According to Wikipedia, Couvade syndrome, or sympathetic pregnancy, is a somewhat mysterious condition where a pregnant woman’s partner begins to exhibit some of the symptoms of pregnancy. Labor pains, weight gain, food cravings, and sometimes even post-partum depression. Now, I think this is a great idea. Funny, at least.
Now, most of the articles I’ve read about it make it seem like a pretty unflattering condition. In some cultures the fathers are considered to be possessed by demons. In others, that they are simply starved for attention and trying to get some of the same sympathy that the pregnant woman gets. Seems sort of selfish when you think about it that way.
I am trying to rebrand Couvade syndrome into something a little more interesting. A sort of intentional empathetic bond with my wife. And, while she starts to show her pregnancy, I can also become more proud of my little gut. Rather than steal the attention, I can nod my head and say, yes, I can not only imagine how that feels, but also share in a tiny shadow of the feeling.
Okay, maybe that won’t really work as intended. The symptoms of pregnancy will always be stronger in the actual pregnant person, therefore why not just let her enjoy the special treatment 100%? I’ll consider it. But in the meantime, this stigmatized little French syndrome seems like an interesting thing to learn more about.
