Why some men also have symptoms when their partner is pregnant

Fatigue, nausea and reflux are some of the expected symptoms in a pregnant woman. What few people expect is that the future mother’s partner will also complain about the same signs. Also because, as we all know, cisgender men cannot get pregnant. But the truth is that the possibility of men suffering from these discomforts is not only real, but also much more frequent than we might think.

O incredible.club went in search of the causes for this very peculiar phenomenon, bringing you the answers with this post. Keep reading!

When a couple expects the arrival of a baby, it is quite possible that both are sharing feelings such as anxiety, doubts and thoughts about preparing for childbirth. And it is quite possible that the future father and the future mother also share some symptoms.

The phenomenon is known as Down syndrome. couvade, a term that refers to the French word whose meaning is “incubate”, although it also has the meaning of “solidarity pain”. The expression is more than appropriate, as men can suffer from changes in hormone levels, nausea, weight gain, tiredness, insomnia and even labor pains.

The problem is not officially recognized as a disease, since the subject raises contradictory opinions in the medical and scientific community regarding its origin. More studies are still needed for the nature of the syndrome to be fully understood.

However, several studies have already pointed out that this type of suffering is more common than one might think. It would affect a considerable percentage of future parents and appears to be most common towards the end of the third month or in the last trimester of a woman’s pregnancy.

Although specialists have not yet reached an agreement as to why some men have such symptoms, there is no lack of theories trying to explain the fact. Some scholars believe this to be a somatization response. “Somatic symptoms” are physical symptoms that have an emotional cause. Just as a great emotion causes that feeling of “butterflies in the stomach”, the stress and expectation for the arrival of the baby and the responsibilities arising from it would be able to cause, in men, symptoms similar to those of pregnancy normally seen in women.

Other researchers claim that the syndrome is caused by hormonal changes that occur in men when their partner is pregnant. These include a reduction in testosterone and cortisol, as well as an increase in levels of estradiol, a female hormone. A group of scholars considers that the more involved the future father is with the pregnancy and childbirth, the more chances he will have to share the discomforts experienced by the woman. It would be like a great empathy towards the mother-to-be and an intense desire to identify with the condition of motherhood.

Luckily for everyone, once a woman gives birth, her partner’s symptoms tend to go away as quickly as they came. Until that moment arrives, it is best to bear in mind that such discomforts are transient and incapable of causing health risks. Not to mention that there are strategies to mitigate them. Man can do physical exercises or meditation to fight anxiety, bet on natural remedies and maintain a balanced diet to deal with stomach problems. If necessary, it is also worth seeking a therapist for psychological follow-up.

Has this happened to your partner or any other men you are close to? Do you know stories of men who reacted in a curious way to their partner’s pregnancy? Comment!