Sympathetic pregnancy
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.
Symptoms experienced by the partner can include stomach pain, indigestion, changes in appetite, weight gain, diarrhea, constipation, headache, toothache, 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”).
