Couvade Syndrome: When Dad Gets “Pregnant”

The delights and difficulties experienced during pregnancy are traditionally exclusive to women. There is, however, a small portion of the male population that may be prone to developing what experts call Couvade Syndrome.

The syndrome, which is known in some countries as Sympathetic Pregnancy or Phantom Pregnancy, affects men who live with a woman during pregnancy. It is not exactly a disease, but the presentation of a set of symptoms on the part of the pregnant woman’s partner.

Some research indicates that about 54% of future dads will develop some symptom directly related to pregnancy. The incidence of symptoms is observed more frequently in first-time parents who are positively involved with the baby’s expectation.

Dad “Slightly Pregnant”

The man who develops this syndrome may experience nausea in the morning, cravings related to specific foods, significant weight gain, indigestion, sleep disturbances that did not exist before, changes in the gastrointestinal system, back pain, headache and, in extreme cases, even even hormonal changes. Some men, exceptionally, even experience a belly growth similar to what happened with the pregnant woman.

This curious state has been described by several researchers since the 1970s. In the psychological field, studies show that the symptoms are more frequent in couples who are waiting for the baby with great anxiety, either because they have had a previous miscarriage or simply because the woman has some difficulty getting pregnant. It also usually happens in cases of an unexpected pregnancy, in which emotional sensations are experienced very quickly and intensely.

In the biological sphere, some evidence points to the remote possibility that the woman, through breathing, some hormonal mediators that end up being intercepted by her partner. Research carried out with mammals and insects has already proven that this type of hormonal transmission is real and happens with considerable frequency. By injecting a certain substance into the female, the male started to present symptoms similar to hers without having a closer contact than just sharing the same physical space. However, these studies are not conclusive as far as humans are concerned.

In some medical reports, men who were unaware of their partner’s pregnant condition described strange symptoms and, in a certain number of times, even before the woman herself became aware of the gestational symptoms.

What science has already proved is very little to explain the syndrome: changes in the man’s hormone levels during the woman’s pregnancy, which predispose him to assume paternity. These changes, however, have nothing to do with the syndrome, which makes men much more comparable to women during pregnancy.

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.