Can your body believe it is pregnant when you really aren't?

Your friend is probably really stressed and/or has some sort of imbalance in her system right now. She should pay attention to the basics (eating healthy, nutritious meals and cutting down on sugar), maybe begin exercising, as well as pay attention to the psychological stuff (relaxation techniques, coping skills)

There is also a psychosomatic phenomenon (pseudocyesis) in which a woman who is delusional and believes she is pregnant (but she really isn't, biologically) will actually undergo the same physical changes (she will stop menstrating, her abdomen will swell)...in that case the abdomen collects fluid. It used to happen during freud's time when hysteric and neurotic rates were high in women...or just more expected in the female gender role, who knows, but that is a whole other issue...

So, since your friend doesn't want a baby, then the swelling is probably due to stress. Women tend to gain weight in certain spots and gain weight when stressed. Taking care of herself both physically and mentally might help. simple things like: drinking green tea, taking 30 minutes to pamper herself everyday (showing herself some selfllove by painting her nails or taking a bubble bath), seeing a therapist, talking to a friend (maybe you? Lol), doing a hobby she enjoys, taking a walk, journaling, exercising, taking vitamins, eating fresh fruits and vegetables and less fast or sugary foods

Pseudocyesis also known as false pregnancy, can cause many of the signs and symptoms associated with pregnancy, and can resemble the condition in every way except for fetal presence. Other names include - spurious pregnancy, feigned pregnancy, imaginary pregnancy, hysterical pregnancy, phantom pregnancy and grossesse nerveuse ("mental pregnancy").

The symptoms of pseudocyesis are similar to the symptoms of true pregnancy and are often hard to distinguish from it. Such natural signs as amenorrhoea, morning sickness, tender breasts, and weight gain may all be present. Many health care professionals can be deceived by the symptoms associated with pseudocyesis. Research shows that 18% of women with pseudocyesis were at one time diagnosed as pregnant by medical professionals.

Psychodynamic theories attribute the false pregnancy to emotional conflict. It is thought that an intense desire to become pregnant, or an intense fear of becoming pregnant, can create internal conflicts and changes in the endocrine system, which may explain some of the symptoms of pseudocyesis. Another theory concerns wish-fulfillment. It holds that if a woman desires pregnancy badly enough she may interpret minor changes in her body as signs of pregnancy. Proposed biological mechanisms include the effect of stress on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, constipation, weight gain and the movement of intestinal gas.