Donorian Pregnancy & Infanthood

Donorian society focuses a lot on familial harmony and caring for family members, as such pregnancy and infanthood are considered very important milestones in a person's life both for the child and for the parent.

Donorian pregnancies are typically cared for by medically trained midwives and obstetricians, with hospitals and obstetricians being used for more dangerous cases. In most cases, especially in rural areas, professional midwives and nurses are typically the ones taking care of pregnant and postnatal women, as well as being the ones assisting in the childbirth -which are typically home births- and making sure the pregnancy and later the infant is healthy.

Many aspects of Donorian pregnancy and infant hood are affected by the Donorian species' empathic abilities.

Donorian Pregnancy

Donorian pregnancy is very similar to other humanoid species, with a roughly ten month period of gestation before childbirth. There typically is little difference in physical care between pregnant humans and pregnant Donorians, with only slight differences between the two such as the length of gestation.

One of the main differences between Donorian pregnancies and other species pregnancies is the fact that the last trimester of pregnancy the Fetus will begin to develop their empathic abilities being able to feel the emotions of the parent carrying them, the pregnant parents is also able to feel the vague emotions of the fetus. This can cause some confusion and distress in the parent who may not be able to distinguish between their feelings and the fetus’s or may not be able to tell what exactly the fetus is feeling or wanting. For this reason it is typical for expectant Donorians in the later period of their pregnancy to spend a lot of time at home on bedrest, often trying to not be around too much emotional chaos or stress.

Practices

Introduction of the Baby

After the child is born there are some rituals that will be done. The first one is the initial welcoming to the family, which involves the midwife holding up the baby to its mother, introducing the baby to its mother, and asking for its name, the mother will then reply with the baby’s name. After this, the baby will be introduced to the rest of the family that is present.

A few days or weeks after the birth a party will be held to introduce the baby to the rest of the family and the community. This is considered the child's formal introduction to the world and is considered a very important event in Donorian culture as it promotes the familial bond with the child. The period between the baby being born and the formal introduction is also a way for the baby to slowly get used to sensing the emotion of others and not get overwhelmed by it.