Pregnancy munchies and couvade syndrome
The word couvade is derived from the early French word couver, “to hatch.” The practical modern vernacular for this word is “getting fat with mom.” Experts attribute expectant fathers gaining weight during pregnancy to everything from a sympathetic reaction to pregnancy hormones to a psychosomatic response.
However, as I found myself eating grilled cheese sandwiches with my wife at midnight last night, it was obvious that it was something else. Based on absolutely no scientific tests, I readily attribute weight gain in expectant fathers to changes in diet and the availability of snack food. If you’ve got a pregnant woman in the house, you’ll be subjected to a surplus of everything from ice cream to cookies and lots of other goodies in between. It becomes difficult to stick to a healthy, reasonable diet when your partner is eating anything at any time.
I’ve been vigilant in maintaining exercise during my wife’s pregnancy, even if only walking a few miles a day during my lunch hour or after work. For you expectant fathers, try and integrate at least 20 minutes a day of exercise, like a walk, to help fight off the folds and bulges that accompany nine months of mint chocolate chip at ten grilled cheese at midnight.
I know exactly what you mean!!
My friend put on more weight than his wife did for their first!! They had both worked shift work the whole time they’d been married and it was the first time he’d had a Little Woman at home to cook him proper square meals each day…
Don’t forget to keep up the exercise during the kid’s 1st year too. It can be all to easy to give yourself the excuse that you’re too ’stressed’ or ‘fatigued’ to do it, when the truth is that exercise (if you can manage to find the time in between bottles, changes, feeds, sleeps and screaming) will reduce your stress and your fatigue.
My daughter is pregnant, Could I get couvade syndrome? or is it only the spouse? thank you
Donna
avlisd@aol.com