Dad Feels Pregnant Too!

Moms-to-be, have you ever noticed your husband gaining weight along with you in your pregnancy?  Does he complained about food cravings, appetite changes, nausea, sleep deprivation, and mood swings at certain times? How about strange toothaches, headaches, backpains to swollen bellies? Then, he might be experiencing Couvade Syndrome.

The word couvade is derived from the french word 'couver' meaning 'to hatch' in english.  It is  also known as "Sympathetic Pregnancy".  Some experts believe it starts around the third month, stop for a bit then pick up again in last two months before the baby is born and totally stops after birth.  Of course, the causes of Couvade remains unknown and speculative.  But from my experience, it's true and it really does exist!

Few weeks after we found out that I am pregnant, I am not alone in complaining pregnancy related symptoms such as a need to slumber for a moment, queasiness without doubt, exhaustion and food cravings.  My husband is with me experiencing strange symptoms noone could possibly explain nor imagine.  These things didn't happened just once but twice.  During my first pregnancy, I remembered him complaining to me how sleepy he is during office hours over the phone.  Then there's nausea and stomach spasms, "feels like" puking.  I've seen his agony along with me and its no doubt, we are both pregnant!

Im on my second trimester and just recently, I've noticed him gaining weight.  I believe it is important that we, women should know what they've also been going through when we get pregnant just so you'll understand that these things exist.  But of course, this isn't a perfect excuse to get fat and get fatter few months before the baby is born.  

Perhaps, the truth is, husbands stand by their wives and simply a basic human reaction to subconsciously sympathize with her in the pregnancy.  And some recent research has shown that there may actually be some hormonal reasons for men's pregnancy symptoms.  One study found that men's hormones rise and fall parallel with their wives' levels.  This I believe could explain how their brains pick up the signal to somehow ease their wives pain by taking some of it on themselves.  What a guilty pleasure it is?! :)

Have you ever heard about the first male pregnancy?  Do you believe in that? if its true then its really a miracle of modern medicine, isn't it!