Buleran Pregnancy & Infanthood

The  Buleran are an androgynous single gender species with all members able to be pregnant as well as sire children, they also have multiple stages to their pregnancy, all of which lead to them having a very different culture surrounding pregnancy and infancy.

Due to Buleran kinship structures where offspring are considered to be descended from their birth parent, the parent who physically birthed them, with the sire parent not having much to do with the rearing of the offspring, most of the traditions surrounding pregnancy and childbirth focus on the family of the birth parent rather than the sire parent.

The medical field of obstetrics looks over all stages of Buleran pregnancy with the latter two being the most difficult for the parent as they are typically restricted in their activities for the safety of the offspring. Bulerans will often visit medical professionals throughout the pregnancy, with family members caring for the pregnant person at home and taking on the role of midwives.

Buleran Pregnancy

There are multiple stages to a Buleran pregnancy with the first being a proper pregnancy where the fetus is carried inside the womb, this stage typically lasts around four months at the end of which the underdeveloped newborn will be born through a short labor before beginning the second stage.

The second stage -called the latching stage- is a three month period after the underdeveloped newborn is born shortly after which it latches onto the parents back and feeds off of a fatty milk like substance similar to those found in mammalian species. While in this stage the newborn is underdeveloped and quite sensitive, as such it is common for the birth parent to stay home to care for the infant during this stage as the infant is very dependent on the parent at this stage and doctors recommend constant skin to skin contact.

The third stage is the pupa stage at the start of which the newborn will molt with their outer skin hardening into a cocoon for themselves attaching to the parents back and coving them like a dome. While in these cocoons the newborn will metamorphose developing into its final form -an infant version of an adult Buleran- before leaving their cocoon. This stage typically lasts only a month. During this period the birth parent, much like in the previous stage, will typically stay home often being on bed rest.

All three stages are considered part of the pregnancy, with the day the infant escapes the cocoon being considered the birthday of the child. It is after this stage that infanthood is officially considered to begin.

Practices

Naming of the Baby

Due to the birthdate of the infant being considered the day that they escape their cocoon, infants are typically not given a name until then. An announcement is often done, telling those outside the household of the birth and what the child’s name is.

Oftentimes a nickname may be given to the infant while they are in the latching or pupa stage, which will remain a cute family nickname after they are born. These nicknames are typically only known and used by the birth family of the offspring, with its use by outsiders -even the sire parent- being considered inappropriate.