The Thrill of Pregnancy
For most couples, discovering a new baby is on the way is a time filled with joy (and sometimes tears).
It’s an exciting and nerve-wracking period, as you go from “just the two of us” to acquiring the responsibility of a tiny a human; however, raising a child is an incredibly rewarding experience.
A New Couple’s Joy
When Barbara Bienvenue and her boyfriend Paul discovered they were expecting their first child shortly after beginning their relationship, they were both nervous yet excited.
Even though they were still learning about each other as a couple, they knew a baby would bring them closer together. However, the couple soon discovered a huge surprise.
Not Just One
While they thought they were going to have just one baby, Barbara revealed she was expecting five! Yes, the couple’s first time parenting would be raising quintuplets, talk about a challenge!
However, despite the obstacles they would need to overcome, Peter was overjoyed, he always wanted to be a father.
Dark Secrets
Unfortunately, Peter’s dreams of fatherhood would be shattered on the day his children were supposed to be born.
Unbeknownst to him, Barbara had been harboring a dark secret and it would all be revealed in a shocking moment of truth. You won’t believe this tale of love, parenthood, and the ultimate deception.
A Whirlwind Romance
When Barbara and Paul first met in 2013, it was love at first sight. Living in Montreal, their whirlwind romance could be best described as a fairy tale love story.
They jumped all in right from the start and despite friends and family thinking they were moving a bit too fast, they knew they had found the person they were meant to be with.
An Unexpected Announcement
However, after just eight weeks of dating, Barbara received some unexpected news. She was pregnant!
At first, she was nervous about telling Peter, thinking he might leave since they were barely two months into dating, but eventually she gathered up the courage and dropped the bombshell on him one afternoon.
Excitement Abounds
Thankfully, Peter was absolutely ecstatic. “We were so happy,” Peter revealed.
“Even my parents… were so looking forward to having grandchildren.” And the excitement only grew with another announcement.
Growing in Numbers
As Barbara’s pregnancy progressed, she announced that she was going to be having twins. Peter was floored by the news, but also excited.
However, things began to get even more exciting when an ultrasound scan revealed that Barbara would be having quintuplets! Peter was over the moon and felt so blessed.
Sharing the News
The couple decided to set up a Facebook group dedicated to Barbara’s pregnancy so they could keep friends updated on her progress.
Many people pitched in, showering the couple with gifts that would help them when the babies arrived. However, there were some friends who were not too happy about the pregnancy news.
Suspicions Grow
One of Barbara’s friends, Genevieve La Flamme, was very suspicious of the pregnancy. Since she just had triplets herself, she knew quite a bit about having multiple babies and Barbara’s stories weren’t adding up.
She was especially surprised, that it took until so late in the pregnancy for an ultrasound to reveal quintuplets.
Acting Odd
Genevieve also questioned why Barbara was not resting more. For someone having five babies, she was way too active and should have been on bed rest. The strain the body undergoes when pregnant with multiples is immense.
Therefore, things just weren’t adding up with Barbara’s claims and the lifestyle she was living in the late stages of her pregnancy.
Physical Changes
Regardless of her friend’s doubts, Barbara was showing all of the physical signs of being pregnant. She had suffered from intense morning sickness during the early stages of her pregnancy, and according to Peter, she had the strangest food cravings.
Of course, no one could overlook her massive belly, which continued to grow by the day. How could someone question if she was pregnant? All of the signs were there!
The Day Arrives
Finally, after months of waiting and anticipating, Barbara’s water broke. The house was a flurry of excitement and panic, as the couple quickly packed a hospital bag and all the essentials they would need for a possible lengthy hospital stay.
Peter was thrilled that he was hours away from being a father.
Rushing to the Hospital
The couple rushed to the hospital in March of 2014, weaving in and out of rush hour traffic.
When they finally arrived, Peter went to check Barbara in and discovered some startling news.
