Duhs and "sympathy pregnancy" August 09, 2019 | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 12,432 |
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
Re: Duhs and "sympathy pregnancy" August 09, 2019 | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 12,432 |
Re: Duhs and "sympathy pregnancy" August 09, 2019 | Registered: 9 years ago Posts: 3,708 |
Re: Duhs and "sympathy pregnancy" August 09, 2019 | Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 9,965 |
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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“Maybe Couvade syndrome will give men more of an understanding of what a woman goes through when she pushes her body to its limits.”
Re: Duhs and "sympathy pregnancy" August 09, 2019 | Registered: 9 years ago Posts: 3,708 |
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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?
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“Maybe Couvade syndrome will give men more of an understanding of what a woman goes through when she pushes her body to its limits.”
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Cambion
Sounds like a lot of horseshit and hallucinating to me.