Symptoms Of Pregnancy Presented By Parents

Do men also have symptoms during their partner’s pregnancy? Believe it or not, it is something common among pregnant couples. Now, what are the symptoms of pregnancy in parents? We will tell you about them below.

Some couples celebrate their future parenthood together and know that they both have a responsibility to care for their little one. The level of union between the two is such that Couvade syndrome appears in men.

What is Couvade syndrome?

Also known as Covada syndrome, it refers to the involuntary and psychosomatic manifestations in men associated with the pregnancy of their partner or in the postpartum period. In other words, it is the set of pregnancy symptoms that the parents present.

The roots of pregnancy in parents

The word couvade derives from the French word couver , which means to raise or hatch. The anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor was the one who first used this term in 1865. It describes the set of rituals that men of primitive cultures did to prepare and receive their children.

For example, it was found that in Greece, men imitated the pains of women in labor and stopped doing physical labor. When the baby was born, he himself held it to his chest as if he were going to breastfeed.

On the other hand, in some other cultures, such as Africa, the man participated in a form of ritual in which he felt the pains and anguish of childbirth.

The purpose of these rituals was to protect the baby and the mother from the powers of evil. But not only that: it also served for the father to establish a greater bond with his little one.

Couvade syndrome today

These types of rituals are no longer observed in many parts of the world today. However, shared symptoms of pregnancy in the couple are very common.

In 2013 , a study was conducted on 143 Polish men who were expecting a baby to identify the presence of Couvade syndrome. Although, in general, the parents did not experience this syndrome as such, they did have related symptoms, such as weight gain, changes in appetite and flatulence.

Likewise, an article in the Journal of Perinatology and Human Reproduction indicates that the prevalence of pregnancy in parents covers too wide a range, from 11% to 97%. For this reason, almost all prospective parents are likely to have some symptoms of Couvade syndrome.

Symptoms of parental pregnancy

The physiological origin of pregnancy symptoms in parents is not known for sure. However, it is estimated that Couvade syndrome is a psychosomatic reaction of the symptoms of female pregnancy on the male.

Under medical and psychological perspectives of the connection between women and men during pregnancy, these physical manifestations can be highlighted :

• Fatigue.
• Dizziness
• Insomnia.
• Constipation.
• Heartburn.
• Weight gain.
• Humor changes.
• Reduced libido
• Appetite disorders or cravings.
• Abdominal and dental pain.
• Morning sickness or vomiting

The symptoms of pregnancy in the parents are related to the empathic responses to the signs of the pregnant woman. According to specialists, emotions or feelings, especially negative ones such as anxiety, are related to physical responses. This type of correlation is known as compatía.

What is the compatía?

Compatía is a term recently coined by Al Siebert that unites the words compassion and empathy. The compatía is used to resolve conflicts with other people from the strength and emotional intelligence.

Therefore, if a father feels compassion for the anguish or discomfort that his partner suffers during pregnancy, it is very likely that he can develop physical responses, which in reality would be the projection of Couvade syndrome.

Other causes

On the other hand, this behavior may also be due to hormonal changes in men. During his partner’s pregnancy, the man has increases in the hormones prolactin and estrogen. This could explain paternal behavior and some symptoms related to Couvade syndrome.

Conclusions

Couvade syndrome is not a psychiatric illness or disorder. It is a transitory, normal issue that does not imply that the man believes that he is pregnant.

Rather, it is the product of the compatibility that you feel when you see your partner go through this sometimes physically, mentally and hormonally distressing process, which includes your own anxiety, fears and insecurities. This, in turn, is presented as a somatization of the psychological experience of pregnancy. So there is nothing to worry about.