Men whose partners are expecting a baby may develop a range of emotional and physical symptoms of pregnancy known as
It's not uncommon for people to experience restless nights, heartburnand bouts of fatigue while their partners are pregnant. In fact, about 11 percent of fathers experience anxiety during the pre- and postnatal period.
Couvade syndrome or sympathetic pregnancy happens when a pregnant woman's partner has symptoms that uncannily mimic pregnancy. Actually, it's not uncommon for men to have symptoms like constipation, gas, bloating, irritability, weight gain, and nausea while their partner is expecting.
New research is showing that like new mums, new dads brain and hormonal levels also change significantly during pregnancy and the first few months of babies life.
Pregnant women may find themselves concerned with the future, finances, housing, support, employment, and medical care. This stress can cause emotions to rise, and distract from self-care that may help better manage these emotions.
The physical and emotional changes that pregnant mums and birthing parents go through are well known. But there's some evidence that men and non-birthing parents may experience hormone changes too.
Most people know that depression and anxiety can affect women during pregnancy and early parenthood, but men can also be at risk. Up to 1 in 10 new dads can experience depression during the pregnancy or after the birth. Depression in men is not necessarily the result of their partner experiencing similar feelings.
When pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, weight gain, mood swings and bloating occur in men, the condition is called couvade, or sympathetic pregnancy. Depending on the human culture, couvade can also encompass ritualized behavior by the father during the labor and delivery of his child.
Although we must await the results of future research to learn more, these findings suggest that the hormonal changes women experience during the menstrual cycle appear to affect the way that both women and men feel about their relationships.
Men may be able to smell when a woman is “turned on”, research suggests. Scientists from the University of Kent had a group of men sniff sweat samples from women who were both aroused and “not in the mood”.
Expecting fathers often experience sympathetic pregnancy pains, including a wide range of psychological and physical distresses, including anxiety, difficulty sleeping, weight gain, and changes in family and professional relationships throughout a pregnancy.
The science is still out on what exactly happens to men's sex drive when their wife is pregnant. Some studies have found that men are actually more attracted to their wives when she is expecting. Others suggest fears surrounding the safety of the fetus may prevent some men from initiating sex.
Many partners also lose their libido briefly as they cope with the changes that come with being a parent-to-be. For some, the changes to your body are wonderful. But your partner may also worry that your body somehow "belongs to the baby" right now. Don't worry, this is normally a passing phase.
Chat about what you're doing, things in your environment and anything else that comes to mind. If you're not sure what to say, try reading to your baby or singing a song. For an early start, dads can talk to baby in the womb. Babies can begin hearing sounds and voices around the 18-week mark.
Changes in hormone levels
Some research has shown men whose partners are pregnant may experience hormone changes, such as decreased testosterone and increased estradiol. It's possible these hormonal changes could contribute to many symptoms of Couvade syndrome.
Engage in all parts of the pregnancy including accompanying your partner on doctor's visits; shopping for baby items; helping to paint or decorate the baby's room; setting up the crib; talking about names, etc. The more engaged you are in the process, the more a part of things you will feel.
As a result, pregnancy fatigue and physical discomfort is a big contributor to pregnancy anger. Keeping your temper under control when you feel constantly tired is challenging. Then, there are some women who may have feelings of resentment during pregnancy because of their life situation.
Apart from sickness and tiredness, it's common to have mood swings and feel tearful or easily irritated (Society for Endocrinology, 2018). Once the body has adapted to the higher levels of these hormones, the symptoms usually wear off. However, some women will experience them throughout their pregnancy.
The rapidly changing body in the second trimester can cause expectant mothers to increase their anxiety levels. From there, the normal daily stresses and frustrations can also make them cry. During the 3rd trimester, you may worry about finances, schooling, labor and delivery.
You may find that you are having arguments with your partner while you're pregnant. Some arguments may have nothing to do with the pregnancy, but others may be caused by feeling worried about the future and how you're going to cope. It's important to talk with your partner about how you're feeling.
The main hormonal change is a drop in testosterone, the male sex hormone. “Testosterone is great when you're in the mating/dating game because it makes you more competitive, more motivated to look for a mate”, says Anna. But when you become a dad, this drop is one way your body prepares you for your new role.
The researchers found that women who gave birth to boys were consuming about 10 percent, or 200, more calories per day than those who went on to bear girls. Yet the amount of weight mothers gained during pregnancy did not differ between those who had girls and those who had boys.