Sympathy Pains

...Are a myth.
Well, okay, I`m not sure about that.
According to Wikipedia sympathetic pregnancy and sympathy pains are two different things. Sympathetic pregnancy is properly known as Couvade Syndrome.

Whenever I heard about this I just laughed. Because it was funny. 

It`s not funny anymore.

My wife is currently 7 1/2 months preggers. Her ENTIRE pregnancy she has had brutal back pain. Even from the very beginning when she wasn't getting any bigger yet.

So, naturally, throughout these past 8 months I've felt bad for her and wondered how hard it must be for her and what it would be like if I were her.

Turns out that's a bad idea. Well, good for our relationship, bad for my body.

Two days ago I woke up with the sorest back I have had in my entire life. I haven't done anything strenuous lately, haven't lifted any weights, haven't tried to do 13 1/2 pull ups or anything crazy like that. And I'm only 25, little young to have chronic back pain.

I couldn't understand for the life of me why my back hurt so much.

End of the day, wasn't so bad. Went to bed, fell asleep, no problems.

At 1:50 am my wife whacks me, says "Sweetheart, my back hurts! I can't move! Please come rub my back." So I turn over (I'm not in any pain and I was sleeping like a baby) and start rubbing her back.  

After a minute, I start to feel a little sore, in my lower back. Then really sore. By the time she asks me to help her stand up because she needs to use the bathroom I can barely make myself stand up. Forget the back pain I had the day before, this is ridiculous!

Now, I'm not stupid. I know when to keep my mouth shut about my own pain. And that's for the entire 9-months my wife is pregnant and every day of my life after she gives birth for the first time. So I say nothing.

By the time I help her get back in bed, I'm reeling.

So. Now, the difference between sympathetic pregnancy and sympathy pains. Sympathetic pregnancy is what I (think I) experienced. The dad feels symptoms of his spouse's pregnancy.

Sympathy pains are quite different. These occur while the woman is in labour...

So needless to say, I'm terrified. And while I will let my wife squeeze the life and blood out of my hand, I am not going to wonder what her pain is like. 

Sorry Sweetheart.