Mutheu Munene's pregnancy story sounds like one straight from the movies or a fictional masterpiece off the shelve.
But it's a real-life experience.
"He would vomit thrice a day, have stomachaches and experience the same symptoms I had in my first trimester."
This is how Mutheu described her husband's behaviour the entire period she nursed her pregnancy.
She said when she found out she was expectant and pregnancy symptoms started manifesting, it marked the beginning of drama in the house.
"Whenever I suffered morning sickness and went to the washroom to vomit, two seconds later, my husband would follow me. We would all sleep in there and wake up at around noon," she said.
Mutheu narrated that since that moment, she concluded her husband had morning sickness.
"But the problem escalated and I thought what he was experiencing was more than just morning sickness."
She said they both decided to seek medical advice.
"At home, you would think my husband was the one pregnant. He was always tired than I was," Mutheu revealed.
The couple visited a city doctor and were informed by the medic that the husband was experiencing a rare condition called Couvade Syndrome, or, in simpler terms, sympathy pregnancy.
Doctor Mark Mwakisha said the syndrome, which has not been medically proven, is a condition where men who live or spend longer periods with their expectant partners experience pregnancy symptoms.
"This condition has not been medically proven. It mostly occurs during the first trimester," he said.
Mwakisha says the pregnant dad normally experiences nausea, and sometimes they might bloat, which are typical symptoms that some pregnant women experience.
"Most men experience diarrhoea, stomachache and constipation," he added.
He encouraged men who present with the symptoms during their partner's pregnancy journey to not give up as the condition only occurs during the first trimester.
"At least 10 per cent of the men have Couvade syndrome, so men shouldn't be afraid of it, it is just a condition which elapses after three to four months," the doctor said.
