Symptoms Men Have When Women Are Pregnant

Many men experience pregnancy symptoms when their partners are pregnant. These symptoms are similar to their partner's symptoms. These symptoms are described as Couvade, or sympathetic pregnancy. According to PaternityAngel.com, sympathetic pregnancy was first noticed by anthropologists in the 19th century. A variety of sympathetic pregnancy symptoms are still seen in men today.

Men can feel pregnant too!

It's Common

According to BarefootAndPregnant.com, between 25 to 90 percent of men who are about to become dads experience Couvade syndrome. These signs are very similar to those that your partner is experiencing. The most common symptoms are mood swings, weight gain and food cravings. According to Childbirth.org, Couvade is a very common but not well understood occurrence.

Psychological

Since men are not actually pregnant, their signs of pregnancy are considered psychological, according to BarefootAndPregnant.com. This is quite common and the fathers may feel these symptoms throughout their partner's pregnancy. However, aside from the psychological changes, physical symptoms can also be seen in many of these men.

Symptoms

According to PaternityAngel.com, some common symptoms of Couvade include changes in appetite, weight gain and nausea. Other common symptoms are insomnia, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, toothaches, mood swings, backache, itchy skin and food cravings. According to Childbirth.org, other than the symptom of nausea, "physical symptoms were less frequent in the men with pregnant wives than in those without pregnant wives."

Time Frame

These symptoms typically start appearing around the third month of the wife's pregnancy. Throughout the pregnancy, these symptoms may begin to get better and then get worse toward the end of the pregnancy, according to BarefootAndPregnant.com. As soon as the baby is born, the symptoms will "strangely" vanish.

Reason

The reasons behind men showing pregnancy symptoms are unknown, but according to BarefootAndPregnant.com, many anthropologists believe that these symptoms are a man's way of strengthening the bond between him and his child. Another theory--according to barefootandpregnant.com--is that most men are involuntarily set up to defend and protect their families. While their partners are in childbirth, some men may feel unable to control the situation and her pain; therefore their brains create a way to ease their partner's by pain putting some of the pain on themselves.

References

• PaternityAngel.com
• BarefootAndPregnant.com
• Childbirth.org