Pregnancy in T2K

[Silent Hunter UK]

So, I'm getting ready to join Raellus' new game - statting a character is difficult to determine a length of time to complete when you've got that War Roll to deal with - and two of the characters are married to each other.

Now, there is going to be a spot of 'radioactive nudge nudge' in the T2K setting and access to proper contraceptives is going to be limited at best; not to mention a safe abortion. So, there is a chance, unless the female PC has a high rad exposure, that a little baby might turn up.

Is this something you've ever encountered in a post-apocalyptic game? If so, how was it handled?

[pmulcahy11b]

How much is the theoretical baby going to be affected by all the nuclear, chemical, and biological agents that have been loosed on the environment and the people in it, before it is even born?

[unkated]

Don't forget to include the male's rad exposures.

He keeps his gamete factory on the outside of his body, and they are easier to misform. Remember , he keeps making new ones, where the female already has all the eggs she will use, and has been keeping them deeper in her body than the fella.

So... % chance of (normal) conception - mods for his and her exposure

Running to term, with chance for spontaneous abortion due to natural casues, possibly enhanced by unnatural environmental factors (Rad, bio, chem, nutrition, etc).

And if you have the proper gamma radiation exposure and come to term...

See if he terms large, mean, and green when his diaper is wet.

HULK WET! HULK SMASH!

[unkated]

Don't forget to include the male's rad exposures.

He keeps his gamete factory on the outside of his body, and they are easier to misform. Remember , he keeps making new ones, where the female already has all the eggs she will use, and has been keeping them deeper in her body than the fella.

So... % chance of (normal) conception - mods for his and her exposure

Running to term, with chance for spontaneous abortion due to natural casues, possibly enhanced by unnatural environmental factors (Rad, bio, chem, nutrition, etc).

And if you have the proper gamma radiation exposure and still come to term...

See if he turns large, mean, and green when his diaper is wet.

HULK WET! HULK SMASH!

Uncle Ted

[pmulcahy11b]

Again, with the NBC environment, are the mother and father even fertile anymore? And even if the baby is healthy, what are you going to do with a baby in a war zone? And if it's a special-needs child?

[WallShadow]

Hmmm...seeing how it's been two years since the last active nukes fell, one wonders how the pre-natal care of a pregnant woman would evolve. This is assuming the devices/treatments were available.
An expectant mother wearing a dosimeter to monitor total body exposure?
Using a geiger counter on all foodstuffs and potables, as well as scanning the domicile and belongings for any hot spots?
Re-establishment of a community "Laying-in house" to keep as many environmental contaminants away from the pregnancy?
Extra reliance on people with herbalist/botany/wilderness survival skills to provide the maximum vitamins and minerals?
PCs scrounging wish lists start including material for diapers, blankets, old-fashioned baby bottles, rubber nipples, baby clothes?

I feel that unless a pregnancy is essential to a plotline, it should be a mere footnote to the game. "Oh, look, that merchant's wife is pregnant. Maybe we can trade some vitamins or medical supplies for a better price on the <whatever>." GMs need to be very careful about the prospect within a PC group. Let's face it, if a female character is raped and becomes pregnant, this will be a really ugly path no matter what the end result may be.

[Silent Hunter UK]

I am actually thinking of having a midwife as a PC in a future game. OK, all I know about that is from watching Call the Midwife, but it might be interesting.

There's actually a Wiccan midwife in Warday; she talks about having to euthanise the heavily disabled newborns.