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COUVADE SYNDROME

The Couvade Syndrome

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Page 1: The Couvade Syndrome

COUVADE SYNDROME

Page 2: The 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.

Page 3: The Couvade Syndrome

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.

Page 4: The Couvade Syndrome

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

Page 5: The Couvade Syndrome

COMMON SYMPTOMS

NAUSEA

HEARTBURN

BLOATING

DISTURBED SLEEP PATTERNS

Page 6: The Couvade Syndrome

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.

Page 7: The Couvade Syndrome

PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES

ANXIETYPSEUDO-SIBLING RIVALRY

IDENTIFICATION WITH THE FETUS

AMBIVALENCE OF FATHERHOOD

Page 8: The Couvade Syndrome

STATEMENT OF PATERNITY

PARTURITION ENVY

Page 9: The Couvade Syndrome

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.

Page 10: The Couvade Syndrome

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.