"Doctor, there's movement in my stomach!"

"Doctor, there's movement in my stomach."

I hear this phrase regularly during consultations.

Sometimes a woman is certain of what she feels. Sometimes she is worried. Sometimes she smiles, placing her hand on her stomach.

And very often, a question arises quickly:

"Is it the worm?"

In Cameroon, the famous "worm" is one of the traditional explanations that is still frequently encountered when a person feels something moving in their abdomen.

But behind this simple feeling lie several very different stories.

A worm.

A pregnancy.

A denial of pregnancy.

Or… quite simply, our gut.

"It's the worm that moves."

In some traditional representations, the "worm" is said to be located in the stomach and could cause movements, pain or various disorders.

And his role wouldn't stop there.

It is sometimes blamed for difficulties conceiving, or even for being directly responsible for infertility:

"The worm is preventing me from having children."

This belief is so prevalent that some women consult first to "remove the worm" before even having a gynecological or fertility assessment.

However, in modern medicine, there is no such thing as an "infertility worm".

Of course, genuine intestinal parasitic infections do exist, which can be diagnosed and treated. But they should not be confused with this image of a "worm" causing difficulties conceiving.

Infertility deserves a different approach: ovulation, fallopian tubes, uterus, endometriosis, ovarian reserve, age… and male factor.

What if it's a pregnancy?

Let's go back to that sensation: "it's moving in my stomach" .

When a pregnancy is possible, the first question is obviously whether it actually exists.

Fetal movements are not usually noticeable in the very early stages of pregnancy. They appear later, with significant individual variations.

But some women can feel their baby's movements very precisely.

And this is where a particularly fascinating medical phenomenon comes into play:

Pregnancy denial.

Pregnancy denial refers to a pregnancy that is not psychologically recognized by the woman, with an absence of awareness of the pregnancy during part of it.

It's not simply a matter of "not wanting to admit" a pregnancy.

The woman may genuinely be unaware that she is pregnant.

The body itself may sometimes show few typical signs: menstruation may be present or interpreted differently, the belly may remain relatively discreet, and fetal movements may be attributed to something else.

And when a woman thinks that what she is feeling is "her gut", "gas" or even "the worm", the pregnancy can sometimes remain undetected for much longer than one would imagine.

Pregnancy denial is therefore a real, complex and multifactorial medical situation, which deserves to be approached with great respect.

And sometimes, it's neither a worm nor a baby.

Because our gut is… alive.

The intestine contracts constantly to move its contents along. Gases move. Digestion produces movements, vibrations, and gurgling sounds.

The muscles of the abdominal wall can also contract spontaneously.

And some of these sensations can be surprisingly similar to small fetal movements.

A woman who has already been pregnant may even recognize this sensation and think:

"I know that feeling. It's exactly like when my baby was moving."

And yet, there is no pregnancy present.

It's simply his intestines working.

So… what’s moving?

This is the whole difficulty with abdominal sensations: the sensation is real, but it does not necessarily give the cause.

A movement does not automatically mean a worm.

It does not automatically mean pregnancy.

And it does not mean that a disease exists either.

We need to look at the whole context.

A possible pregnancy? → A pregnancy test.

Digestive pain or symptoms? → A suitable assessment.

A suspicion of parasitosis? → A diagnosis before treatment.

Having trouble conceiving? → A fertility assessment for the couple.

And sometimes, after all that, the answer is much simpler:

It's your intestine that's moving.

Between belief, sensation and medicine

What is interesting about this "worm" story is that it reminds us of an essential thing: when a person feels something in their body, the sensation is real, even when the interpretation is different .

The doctor's role is not to mock the explanation given.

It's about listening.

To question.

To examine.

And to try to find out what is really going on.

Because between "the worm", "the baby" and "the intestine", there can be a whole medical history.

So, if one day you say:

"Doctor, there's movement in my stomach!"

Don't be surprised if the answer is:

"Okay. Let's take a look at what's happening."

Because in medicine, even a small sensation in the stomach can have a big story behind it.

Take care of yourself!

Sincerely,

Dr. Sandra Yene Amougui