Sex and Gender - Pregnancy and Birth

The process of pregnancy and birth differs for each species, therefore this article will be separated into different sections for the different species. Before we get to those sections though, here are some general rules:

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 * In Haven, abortion is illegal and highly frowned upon. The fae and shifters, especially, value life and believe that the birth of a child is something to be celebrated.
 * New Haven Clinic is equipped to birth infants and help with prenatal care so long as it is not too difficult a pregnancy. If there are complications, the clinic can handle emergencies, though the mother would be better off at a London hospital, where she can get the best care. The mother and child’s health and survival will be at risk if there are problems.
 * Home births are wildly popular nowadays, so New Haven Clinic employs midwives and dispatches doctors to homes where a home birth occurs.
 * Males and species who are otherwise unable to reproduce can get pregnant through the use of black magic. However, this is extremely hazardous to both the parent and the child. For more information, see the  M-Preg  and  Non-Fertile Species portions of this article, at the bottom.

Fae

Fae are a fertile species, and can get pregnant. Their gestation periods are generally between nine and ten months, though it is possible for them to have premature births. Fae mothers are the ones that carry the child, and when it is born, there are two options for the fae: either raise the child as its own, or turn the child into a changeling.

A changeling is a fae child who is disguised to look like a human child (or a shifter or werecreature child), and put in the place of the real baby. The real baby is often kidnapped by other fae, sold, or raised in slavery while the fae child grows strong and powerful with its swindled parents. When the fae child is old enough, the fae parents will return to take the child back. When this does occur, this is most often used as a tactic for revenge against the parents that receive the fae child.

Due to their magical abilities and their connection to nature, it is rare for a fae to lose an infant due to complications during the pregnancy.

Probability: * please see the section on Vampires
 * Fae x Fae: Fae infant (100%)
 * Fae x Shifter: Fae infant (50%), Shifter infant (50%)
 * Fae x Vampire*: Unjoined Human infant (100%)
 * Fae x Werecreature: Fae infant (50%), Unjoined Human infant (25%), Werecreature infant (25%)
 * Fae x Human: Fae infant (5%), Unjoined Human infant (35%), Enchanted/Cursed Human infant (60%)

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Shifters

Shifters are a fertile species, and can get pregnant. The gestation period for a shifter depends on the animal form the shifter possesses. Generally, pregnancies last between the normal gestation period for the animal form and the normal gestation period for humans. Shifters rarely have premature births, as the infant generally forms much quicker while in the womb than a human child would. Shifter mothers are the ones that carry the child.

Shifters are able to shift forms while pregnant, and it does not harm the baby. Because shifting comes naturally to shifters, the body is used to working around things in order to shift correctly. The mother’s body will remain pregnant in both her human and animal forms. This means that no matter what form she takes, she will have a pregnant belly.

Shifters can birth their children in either their human or animal form, though most choose human. They have a higher chance of having twins, but rarely do they have a “litter” of anything, and if they do, it is very taxing on the mother’s health. Shifters almost always have home births, as the mother generally feels the “nesting” instinct right before the birth happens, and will likely need her own space.

Probability: * please see the section on Vampires
 * Shifter x Shifter: Shifter infant (60%), Unjoined Human infant (40%)
 * Shifter x Fae: Shifter infant (50%), Fae infant (50%)
 * Shifter x Vampire*: Unjoined Human infant (100%)
 * Shifter x Werecreature: Shifter infant (25%), Unjoined Human infant (50%), Werecreature infant (25%)
 * Shifter x Human: Shifter infant (40%), Unjoined Human infant (60%)

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Vampires

Vampires are not a fertile species, and cannot get pregnant unless they are employing the use of black magic. Vampires are, for all intents and purposes, biologically dead. If pregnancy is to occur through the use of black magic, that magic would have to develop and emulate an active, living womb in order to hold the child. It would act much like an incubation chamber, set inside of a vampire’s body.

