When you rush off to the hospital as a soon-to-be-father, you’re extremely excited about what is about to happen. A new baby is a blessing to everyone involved.
In this particular case, a man and his girlfriend were about to welcome not one, not two, but five babies to the world.
Barbara Bienvenue and Paul Servat were about to be the parents of quintuplets- or so Paul believed.
The pair met over the summer online. They had been dating for just two months when Barbara told Paul that he was going to be a father.
Paul then put all of his time and energy into making sure the baby would be taken care of.
However, he didn’t expect what was about to happen.
Barbara first told Paul that she was carrying twins. She then increased the number until she was telling everyone that she was carrying quintuplets.
Paul was still very positive about the pregnancy even though five babies would be more than a handful.
They picked out the names of their future babies and told everyone they knew.
The local news got wind of the story and soon the whole community flocked together to help the couple.
Many people were eager to help out the pair by donating baby items. The couple was even given five separate cribs for the babies to use once they came home.
When it was time for the babies to arrive, Paul brought Barbara to the hospital.
However, he was about to receive the shock of his life!
Not only was his girlfriend not carrying quintuplets, she had never even been pregnant.
A nurse pulled Paul to the side to tell him that blood tests confirmed his girlfriend was not pregnant, nor had she ever been.
Barbara was experiencing what is known as a “phantom pregnancy,” or pseudocyesis.
This is a psychological condition in which signs and symptoms of pregnancy can appear in a woman who is not actually pregnant.
The body can secrete pregnancy hormones that can even cause physical changes, including a distended abdomen and lactation. This was the case for Paul’s girlfriend.
Barbara is currently undergoing psychiatric treatment for her condition. She has released a statement saying that she will return all of the baby items that were given to her.
We hope she gets the treatment that she needs, and we also hope Paul gets to be a real father someday.
Watch the amazing video below: