25% expectant fathers suffer food cravings and morning sickness

The study found that normal, healthy men often undergo real but unexpected changes when they’re expecting children.

Study details
According to experts, these men are so connected to their partners that they start exhibiting a range of pregnancy like symptoms, including cramps, food cravings, mood swings, bouts of morning sickness, fatigue and even sympathy pains.

Experts theorize that the modern male is so closely involved at all stages of their partner’s pregnancy from jointly antenatal classes to scans that the symptoms may be a natural physiological reaction to the anxieties of impending fatherhood.

Midwife Mary Steen said, "Many men attend the 12 to 14 week ultrasound scan where their bond with the child is first formed and they are more likely to attend antenatal classes.

"Involving men in this way helps build a stronger emotional connection with the baby and they learn more about what their partner is going through.

"It's perhaps not too surprising therefore that some expectant fathers are so finely tuned to their partner's physical and emotional changes that they begin to feel them too."

Findings of the study
In order to get an insight into this strange phenomenon, the nappy maker Pampers conducted a survey. The investigators questioned more than 2,000 expectant men aged between 16 and 65.

The study found nearly 25 percent would-be-fathers were manifesting some pregnancy like symptoms complete with food cravings, reflux, and morning nausea.

It was noted 26 percent experienced mood swings, 10 percent had food cravings and six percent felt nausea unrelated to any other ailment.

Also, 23 percent of the men prepping for fatherhood were so attuned to their partner’s pregnant state that they experienced emotional upheavals and physical changes often linked with women.

A third of the respondents felt 'more emotional' while eight percent reportedly became weepy while watching an emotional movie for the first time.

The study found 56 percent men in the study felt a surge in their nesting instincts with distinct urges to decorate and tidy up.

Moreover, 74 percent felt “more protective” of their pregnant partner while 80 percent felt the need to be mature, more responsible and to be the “strong provider."

Other interesting highlights
Another interesting element of the study was men having strong urges to consume weird food combinations such as tomatoes and oranges and pickled eggs and ice-pops.

Matthew Downing, 32, a shop worker, from Dover, Kent, whose wife delivered their first child last December said, "My wife thought I was going mad when I developed cravings for apples and marmite and started getting emotional during soppy films.

"I did everything I could to get involved in the pregnancy and birth. It brought the two of us closer and I found my emotions became very much aligned with hers."