Duhs and "sympathy pregnancy"

These days an increasing number of fathers are getting involved in parenting. While I agree one of the world's unsexiest sights is a duh with a baby strapped to him, the feminist in me applauds the more even distribution of the shit job that is childcare (for people that choose to have that unnecessary tedium in their lives).

But it's one thing to be engaged in your child's life, and another to be sympathetically pregnant.

Quote

He had Couvade syndrome, otherwise known as a “sympathy pregnancy”. The mysterious – yet surprisingly common – condition causes pregnant women’s partners to manifest the physical and psychological symptoms of pregnancy. Those with the syndrome report abdominal pain, morning sickness, bloating and lethargy, as well as mood swings, memory loss and depression. In more extreme cases, they can even experience pseudocyesis, in which their stomach swells throughout their partner’s pregnancy, only to begin retracting after the birth.

Quote

There are potential physical explanations for Couvade syndrome. What we know from the very few studies that have been carried out so far is that men’s hormonal levels shift significantly during the antenatal period. Testosterone tends to diminish, while oestrogen and prolactin rise.

It's seemingly relatively common.

Quote

As for how many men may be affected, the research is surprising: one study found that up to 52% of US fathers will experience some symptoms of Couvade syndrome, with 59.1% in Jordan and up to 61% in Thailand. In Poland, a 2013 study found that 72% of expectant fathers could experience at least one pregnancy-related symptom.

It's psychosomatic for sure. In fact, I'm inclined to summarize it as a hissy fit over no longer being their partner's focus.

Quote

The syndrome is not a modern-day one. There are references to Couvade rituals in Corsica, Cyprus, Papua New Guinea and ancient Iberia that stretch as far back as 50BC, with expectant fathers apparently lying in bed throughout the pregnancy, and receiving the same level of attention as mothers. In some cases, they would even wear their partner’s clothes, groan and cry out, and complain of labour pains.

Yup. Expecting to receive "the same level of attention as mothers" sure sounds like every self-centered man-child breeder throughout history. Oh, but no, it's not that they are trying to shoehorn in on the attention, it's because they're so empathetic.

Quote

But more recent studies have suggested that Couvade syndrome could be linked to empathy and attachment. Symptoms, it seems, are more prevalent in men with greater investment in their unborn baby, and increased involvement in the pregnancy.

Just when it seems like breeders can't get any more ridiculous... Of course they want to treat their latest fucked up psychosomatic illness as normal and de-stigmatize it.

Quote

But for those with Couvade syndrome, it’s not really about finding answers. Instead, the priority is removing the stigma that surrounds the condition, and for it to be acknowledged as a legitimate part of the pregnancy process.
...
If anything, he says, the syndrome should be celebrated as a symbol of intimacy between two parents (the couple are now working on a book about how to stay close during pregnancy, which they credit to the experience). “Couvade syndrome taught me to be more compassionate; to have more understanding of what it was Amanda was going through – not just physically but mentally,” he says. “Maybe Couvade syndrome will give men more of an understanding of what a woman goes through when she pushes her body to its limits.”

I mean, can you just imagine if a guy tried to claim he felt your period cramps? Either he's an egotistical hypochondriac who needs to be dumped, or, if he somehow manages psychosomatic mimicry that convinces a doctor, he's a creep who needs to be dumped and served a restraining order. I would not feel "close" or in wuv, I'd find it seriously disturbing.

This just proves that stupidity is contagious! Everyone claiming this "condition" and the "experts" claiming it is a condition are all stupid. And it all begins with "we are pregnant" as if a male does anything other than donate sperm to a pregnancy.

I wonder if women can get sympathy pregnancies too? Or just men? And does it only happen to the men who are the fathers of the incoming children? Or could like an expectant mother's brother or male cousin get sympathetically pregnant too?

Apparently one woman had a sympathy pregnancy when her dog was pregnant:

Quote
Article
“A woman developed a variant of Couvade syndrome triggered by her dog’s pregnancy: she had all the symptoms of the syndrome, and she knew she was not pregnant.”

