During the course of my research for a TV documentary, The Biology Of Dads, which airs next week on BBC Four, I discovered that many fathers-to-be are, like Michel, so attuned to their partners during their pregnancy that they develop a range of sympathetic symptoms.

These range from cramps, to back pain, mood swings, food cravings, morning sickness, fatigue and even fainting. Many are afflicted right up to the moment of their wife’s delivery, when usually most symptoms cease.

I must admit I wondered initially if men were trying to elicit attention from wives bound up with the imminent arrival of a newborn.

However, I actually discovered that, on the contrary, these signs of empathy have a more useful function: they help to prepare the new father for his nurturing role.