The Summer I Stopped Sacrificing Myself For The Others

“My name is Allison Chapman. Ever since I found out I might be pregnant, my husband, Rocco Chapman, had developed couvade syndrome. It was a condition in which a husband, overwhelmed by concern and anxiety over his wife's pregnancy, experienced morning sickness as she did. My heart ached watching him vomit until he was dehydrated, but at the same time, I was thrilled by his sheer deep love for me. Yet, when I went to the hospital for a prenatal checkup, the doctor told me I wasn't pregnant and said I was most likely having a miscarriage. I was stunned, and I didn't know what on earth Rocco's couvade syndrome was about. I soon knew why. The moment I stepped out of the OB's office, I ran right into the woman who was next up for her appointment. It was my best friend, Kathryn Hopkins. And I saw the person by her side was Rocco, the same person who had told me this morning that something urgent had come up at work and he wouldn't be able to come with me to my prenatal checkup.”