Couvade Syndrome: When Expectant Fathers Experience Sympathetic Pregnancy Symptoms

Bringing new life into the world is both a thrilling and terrifying experience, especially for first-time parents. It turns out that it is not just the mothers who feel the challenges of pregnancy, since there are some otherwise healthy fathers who also experience the physical symptoms.

Sympathetic Pregnancy Among Fathers

Curiously, there are many men who report pregnancy symptoms alongside their pregnant female partners. Known as Couvade syndrome or sympathetic pregnancy, this phenomenon is common in cultures where there is a high rate of couple intimacy and where fathers spend more time caring for their newborns.

Couvade syndrome comes from the French word 'couver', which means to incubate or to sit on eggs. It is described as a range of symptoms in the fathers that resembles those in pregnancy.

Men who experience Couvade syndrome report a wide range of psychological and physical symptoms which usually occur together. These symptoms reflect many of the most common symptoms experienced by pregnant mothers, like physical symptoms related to heightened levels of stress.

These include anxiety, depression, appetite changes, tiredness, abdominal pain, back pain, leg cramps, and loss of sleep. The affected fathers may also experience bloating, brain fog, constipation, nausea and vomiting, toothache, and weight gain.

This condition is thought of as a psychological response that produces real physical symptoms. However, it is not the only case of how having a baby affects fathers, since they can also experience postpartum depression.

Couvade syndrome is usually limited to the fathers, since they are the ones who are deeply involved in activities throughout pregnancy. They are also the ones who are preparing for a child alongside the mothers.

In a study published in 1982, about 20% of 267 couples in New York City involved fathers who sought care for Couvade syndrome. Meanwhile, a 2007 review of the symptoms concluded that Couvade syndrome may actually affect up to 97% of fathers worldwide.

What Causes Couvade Syndrome?

According to obstetrician-gynecologist Catherine Caponero, the idea of a father feeling the effects of pregnancy themselves dates back thousands of years. But despite the long history and continued occurrence of this syndrome in modern times, health experts still do not understand the condition very well.

There are several theories that try to explain the causes of Couvade syndrome. This condition is believed to be a hormonal response. Some studies have suggested that sympathetic pregnancy may be due to a decrease in testosterone or the sudden increase in prolactin production.

Couvade syndrome may also be due to the father's desire to be physically involved in the mother's pregnancy. It could also be a way for some men to express their fears and anxiety about the health of their baby, especially in taking care of a newborn.

The symptoms may also appear in reaction to a man's transition to fatherhood, allowing him to adjust to the emotions related with his new role. Sympathetic pregnancy allows him to identify with his partner and gain a better understanding of what she is going through.

Another theory suggests that Couvade syndrome may result from the feeling of being left out, since all attention is focused on the pregnant mother. The symptoms may be experienced out of envy for the woman's ability to carry a child.