When a man and woman love each other very much (and sometimes not) they end up making
a baby.
And the woman's body goes through a ton of changes, but then again, so does the man's!
Pregnancy causes a lot of visible (and invisible) changes to mom bods.
Mental, physical, hormonal, emotional, and so on… but the moms aren't alone in this
brand new world, science has finally begun to recognized Dads might be going through
changes right alongside.
In 2007, a study came out describing Couvade syndrome -- also known as sympathetic pregnancy.
The study followed more than 500 men and found a majority of the men displayed pregnancy-associated
symptoms of morning sickness, stomach cramps, mood swings, and a few developed swollen stomachs
(called pseudocyesis).
A ton of studies have documented these sympathetic effects, which worsen as the pregnancy progresses,
clearing up after the birth.
They're not sure exactly what causes Couvade Syndrome, but they think it's psychosomatic
-- or caused by the mind; thus, it's not a medical condition, but a psychological one.
So though sympathetic pregnancy might be caused by anxiety, attention-seeking behavior, or
as a quote "statement of paternity" as some hypotheses say…
there are actual changes men go through during pregnancy.
Male marmosets and cotton-top tamarins, primates with similar child-rearing practices to humans,
gain as much as 20 percent of their body weight during their mate's pregnancy -- perhaps to
store extra energy in preparation of raising their offspring.
Studies in humans found cortisol (a stress hormone) and prolactin (lactation hormones)
spike in men alongside their pregnant ladies.
Recently, a study from the University of Michigan found surprising hormonal changes in fathers
which started rather quickly.
Within the first 12 weeks of their mate's pregnancy, testosterone and estradiol levels
dropped in the Dads-to-be, and the drop continued to throughout the pregnancy.
The researchers admitted they don't know why, but they expect it has something to do with
the changes the woman's body is going through, perhaps to prepare the men as they quote "transition
to fatherhood."
Anecdotally, it might be a good thing for testosterone to drop, as it's associated with
aggression, risk-taking and sexual savoir faire; but curiously it rose in women over
the same period!
Estradiol is similar to estrogen, and estrogen in men hasn't been very thoroughly studied;
though scientists think a drop in estrogen in men show symptoms similar to menopause
in women: i.e. -- decreased bone density, a decline in libido, and fat around their
midsection.
And finally… we can't talk about fatherhood without mentioning the infamous Dadbod; well,
sort of.
Men who lived with their child gained 2.6 percent in their BMI or an average of 2 kilograms.
Men who lived apart still gained one-and-a-half kilos, or a 2 percent BMI increase.
The study, in the American Journal of Men's Health found lifestyle changes caused weight
gain, but could this be explained by a lowering of estradiol levels?
Maybe?
Ultimately, most of the studies of pregnancy are lady-facing, which makes ALL the sense,
but to completely dismiss or ignore men because they're not actually pregnant seems kinda
stupid; especially in light of the surprising science we've seen.
Humans evolved two-parent caregiving to give our offspring the best parental resources
available and that does seem to extend pre-birth.
Say it with me now.
More.
Research.
Is.
OBVIOUSLY.
Needed.
What do you think about sympathetic pregnancy?
Is it real?
Have any of you experienced it?
We KNOW some of you out there are parents.
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You won't regret it.
And we'd love to know you're out there, so we can make more videos for you too.
Do y'all know some other things about pregnancy?
Are you sure they're not myths?
Check out this video where I debunked some tall tales about birthin'