The vampire would need to ingest human food in order to give the baby nutrition. If human food cannot be ingested, the vampire would need to get regular vitamin injections for the baby to feed off of. If the vampire does not take injections or eat human food, the infant will suck all nutrients from the parental host and then, eventually, either the host or the infant will die.

If vampires get pregnant through the use of black magic, the baby will not be a vampire. Vampire sperm and ovums are, biologically, dead, and cannot be used to make a baby. The sperm and ovum from human donors would need to be joined and artificially inseminated into the vampire. The vampire is more like a surrogate mother, or a walking incubation chamber. The sperm and ovum must be human, because the magic that created vampires could be fatal to any other species.

Once a vampire is pregnant, the gestation period is between nine to ten months.

Probability: .
 * Vampire x Any Race: Vampires must have human sperm/ovum if they are to procreate through black magic. Therefore, any infant that is birthed from a vampire will be 100% Unjoined Human.

Werecreatures

Werecreatures are not a fertile species, though they can get pregnant. The gestation period for a werecreature depends on what animal form the werecreature has. The gestation period will be somewhere between the normal gestation period for the animal form and humans. Werecreature mothers are the ones that carry the child. Werecreatures often have premature births, miscarriages, and still births if they can even get pregnant at all. Because of the corrupted magic that created them, pregnancy is extremely hard on a werecreature and her child.

Werecreatures are able to shift forms while pregnant, though the shifting process is extremely painful and dangerous to both the mother and the child. Shifting for a werecreature is against nature, therefore it is a much more difficult process without the aid of black magic. If the child survives the shifting process, it has a better chance at surviving all the way until birth. Most of the time, however, the incredible strain on the body from shifting forms is enough to cause the mother’s body to miscarry. There is a 75% chance that a werecreature will miscarry within the first trimester.

Werecreatures can only birth a child while in their human form, though they might notice aspects of their animal side coming out, such as the overwhelming protective instincts and the sudden need to “nest”. Werecreatures often choose home births, as it is more comfortable for them, though they have a higher birthing success rate if they go to the clinic or a hospital.

Probability: * if the child is born a shifter or werecreature, the child will only have one animal form, no matter what and it must be from the same animal species as either parent.
 * Werecreature x Werecreature: Werecreature infant (20%), Unjoined Human infant (80%)
 * Werecreature x Fae: Werecreature infant (25%), Fae infant (50%), Unjoined Human infant (25%)
 * Werecreature x Shifter*: Shifter infant (25%), Unjoined Human infant (50%), Werecreature infant (25%)
 * Werecreature x Vampire**: Unjoined Human infant (100%)
 * Werecreature x Human: Werecreature infant (10%), Unjoined Human infant (90%)

** please see the section on Vampires

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Humans

Humans are a fertile species and can get pregnant. Human gestation periods are generally nine to ten months, though premature births can occur. Human mothers are the ones that carry the child. A human mother can have multiple children in one pregnancy, though the chances of carrying more than one child at any one time are extremely rare. Humans also fall victim to miscarriages and stillbirths at times, though it is not often. Complications with pregnancies are generally rare, given that modern medicine and prenatal care has evolved greatly.

Probability: * if either human parent is Enchanted or Cursed, the infant has a 50% chance to be born either Enchanted or Cursed, whichever the parent is. If both parents are either Enchanted or Cursed (or both are Cursed, or both are Enchanted), the child still only has a 50% chance to be born either Enchanted or Cursed, whichever the parents are.
 * Human x Human*: Human infant (100%)
 * Human x Fae: Fae infant (5%), Unjoined Human infant (35%), Enchanted/Cursed Human infant (60%)
 * Human x Shifter: Shifter infant (40%), Unjoined Human infant (60%)
 * Human x Vampire**: Unjoined Human infant (100%)
 * Human x Werecreature: Werecreature infant (10%), Unjoined Human infant (90%)

** please see the section on Vampires

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M-Preg

Male pregnancy is possible in Haven, though it must be done through the use of black magic, which is strictly against Haven law. Legal magic, whether it is light or dark, cannot be used to accomplish this. The fae and shifters believe that it is against the natural order to mess with pregnancy and birth, and that anyone who is not fertile is not meant to be fertile, or is cursed (aka vampires and werecreatures).

