Originally, the term phantom pregnancy was created to give a name to a condition un-pregnant ladies were feeling. Pretty much exactly what the name describes, a phantom pregnancy was when a lady would be feeling all the symptoms of being pregnant but, surprise surprise, they actually weren’t.
Well, I had a suspicion that the old phantom pregnancy was not only seen in women, because sweet darling Barry seemed to be joining me with some of my pregnancy symptoms. So I did some research and ta dah, I found some serious results.
Baby budgeting essentials on Hello Bump.
Somewhere in time, men started to experience pregnancy symptoms when their partners were pregnant, often referred to as sympathetic pregnancy and seen in relationships where the men are very attuned to their partner.
I’m not talking about needing a little power nap here and there. It’s been reported that expected fathers have experienced cramps, back pain, mood swings, food cravings, morning sickness, fatigue, depression, fainting, insomnia and in more extreme cases, swollen stomachs that look like baby bumps.
Hear it from me, this condition now has a name and is called Couvade Syndrome. When men have gone in to see their doctors with the above symptoms, there has been absolutely no physical reason given as to why they are feeling that way, so it must be mental.
However, I am no expert in the studies done here, so please share your information if you have some. All I needed to know is that this is really a thing and I think Barry is experiencing it to some degree and of course, I am going to share…
It started with him being like the freaking energiser bunny to taking ‘day naps’ with me in the first trimester. For those of you that don’t know him, Barry does not nap. He can survive on no sleep, do an all nighter and be in perfect form for a full days work the next day (although those days are well behind him, I hope).
Next came the food cravings, he has grown an addition for liquorice bullets. He wants them all day every day, and here’s the thing: he doesn’t even really like liquorice.
After that it started to get really weird. We both woke up one morning and started complaining of cramping in our legs and calves. SERIOUSLY?! I’m talking the same night, we had our first cramp, and there have been many more since then. Oh, and he also now claims to have insomnia.
The last symptom has been just fabulous and my favourite…hormonal. I have now witnessed him tear up in episodes of the Biggest Loser Transformed and Married At First Sight, shows which I would usually have to record and watch when he is not around because he hates reality TV.
While I don’t think I can go as far as saying ‘Barry thinks he is pregnant,’ he definitely is experiencing some phantom symptoms and to be honest, I think it’s adorable.
Month 2: Public vs Private, Doulas, and Multiples on Hello Bump.
He is so excited about our little bub and he has said before that he would be the one to carry the baby if he could. So I just think he wants to live through this pregnancy as much as he can with me. He doesn’t drink or eat the foods that I can’t, he has rubbed oil on my belly every night for the last 32 weeks and he tells me every day that he thinks I am more beautiful now than ever.
So I say, here’s to Couvade syndrome.