Dads-to-be experience cravings, morning sickness and bloated tums, say scientists
Dads-to-be can get swollen tummies during your pregnancy - or could it be the beer?
While you may be feeling constantly queasy, have cravings for coal and find it difficult to sleep comfortably with your bump, spare a thought for your partner and dad-to-be.
Scientists have now confirmed that some men share pregnancy symptoms with their pregnant partners – and it’s even got a sciencey name: Couvade Syndrome.
Researchers at Kingston University, London, studied 282 fathers-to-be and found that an amazing 55% of them experienced some kind of pregnancy symptoms.
Dr Brennan, who led the research, discovered that the dads-to-be had higher than normal levels of the mothering hormone prolactin. He suggests that the hormone may be behind symptoms such as cravings, morning sickness, tummy cramps and mood swings.
Tests have also shown that levels of testosterone drop in men as the birth of their child draws near, perhaps explaining why so many manly tears are shed at birth.
There’s more fascinating info about dads and their effects on the family in a new BBC Four documentary series, Biology of Dads, which starts on Tuesday June 22 at 9pm.
