The ritual performed in it's most basic form entails the man taking to his bed at the same time as his partner gives birth.  He then proceeds to mimic birth by feigning contractions and 'experiencing' birth pains at the same time as the mother.

This Couvade ritual has been seen throughout history in such diverse peoples as North and South American Indians, Africans, Indians, Basques of Spain and France, Chinese and in Papua New Guinea.

Several variations of the ritual exist:

In Papua New Guinea, as soon as pregnancy was discovered, the man would separate himself from the rest of his tribe to build a hut for himself and fill it with food and clothing.  He would then remain completely separated from his wife and abstain from social contact with the other men of the village.  As the birth approached, he would stay in bed and mimic the pain of childbirth until eventually the woman would enter his new hut and hand over the baby to him.

The Basques of Northern Spain and South-West France, upon learning of the impending birth would take to their beds and complain loudly about labour pains and spasms.  This then allowed him to have the same attention from the nurses as his partner was getting.

A similar approach was taken by the Mozetena Indians of North-West Bolivia, however in their case, as soon as the child was born, the mother would deliver the baby to the man and she would go out to work immediately to ensure that food was ready for the evening whilst the man took the reversed role and cared for the child.

The true reasons behind this ritual Couvade are still only guessed at by anthropologists and the cultural beliefs vary between tribes, here is a selection:

• The man's actions protect the mother and infant from bad spirits by drawing them towards himself if he is screaming louder.

• It strengthens the bond between father and child

• The father's simulated birth asserts his paternity.

• Some believe that the father has a stronger supernatural bond than the mother and so the ritual is used so that the father can guide the child into the world.

• It is a form of anxiety relief for the man.

• It makes the father's role in pregnancy more profound than only the sex act nine months previous.

Introduction

An Historical Perspective

Couvade in the Modern World