Does co-pregnancy exist in men?

Can expectant fathers get a baby belly?
It is known that pregnant women get thick and round bellies. In some expectant parents but also grows the man's stomach. Pregnancy solidarity or "we are pregnant" is usually the answer to such a situation. But can the belly of fathers really grow during pregnancy? Is there something like a co-pregnancy? A new study from Poland will now give the answers to these questions.

Men who get a big belly as a result of co-pregnancy. Is that even possible? The expectant fathers during pregnancy also increase is not so rare. But sometimes there is more to it than simply gaining weight, Dr. Jan-Peter Siedentopf, Senior Physician at the Department of Obstetrics at the Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin. In such a case, doctors and physicians then speak of Couvade syndrome. The word comes originally from France and means translated as hatching or mothering.

Will men become co-pregnant? Image: Monkey Business - fotolia

72 percent of all fathers in co-pregnant study
Some men develop typical maternal distress during pregnancy, which usually only occurs in pregnant women. Such health problems include, for example, typical abdominal discomfort, increased weight, and a change in our eating habits. In a recent study from Poland, scientists studied 143 expectant fathers. It was found that almost three quarters (72 percent) of all participants were "co-pregnant".

Empathic men particularly vulnerable
This process can not be explained only by a change in behavior of the expectant mother, said the senior physician. Jan-Peter Siedentopf in a statement. It is noticeable that particularly very empathic men are affected. Such fathers would more easily develop the typical mood disorders for pregnant women, added the physician. There must be a pronounced psychological cause, after all, even for the men, a far-reaching change in their lives. In fact, in some cases even hormonal changes have been noted in some expectant fathers. Siedentopf. Not only does a pregnancy change the mother's body, some fathers are also very sensitive and begin to develop the usual pregnancy problems.