Sympathy Symptoms During Pregnancy
Men suffer sympathy pains during pregnancy 12 01am bst 14 jun 2007 men really do suffer pregnancy symptoms in sympathy with their partners a study has shown.
Sympathy symptoms during pregnancy. Couvade syndrome also called sympathetic pregnancy is a proposed condition in which an expectant father experiences some of the same symptoms and behavior as his pregnant partner. These most often include major weight gain altered hormone levels morning nausea and disturbed sleep patterns. During pregnancy a woman s sex drive can either rev up lucky you or shift into neutral or do both within the same week. Tensions run high at times during pregnancy because of hormones and stress but add in lack of sleep and the relationship between the expecting mother and father is like a ticking time bomb.
Sympathy pain is a term that refers to feeling physical or psychological symptoms from witnessing someone else s discomfort. If your man is also having serious sympathy sleeplessness during your pregnancy that is just plain terrible. Symptoms reported to be associated with couvade vary and typically occur only during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. While not all sympathy pregnancy symptoms are caused by couvade syndrome many of the physical aspects can be attributed to it.
Why men sometimes experience symptoms such as weight gain nausea insomnia and mood swings during their partner s pregnancy. In more extreme cases symptoms can include labor pains fatigue postpartum depression and nosebleeds. The breeding ritual of emperor penguins immortalized in the oscar winning documentary march of the penguins goes something like this. Couvade syndrome also thought of as sympathy pain in men during pregnancy has a wide range of possible symptoms some of which like mine can be severe.
In this condition sometimes called sympathetic pregnancy the expectant mother s partner or in some cases a very close friend or relative has symptoms that uncannily mimic pregnancy. These symptoms might include nausea heartburn abdominal pain bloating appetite changes respiratory problems toothaches leg cramps backaches and urinary or genital irritations. Some mamas to be experience a sexual surge especially during the second trimester while others are too tired uncomfortable or self conscious about their bodies to be interested. If you re dealing with couvade in your household we can point you to two likely suspects.