The Couvade Syndrome

COUVADE SYNDROME

COUVADE

- Comes from the French word couvee meaning “to hatch”.

- It has come to mean a man having a “sympathetic pregnancy”.

Yes, ladies, this means that your partner could start to vomit, gain weight, and have many of the "joys" associated with pregnancy.

COUVADE

- Generally, couvade syndrome begins in the end of the first trimester and increases in severity until the third trimester.

- The only known cure for couvade is -- birth.

In some indigenous societies, "sympathetic pregnancy" is attributed to demons or spirits inflicting the symptoms in an attempt to cause problems for the family.

COMMON SYMPTOMS

NAUSEA

HEARTBURN

BLOATING

DISTURBED SLEEP PATTERNS

SYMPTOMS

- In more extreme cases, men can also experience:

- labor pains- postpartum depression- and nosebleeds

- The labor pain symptom is commonly known as sympathy pain.

PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES

ANXIETYPSEUDO-SIBLING RIVALRY

IDENTIFICATION WITH THE FETUS

AMBIVALENCE OF FATHERHOOD

STATEMENT OF PATERNITY

PARTURITION ENVY

How does one cope with COUVADE?

• The best way to really deal with Couvade is to come to terms with the fact that it is a normal reaction to a life-changing event such as a pregnancy.

• A therapist can help a man understand his underlying feelings about the pregnancy and deal with them positively.

Is it something to be worried about?

• Couvade is actually a very memorable experience for some fathers who go through it.

• Women feel safe knowing that their male partners understand what they are going through, and therefore become more patient and loving.

• Women may also feel that they are not alone in the pregnancy, and will therefore carry the baby to term with confidence.