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 …read more