Missing Records
According to the hospital, there was no record of Barbara ever being pregnant. Peter insisted that it must have been a mistake since she had been coming for all of her prenatal visits.
However, the hospital confirmed that they had no records of her pregnancy at all.
A Blood Test Reveals All
The hospital staff could tell there was something very suspicious going on and realized Peter might have been duped.
They decided to run a full blood work up on Barbara, so they could put his mind at ease and have some tangible evidence. And let’s just say the results of the blood test were shocking.
The Phantom Pregnancy
With the results in hand, the nurse notified the couple that Barbara was experiencing what they called a “phantom pregnancy.”
Even though her body was showing physical signs of being pregnant, it was only in her mind. There were never quintuplets. It was all a complete farce. To say Peter was crushed would be an understatement. In a single moment, his dream of being a father completely evaporated.
Psychologist Weighs In
One psychologist, Suzie Levesque, from the University of Quebec revealed to the Toronto Sun that phantom pregnancies were quite rare and usually occur in women who crave some sort of validation.
“The lady seems to be seeking benefits, but unconsciously,” Levesque stated. “She’s drawing attention to herself.”
Detained for Evaluation
The doctors at the hospital determined that Barbara was quite troubled and decided to detain her for psychiatric evaluation.
While there was no medication to help with the mental symptoms of a phantom pregnancy, therapy and the use of mental health specialists have been successful in the past.
No Sympathy
However, some of Barbara’s family members weren’t sympathetic to her mental condition.
In fact, many believed that she had never believed she was pregnant, pulling the wool over Peter’s eyes all for attention. Could it be possible someone was that malicious?
Not the First Time
Apparently, yes. One family member who wished to remain anonymous revealed that she had pulled the same sort of stunt years prior.
“This isn’t the first time she’s done it. But honestly, we never would have thought she was sick enough to do it again.”
Keeping It A Secret
According to another family member, no one in the family had been notified she was pregnant, especially not with quintuplets.
It’s believed Barbara cut the family off in order to plot out her shenanigans without family interference. That way no one could reveal her lies.
A Man From Her Past
When news of the quintuplet farce began to make waves in the news and on social media, one of Barbara’s ex-boyfriends came forward with a very similar story.
It seemed that he had also dealt with a pregnancy scheme that broke his heart.
The Phantom Twins
According to the ex, Barbara had told him she was pregnant with twins and they went through the same situation, only for the hospital to reveal she had never been pregnant.
It seemed Barbara had a real knack for lying and creating situations that simply didn’t exist.
More Lies
Another relative revealed to the media that besides the fake pregnancy scam, Barbara was known to fake terminal illnesses.
In fact, she had once turned the family upside down when she revealed she had cancer and a heart condition. Of course, neither of these claims turned out to be true.
Where She Needs to Be
Thankfully, with Barbara now locked up and getting psychiatric care, the family hopes they can avoid more hurt and pain.
“It’s totally unfair what she’s done to these innocent men. Hopefully, she can now get the help she so desperately needs.”
A Man Broken
As for Peter, the blow of the pregnancy not being real was almost too much to bear.
He fell into a deep depression, unable to process how he had been lied to for nearly nine months by the woman that he had trusted and loved.
The Ultimate Betrayal
For the unsuspecting man, it was the ultimate form of betrayal. He had even picked out names for the five babies and had worked extra hours to save for their arrival.
However, he now had to deal with the fallout of Barbara’s lies and sort through all of the gifts they had been bestowed by friends.
Finding Peace of Mind
Hoping to find peace and unwilling to keep the baby gifts, Peter plans to return everything to the people who had been so gracious to them.
Anything left over he would donate to people who needed them more. What a tragic turn of events.
Hope for Fatherhood
Thankfully, Peter hasn’t given up hope and believes that one day he will meet the right woman and have the chance to be the father he’s always wanted to be.
We suggest the next time a woman claims she is pregnant, he attends all the prenatal appointments to avoid future heartbreak.