Adriana Barton, writing in The Globe and Mail (June 22, 2009), describes the odd things that happened to Marc Gelinas during his wife’s pregnancy. She wrote that he “learned to live with mood swings, rapid weight gain, an obsessive urge to renovate the bathroom, and bizarre cravings for sesame seeds.”
Some Men Develop a Baby Bump
A 2007 study in the United Kingdom of “men whose partners were expecting has shown that the vast majority experience ‘pregnancy symptoms’, ranging from food cravings to swollen stomachs.” Among the other symptoms reported were: back pain, fatigue, depression, cramps, mood swings, insomnia, fainting, toothache, and morning sickness.
The St. George’s University, London researchers even found some dads-to-be with visible baby bumps. Marc Gelinas developed one of these. “After the first trimester,” he told Ms. Barton, “his friends joked that he was ‘showing’ more than his wife was. And, by the time she gave birth to their son, the first-time dad was waddling around with his own 20-pound baby bulge.”
Reasons for Sympathy Pregnancy Unclear
The author of the St. George's University study, Dr. Arthur Brennan, Senior Lecturer in Research Methods and Statistics and Psychology at the Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences, said the reasons for the sympathy pregnancy are not known. There have been some complex psychological theories advanced but current thinking seems to be focussing on changes in hormones.
“Some people may perceive this as men trying to get in on the act, but far from being attention-seeking, these symptoms are involuntary,” said Dr. Brennan. “Often the men haven’t got a clue about what’s happening to them.
“Doctors don’t recognize Couvade Syndrome - there’s no medical diagnosis. Yet this research proves that Couvade Syndrome really exists - the results speak for themselves.”
The study team quotes one father-to-be who “said he felt as if he was giving birth. ‘My stomach pains were very much like a build-up of a woman’s contraction as she’s giving birth. They started mild and then got stronger and stronger and stronger.’ ”
The St. George’s University study found that, “Stomach cramps were among the most common symptoms…Closely following were morning sickness and changes in appetite. One dad admitted: ‘I had an unstoppable craving for chicken kormas and poppadams. Even in the early hours of the morning.’ ”
Couvade Syndrome and Ancient Cultures
There’s nothing new about this condition; it has been reported since ancient times. The name for the condition is thought to come from the French word “couver,” meaning to brood. It describes a medieval practice in which fathers lay down after the birth of a child and complained about labour pains.
However, some cultures like to make sure that fathers who don’t experience Couvade Syndrome get to enjoy all the wonderful aspects of childbirth.
There’s a picture displayed on the website of the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. It shows a custom used by the Huichol Indian tribe of Mexico. During childbirth, the father had to sit in the rafters above his wife with a cord tied around his testicles. At every contraction, the woman would pull on the cord.
Rupert Taylor - Rupert Taylor is the editor of a magazine that provides background to current events.
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