Couva Syndrome: Men Can Share Symptoms With Their Pregnant Partner

Many pregnant women experience heartburn, nausea, back pain, etc. But did you know that men can also experience changes? It is known as Couvade Syndrome.

In fact, some of the men’s symptoms are exactly the same as those experienced by their pregnant partners.

Pregnancy is a time of great changes in a woman’s body. Our size and weight change, our emotions change, our appetite changes, even our hair and nails change! And all these changes can affect our partner with.

Couvade Syndrome

Couvade syndrome, also known as phantom pregnancy, is not at all uncommon among men whose partners are pregnant. The name comes from the French, where the word “couvade” means “to incubate”.

These men do not experience physical discomfort, but rather an emotional relationship with their partner.

This deep connection makes them more aware of certain pregnancy symptoms and also experience certain changes.

Below you will find some of the symptoms that men may experience during their partner’s pregnancy. The empathy they feel with their wives or girlfriends makes them feel some of the same feelings and symptoms.

Symptoms of Couva syndrome in men

Anxiety

A pregnant woman can become anxious for various reasons during pregnancy. It has to do with physical changes in her body, the impending arrival of her baby, a desire to become a good mother, the baby’s and her own health, etc.

Men also experience the same anxiety while waiting to see their son or daughter.

They worry about the responsibility of raising and caring for a child, the loss of sleep during the first months, the family’s finances, etc. These are concerns that he can share with his partner.

Both men and women can feel anxious during pregnancy. Their nervousness may have to do with concerns about the baby’s health, their own work, childbirth, etc.

In order for men to feel more secure in themselves, it is important that they are involved in every step of the process.

Pre-birth classes and childcare courses are a great way for future fathers to build their emotional self-confidence.

Mood swings

Mood swings are a common and well-known symptom that women experience during pregnancy. This is due not only to anxiety and discomfort, but also to hormonal changes that their bodies undergo as a result of pregnancy.

Even if men do not have the same hormonal changes or other physical changes, they can still experience mood swings during their partner’s pregnancy.

Expectant fathers may experience new emotions that may surprise and amaze them, especially during the first and last weeks of pregnancy.

Worries, worries, the thought of caring for a little newborn… All this can make men experience a variety of emotions: anxiety, sadness, happiness, calm, irritability, stress, tension, love…

Maybe they do not always share these feelings openly with their surroundings. Still, they are there on the inside and the man must learn to handle them in a healthy way.

Irritability

Some men may not be able to stand the fact that their pregnant partner is the only one to complain during this time. Therefore, they will – consciously or subconsciously – take up some complaints to complain about and get attention for.

Pregnant women often experience back pain, neck pain, headaches and cramps. Whether it is because of jealousy, extreme empathy or pure coincidence, some men begin to suffer from the same ailments and problems.

Of course, it is due to the physical changes and hormonal fluctuations associated with pregnancy when women experience pain and discomfort during this process.

However, there is no physical cause behind the pain and discomfort associated with Couvade Syndrome in men. Rather, they seem to be a kind of identification mechanism – a subconscious way of connecting or identifying with their partners. They are so close to their partner that they share her experiences in a very tangible way.

There is a correlation between Couva syndrome and very committed and active fathers. These are men who are ready to become fathers and who already during pregnancy form a bond with their future son or daughter. These are men who are very close to their partner and who have so much empathy with her that it takes physical manifestations.

Even if men do not carry their children in their bodies during pregnancy, they are still expectant parents.