is pregnant despite taking a negative test and confirming she is not. His obsession with the idea, even after repeated reassurances, is causing tension in their relationship. She is now considering reaching out to both their families and a therapist for help. Read the original story below:

‘ My husband (32M) is convinced I (26F) am pregnant. I’m not, but he won’t believe me. What do I do? ‘

I am honestly perplexed. This circumstance has become unsettling, and I am unsure how to manage it. For approximately the past week, my husband has become certain that I am expecting a child. I am completely baffled as to why, as I am not pregnant. We have not yet begun trying to conceive, although we do intend to in the future.

We were simply talking, and yes, I did say I was tired. That’s it. Some hours passed before he appeared, thrilled. I said I wasn’t, but he persisted. He’s commented on his happiness, what a great mom I’ll be, and what our child will be like. Not constantly, but several times each day.

I told him flat-out that I wasn’t. To be sure, I even got tested—I was starting to have doubts myself—but the result was clearly negative. I showed him, but he only got irritated and claimed tests aren’t always accurate. He gave me the silent treatment for the rest of the night. The following day, he behaved as if nothing had occurred. It’s like he just ignores me when I tell him I’m not?

I completely blew up at him last night when we were in bed. He touched my belly and said something ridiculous, and I told him he was out of line. I’m not expecting a child, and his actions are making me feel uneasy. He slept in the spare bedroom afterwards and left for work before the usual time this morning. I haven’t seen or communicated with him at all today.

I’m just at a loss. I don’t know where this o**ession is coming from. I even asked him if I gained weight, if that’s what’s gotten him confused. He assured me I didn’t. I’m thinking of contacting his parents. Or maybe a therapist or something. I honestly don’t understand what’s happening and I’m worried about my husband.

Here’s the feedback from the Reddit community:

Quiet-Hamster6509 −  Has he tampered with your birth control. I would not have s** with him atm, wait for your next period and then demand he sees a therapist.

obvusthrowawayobv −  To me, this sounds really pretty ominous. I’ll tell you why, but I’m going to explain my own background before— I have multiple degrees with a medical and psychology background and I have written a bit about wartime psychology, prisoners of war,

and brainwashing… I understand this might seem intense, but something about it truly disturbs me. It involves a conditioning method used to ‘re-educate’ prisoners of war, where you persistently assert a specific event occurred. Initially, they’ll likely reject it, thinking it’s absurd, so you remove something from them. Then, you repeat the assertion, remove something again, repeat the assertion, remove something again, and so on.

Eventually, the war prisoner will be deprived of so many necessities that they will reach a point of resignation and compliance. At that moment, you offer them a small concession, followed by another demand. Essentially, this tactic of consistently taking away and then providing comforts, nourishment, and security leads to a long-term effect.

1) It conditions the individual to perceive their accuser as essential for their survival, and 2) it leads the victim to accept the validity of any accusation made against them. This tactic is effective with prisoners of war primarily because they are forced to remain in that environment, lacking the option to simply walk away.

This bothers me because his actions, whether intentional or not, mirror a pattern: he declares you’re expecting, persists in this claim, and then joy decreases. He returns, repeating the pregnancy claim; you present the test.

He doesn’t just deny you joy; he isolates you by physically removing himself and making you feel unwelcome in your own home. Now, his absence fills the space, leaving you feeling like an outsider within your own walls.

If you announced a pregnancy, that would change everything. So, he pressures you by acting as if you are pregnant, removes privileges to give you pause, then tries again. When you still refuse, he takes away even more and gives you more time to consider: “Will you cooperate now?”

The sole distinction lies in your freedom to depart whenever you wish. However, the possibility of this being a calculated strategy is unsettling. It suggests he has concluded that you are, in reality, unable or unwilling to leave, which I find deeply disturbing.

Not trying to scare you. But either this is on purpose or he has lost a grip on reality and neither are safe for you to be around right now.. **edit:**
I am no longer discussing my credentials.

You could say I’m employed by McDonald’s; honestly, it doesn’t bother me. My apologies, OP, for the lengthy discussion on your post. If you want to talk privately, debate, or anything else, feel free to message me; it’s no issue.

stormsway_ −  Honestly this is the kind of delusion that could easily lead to him becoming violent. I don’t know if he will, and I’m so sorry this is happening to you, but I think that your #1 priority needs to be getting out. This isn’t a “talk to him” situation.

This isn’t a matter of trying to resolve things. This is a genuine case where you should escape for your safety and seek assistance for him later. I don’t believe it’s excessive to relocate without any advance notice, keep your new location secret, and then, once you’ve left, contact his parents to inform them of the situation.

It’s understandable to believe your husband is incapable of such actions, that he’s non-violent and wouldn’t harm you. However, there are two potential explanations: either he is suffering from psychosis or delusions, or he isn’t. If psychosis is the cause, then it’s important to recognize that this behavior is *not* coming from your husband, but rather from a disruptive element within his mind that has assumed control.

His grasp on reality is fundamentally flawed, and regardless of how much affection or concern he has for you, it won’t change the fact that his view of the world is not based in truth. Alternatively, it’s possible he isn’t suffering from any kind of psychosis or delusions.

That seems like the more frightening scenario to me. If that were the case, it would suggest a deliberate attempt to influence you, most likely to dominate you and stop you from breaking up with him, perhaps even going as far as trying to get you pregnant against your will.

WantToBelieveInMagic −  Check to make sure he hasn’t tampered with your birth control. Consider getting an IUD or implant.

ElliZSageAdvice −  I agree with @stormsway_. This not something to wait on. You need to go somewhere safe. Immediately.

Maleficent-Bottle674 −  Contact his parents because considering the whole a**rtion debacle I honestly think he’s trying to set you up for a criminal sentencing. I’ve known several women who were set up by their boyfriends under the crime of having an a**rtion when she wasn’t even pregnant.

A woman was forced to disclose she had undergone a hysterectomy, rendering her unable to conceive. It’s imperative to determine the extent of his dissemination of this information. Optimistically, his behavior stems from a mental health condition, hindering his ability to acknowledge reality, exemplified by his rejection of the pregnancy test.

Titanea_Tau −  This sounds like a psychiatric delusion and not a simple mistake. You are in danger.

Separate_Beat2771 −  This is very strange.. remove yourself from the house and contact his parents, sounds like your husband needs mental health intervention

Spinnerofyarn −  I think you are in danger. He isn’t believing the proof that you aren’t pregnant. Once he realizes you aren’t, is he then going to think that you did something to end the pregnancy and how will he react?

This is deeply concerning, and I believe you should, at the very least, leave until he undergoes a psychological assessment and acknowledges his error. He might never realize or concede that you are not/were not pregnant.

[Reddit User] −  …are you trying to get pregnant? My residual dating instincts have me primed to assume everyone is trying to babytrap everyone.

Could the husband’s preoccupation with the concept of pregnancy indicate underlying emotional or mental health concerns, or is there an alternative reason for his actions? What steps would you take to manage this situation while minimizing any negative impact on the relationship? Provide your insights and recommendations in the comments section!