If your male character wishes to become pregnant for some reason, it will be more like surrogacy. Two individuals cannot have sex and then the male becomes pregnant. Instead, what will happen is that the individual who will be carrying the child will undergo a ritual that grants his body the magic necessary for the process to begin. The magic inside of the host will form a protective barrier in the host’s abdomen, in the general area where a womb would be on a female. The male will then need to be artificially inseminated with sperm and ovum (it could be his own sperm, unless he is a vampire, but he will need an egg from a female donor) using a serum that is injected, hypodermically, into the abdomen’s “womb”. The chances of the pregnancy catching are the same as it would be if a female was artificially inseminated. Once the male has been inseminated, he can use pregnancy (urine) test kits to tell if it worked, same as females. If it did, congratulations! Your character is now the surrogate “mother” of a baby. The host will go through all the same symptoms and feelings that a female would with a natural pregnancy.

The chances of miscarriage, still birth, and infants being born prematurely are very high when this process is done, because this magic is forcing an unnatural process to occur on a body. If the baby is miscarried, there is a very high chance that the dead body will poison the host if it is not surgically removed soon. This is because there is no natural exit for a miscarriage to take place with a male like there is with a female.

The pregnancy is also extremely dangerous for the host. If the host is living, there is a very increased chance that the host will experience complications and even death. If the host remains healthy during the entire time, there is a very high chance there will be complications with the infant, including illness, physical or mental disability, and even death.

This process is not easy nor is it risk-free. If your character decides to do this, they will experience a very rough pregnancy. There are no easy ways out.

When the baby is finally born, it will most often be born premature. This comes with its own risks. When the birth happens, it needs to be dealt with surgically. Because there is no natural way for a baby to exit a male body, the host will need to undergo a C-Section to get the baby out. If this is not possible, birth will kill the host and the child. The child will, unfortunately, suffocate, and the dead body will poison the host. If the host is a vampire, they will still suffer an extreme amount of physical damage, though death is not likely.

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Non-Fertile Species

If your character, male or female, is from a species that is not fertile (aka vampires or werecreatures), the same black magic used for M-Preg can be used to help your character get and stay pregnant.

Vampires are, for all intents and purposes, biologically dead. If pregnancy is to occur through the use of black magic, that magic would have to develop and emulate an active, living womb in order to hold the child. It would act much like an incubation chamber, set inside of a vampire’s body.

The vampire would need to ingest human food in order to give the baby nutrition. If human food cannot be ingested, the vampire would need to get regular vitamin injections for the baby to feed off of. If the vampire does not take injections or eat human food, the infant will suck all nutrients from the parental host and then, eventually, either the host or the infant will die.

If vampires get pregnant through the use of black magic, the baby will not be a vampire. Vampire sperm and ovums are, biologically, dead, and cannot be used to make a baby. The sperm and ovum from human donors would need to be joined and artificially inseminated into the vampire. The vampire is more like a surrogate mother, or a walking incubation chamber. The sperm and ovum must be human, because the magic that created vampires could be fatal to any other species.

Once a vampire is pregnant, the gestation period is between nine to ten months.

Because werecreatures have such rough pregnancies, this magic can be used to help protect the infant while the werecreature is pregnant. The magic would either form a womb inside the host’s body (for males), or form a protective barrier around the womb (for females), thus increasing the chances for the host or mother to carry to full term and birth a living child, though it is not without risks.

The werecreature will need to ingest human food in order to give the baby nutrition, and the ingestion of human flesh will likely make the host and the infant sick. Werecreatures can birth werecreatures (see the probability chart above), and their gestation period is a period between the gestation period for a wolf/cat and a human. It varies, person to person.

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Consequences

Because the magic used in the last two sections is highly illegal in Haven, the consequences for getting caught are great. If someone is caught breaking the law against black magic for the purpose of pregnancy, the offender can be fined, jailed, and their child/children can be taken away from them forever.