Why do men feel more attractive after childbirth?

A great deal of research has examined women's bodily experiences with respect to pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period. Men's experience of this significant life event is less scrutinized. Using longitudinal data from 182 newly married couples in the United States, we examine the effects of childbearing on wives' and husbands' feelings about their bodies. Our results suggest that whereas wives' perceived physical attractiveness declines after the birth of a child, husbands' perceived physical attractiveness increases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]