Couvade syndrome is a phenomenon observed since ancient times🏰. It is characterized as a disorder of somatic symptoms, where the father has various physical symptoms 🤕 as a reaction to his partner's pregnancy 🤰🏻. We can also call it the pregnant father syndrome🫃🏼.
The noun couvade comes from the French verb “couver”, Spanish “encovar” or “Cueva”, which means to hatch🐣, to nest🪺 or to hatch young🐥.
Although Couvade syndrome has been documented to affect all races and socioeconomic classes, it is more common in ethnic minorities, African Americans, and those who have not planned a pregnancy😯.
Symptoms include anxiety😰, weight gain, abdominal pain, toothache🦷, gastrointestinal disturbances, sleep pattern changes😴, insomnia and decreased libido.
Symptoms usually peak in the first and third trimesters and resolve spontaneously in the postpartum period👨🏻🍼.
Due to the complexity of Couvade syndrome, it cannot be explained by a single mechanism🙅🏻♂️. But hormonal and psychological aspects are probably to blame. There are several psychoanalytic theories that try to explain Couvade syndrome. These include, for example, anxiety among expectant fathers, the marginalization of men during pregnancy and childbirth, and the theory that the transition to fatherhood is a developmental crisis.
Although this syndrome has strong psychosocial aspects, several hormonal changes also occur during preparation for fatherhood👨👧👦. Similar to women, there are changes in behavior and hormonal profiles in response to pregnancy.
According to a Polish study from 2013, the frequency of symptoms of Couvade syndrome in men is related to male empathy🙏🏻. In other words, men who are emotionally sensitive or prone to anxiety can physiologically experience the pregnancy of their partners, which can be interpreted as compassion😌.
Verra team💕