So when it happens to women, what's the difference between a phantom pregnancy and Couvade syndrome? Because they're basically the same thing, aren't they? Having pregnancy symptoms when you're not actually pregnant?

And I wonder how much screaming has happened over this because pregnancy symptoms are exclusively a woman's problem, so men strutting around claiming to be pregnant in spirit are stealing the thunder from the Moos, which I'm sure they have a huge problem with.

Pregnancy by proxy sounds like the most pussified "disease" a man can get.

Quote
Aricle
Some early explanations, rooted in psychoanalytic theory, suggested that the symptoms were born out of a man’s envy of the woman’s ability to procreate. Others suggested it could be a way of diverting attention back to the man, who can feel irrelevant or marginalised during pregnancy.

LOLWUT, I have never heard of a man being jealous of a woman's ability to breed, and it's not like men can't procreate - they just can't carry the fetus. Why would they be jealous of having to do less work? And what kind of a needy fucker would want to be pregnant just so someone would pay him any mind while his partner is up the duff?

Quote
Article
But more recent studies have suggested that Couvade syndrome could be linked to empathy and attachment. Symptoms, it seems, are more prevalent in men with greater investment in their unborn baby, and increased involvement in the pregnancy.

So I imagine this means that men who don't want kids, who don't know their partner is expecting, or who know they aren't the father of their partner's incubating child don't get sympathetically pregnant. If a man gets his partner pregnant in an attempt to control her and prevent her from leaving, will he get sympathetically pregnant?

Quote
Article
He believes it may have been down to the couple’s closeness. “We breathe each other’s air constantly,” he says. “We own a couple of businesses together, we live together, we work together and we have children together, so we’re very close. We also spend a lot of our free time together, too, because we’re friends.”

I could foresee this leading to a LOT of emotional piggos ripping their men several new assholes for not loving them enough as evidenced by their lack of sympathy pregnancies.

So why does this only work with pregnancy? If your partner finds out they have cancer, do you get sympathy cancer? Do you get sympathy nausea from their chemo? If I take birth control pills, wouldn't that mean my partner has sympathy contraception because of our closeness? Are their sympathy allergies? If I have to take a dump, will my partner get sympathy gas pains? If I don't eat for half a day, will my partner have sympathy hunger?

Quote
Article
“Maybe Couvade syndrome will give men more of an understanding of what a woman goes through when she pushes her body to its limits.”

Doubtful. Unless kidney stones are a side effect of Couvade syndrome, it's not going to be anything like actually being pregnant and giving birth and I know what entitled cunts a lot of Moos are and they aren't gonna be happy sharing the spotlight with their men and their pretend pignancies. Most Moos don't even like their boyfriends/husbands helping out with child care because it's considered a female-exclusive job, but that doesn't stop them from turning around and telling everyone what deadbeats those same men are.

Sounds like a lot of horseshit and hallucinating to me.

Quote
Cambion
I could foresee this leading to a LOT of emotional piggos ripping their men several new assholes for not loving them enough as evidenced by their lack of sympathy pregnancies.

So why does this only work with pregnancy? If your partner finds out they have cancer, do you get sympathy cancer? Do you get sympathy nausea from their chemo? If I take birth control pills, wouldn't that mean my partner has sympathy contraception because of our closeness? Are their sympathy allergies? If I have to take a dump, will my partner get sympathy gas pains? If I don't eat for half a day, will my partner have sympathy hunger?

Quote
Article
“Maybe Couvade syndrome will give men more of an understanding of what a woman goes through when she pushes her body to its limits.”

Perhaps this is so the menfolk can potentially argue that they are experiencing morning sickness and will be staying home with their wives. There has to be a sympathy, money or time off angle potential benefit to this crap otherwise why pretend?

Quote
Cambion
Sounds like a lot of horseshit and hallucinating to me.

Indeed, total horseshit!