Man's rare syndrome leaves him with bloated tum, weight gain, hot flushes, exhaustion, cravings and morning sickness
MISERABLE Mike Dowdall is enduring morning sickness, hot flushes, cravings and a swollen belly — all because girlfriend Amanda Bennett is pregnant.
Mike, 25, has the rare phantom pregnancy Couvade syndrome. Amanda, of Manchester, said: “People pay more attention to his bump than mine.”
Mike initially got the brush off from disbelieving Amanda — until he started suffering morning sickness just like her.
At first irritated Amanda suspected tattooist Mike was taking the mickey out of her pregnancy symptoms when he complained of feeling queasy.
But when he started running to the toilet after waking up each morning, she realised it was definitely no joke.
Mike said: “When I started being physically sick on a daily basis, she began to take me more seriously.”
When Mike’s symptoms — which now include a swollen belly, hot flushes, exhaustion, water retention and food cravings — became increasingly severe, he consulted his GP.
The doctor diagnosed an extreme case of Couvade syndrome, whose sufferers experience an intense form of male phantom pregnancy.
LOL @ them giving it an "official" medical name.