If you've suffered morning sickness during pregnancy, you'll know it can be one the worst parts of the process.
But one woman "constantly throwing up" in her 11th week of pregnancy turned to the internet to vent after her husband claimed to be also suffering morning sickness alongside her.
Posting in Reddit's 'Relationship Advice' forum, the woman revealed her husband began to experience similar sickness symptoms to her.
"I was told that sometimes husbands can also experience this and it's called sympathetic pregnancy," she wrote.
Ironically, the woman was unsympathetic to her husband's plight, going on to say that she "hates it", feels "utterly disgusted" by him, and gets "pissed off" when she sees him sick.
"It feels as if he's just mimicking me," she continued, "like he'll never truly understand how hard this pregnancy is.
"I'm so torn because I know there's nothing he can do but I just feel so frustrated and it's really affecting how I act around him. Because now I don't like having him around me."
The woman asked fellow Reddit users if it was normal to be so angry at her partner for something he cannot control.
Sympathetic pregnancy - known as Couvade syndrome - is where an expectant father or partner experiences the same symptoms as their pregnant partner.
According to MayoClinic, while couvade is fairly common, it isn't a recognised mental illness or disease, and further studies are needed to determine whether it is a physical condition or psychological.
Physical symptoms might include nausea, heartburn, abdominal pain, bloating, appetite changes and respiratory problems while psychological symptoms might include changes in sleeping patterns, anxiety, depression, reduced libido and restlessness.
Reddit users were quick to respond to the pregnant woman, but gently informed her hormones might be to blame for her reaction.
"I think - and I mean this in the most validating way possible, I swear - your hormones might be clouding your judgement here," commented one person.
"When you're pregnant you're much more likely to go 0 to 100 immediately over things that are really only like a 20. It's important to note that you're allowed to be annoyed and upset about it, it's how you act on it that's the important thing."
Another added: "I just had a baby and I get it. I think hormones are playing a part and also I think you should talk to someone about it (esp if you have any other anxiety or depression symptoms). Because if you're being triggered by him being sick NOW, you're going to really resent when he doesn't go through labour and doesn't have to wake up as much at night and his life doesn't change as much as yours.
"I remember after 36 hr of labour, tearing, bleeding 2L, and preeclampsia my husband (who had slept in the hospital) said he was tired and I almost lost my mind. But he was tired. We can both be tired."
One person even went as far as calling it "sweet" as the pregnancy progresses.
"I don't think he'd be experiencing this if he wasn't a very sympathetic partner."
