Phenomenon of men having morning sickness when their wives are pregnant

Men have morning sickness, hangovers, and weight gain when their wife or lover is pregnant, due to Couvade syndrome, also known as "sympathetic pregnancy".

Some time after his wife announced her pregnancy, Harry Ashby, a 29-year-old security guard, had symptoms of hangovers, cravings like morning sickness, and his belly and breasts also grew. He resigned from work because he felt tired and heavy for a long time.

Experts say he has Couvade syndrome - "sympathetic pregnancy". Men with this syndrome often have a range of physical and psychological symptoms related to pregnancy like a pregnant wife or lover, such as abdominal pain, bloating, back pain, irritability, morning sickness, toothache, and toothache. , even "false pregnancy". These symptoms were confirmed in research by St George's Hospital, published in the Open Library of Information, 2007.

The most common psychological problems are antenatal depression, mood swings, morning sickness, waking up too early, anxiety, poor concentration, memory impairment. In general, these symptoms indicate empathy for the man's pregnant partner and unborn child.

The symptoms of Couvade syndrome appear chronologically, beginning in the first trimester, temporarily disappearing thereafter, and reappear, sometimes worsening in the third trimester. They can even last until after the baby is born.

Research shows that the rate of developing Couvade syndrome is likely culturally tied. The syndrome mainly occurs in developed countries. The prevalence in the United States is 25% to 53% for men whose spouses or partners are pregnant. In Sweden it is 20% and Thailand is 61%. Symptoms range from mild to severe, from mental to physical. The prevalence of the disease in the UK is not clear, but it is estimated that in 1970 there were 11% to 50% of men in the country with Couvade.

A 1994 study found that in infertile couples, the man was more prone to Couvade syndrome.

Many men experience weight gain and hangovers when their wives are pregnant. Photo: iStock

Experts have put forward many theories about the causes of empathic pregnancy syndrome. They determined that the syndrome can be rooted in psychological, emotional attachment to a partner, person and unborn child or hormonal influences.

The psychoanalytic theory suggests that the syndrome develops from a man's jealousy of a woman's fertility. Theoretically, for the man, the pregnant woman acts as a catalyst of conflict and the rise of the Oedipus complex.

The Oedipus complex is a term used by Sigmund Freud in the theory of psychosexual stages of development, describing a child's feelings of longing for the opposite-sex parent, jealousy for the same parent. gender. Basically, boys will subconsciously feel that they need to fight their fathers to get their mother's attention and vice versa. The Oedipus complex in men can cause a man to recall childhood emotions, evoking feelings of conflict and jealousy.

Psychosocial theory suggests that men may be marginalized during a woman's pregnancy and childbirth, especially for couples having their first child. This fact makes men see themselves in a supporting role, feeling unimportant. To solve that situation, many people unintentionally turn their attention from women to themselves through the manifestation of Couvade syndrome. This was demonstrated in research published in the journal SAGE Science in 2000.

Couvade syndrome appears to be influenced by hormones, but few studies have proven this. Research published in 2001 indicates that levels of the hormones prolactin and estrogen increase significantly in men during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Lower levels of testosterone and the stress hormone cortisol. These hormonal changes are linked to behavior and sensation in the father, causing symptoms of fatigue, changes in appetite, and weight gain.