Getting close...

    The wife is 33 weeks and 3 days it's getting closer,  My daughter will be named Camilla Renee Johngan, and i'm becoming more anxious and excited. I can't believe it's been this long already, the months past by so fast... And lets not forget that i'm going to be 19 on November 22 so I get anticipated every day now, My mind set is changing and i'm feeling so much like a father already. So i'm going to start this blog out 4 to 6 weeks before birth. To kinda feel you guys in before Camilla arrives. Well i'm going to kinda start this blog off as you know it from above the past sentences or paragraph however you see it, going to explain a little about COUVADE SYNDROME!!!


Couvade syndrome, also called sympathetic pregnancy or (in the U.K.) phantom pregnancy, is a condition in which the husband or partner of an expectant mother experiences some of the same symptoms and behavior as the mother. These most often include minor weight gain, altered hormone levels, morning nausea, and disturbed sleep patterns. In more extreme cases they can include labor pains,postpartum depression, and nosebleeds.^[1] The labor pain symptom is commonly known as sympathy pain.

 The cause of couvade is a matter of some disagreement in the medical community. Some believe it to be a psychosomatic condition, while others believe it to have biological causes.


The term "couvade" is borrowed from French (where it is derived from the verb couver "to brood, hatch"); the use in the modern sense derives from a misunderstanding of an earlier idiom faire la couvade, which meant "to sit doing nothing."^[2] It originally referred to themedieval Basque custom in which the father, during or immediately after the birth of a child, took to bed, complained of having labour pains, and was accorded the treatment usually shown women during pregnancy or after childbirth.[citation needed]


^{Couvade has been reported by travelers throughout history, including the Greek geographer Strabo (3.3.7 and 4.17) and the Venetian traveler Marco Polo. It has been observed and studied by anthropologists in modern times and is often seen in tribal societies. In some indigenous societies, "sympathetic pregnancy" is attributed to demons or spirits inflicting the symptoms in an attempt to cause problems for the family.[citation needed]}

Symptoms

Symptoms experienced by the partner can include stomach pain, indigestion, changes in appetite, weight gain, diarrhea, constipation, headache, toothache,^[3] cravings, nausea, breast augmentation, hardening of the nipple and insomnia. In some extreme cases, fathers can grow a belly similar to a 7-month pregnant woman and gain approximately 25 to 30 pounds ("false pregnancy").

Psychological theories

The causes of couvade syndrome have not yet been determined to a medical certainty, but many theories have been advanced.

In the past, many purely psychological causes that were suggested included anxiety, pseudo-sibling rivalry, identification with the fetus, ambivalence about fatherhood, a statement of paternity, or parturition envy.^[3]

In "Psycho-Evolutionary" theory, it is thought that couvade is a way to minimize sexual differences in the pregnancy and birthing experience. The couvade may also be a way to establish the father's role in the child's life and to give balance to the gender roles. Couvade is more common where sex roles are flexible and the female is of a dominant status ^[4].

Physiological theories

Studies have shown that the male partner cohabitating with a pregnant female will experience hormonal shifts in his prolactin, cortisol,estradiol, and testosterone levels,^[5] typically starting at the end of the first trimester and continuing through several weeks post-partum.^[5]

    So, there's a little bit of information about what iv'e been going through since month 3. It's a very interesting fun thing to go through but, Some days are really hard to deal IMAGINE a pregnant women actually having to carry around pounds of baby, amniotic fluid, placenta.... It's very amazing how becoming a Mother/Father can be... I'll keep in touch with weekly updates...