FAQ / Life on Pern / Weyrlife: Mating Flights
Last updated 15th August 2005 by Bree
Will a dragon rise if her rider is pregnant?
General theory for Triad is this (using the timewarp of 6 month pregnancy):
Months 1-2 is the equivilant to the Earth "first trimester". Morning sickness, etc, but no affect on the dragon other than the mom-to-be moving from her regular wing to Queens or Weyrlings. Risk of miscarriage is high, therefore /betweening/ can lead to pregnancy termination.
Months 3-4 is the equivilant to "second trimester". A woman can /between/ safely during this trimester, although she needs to keep such trips to a bare minimum. Mating flights by a dragon wouldn't harm her or the baby (some women on Earth report a very much increased sex-drive during the 2nd trimester due to the hormone changes and lack of morning sickness or fear of pregnancy).
Months 5-6 is the equivilant to "last trimester". /Betweening/ is forbidden mostly during this trimester b/c the woman's body is too awkward due to the baby's growth, and climbing on-off the dragon is dangerous (falling risk, etc). The last month (m 6) is when /betweening/ becomes a danger in inducing early labor, although it could be a factor in m5 if an emergency required a woman to /between/ after hoisting her round self up a dragon.
Mating flights in the last part of pregnancy would taper off. The reason?
Sex can induce early labor. Semen contains prostaglandins, which ripens the cervix (the cervix has to ripen (dialate) for the baby to arrive). Orgasms also induce uterine contractions due to hormones released. This is something you can see in most Natural Childbirth sites for inducing labor naturally.
A dragon, so completely in tune with her rider's body that serious injury or illness can affect the rising schedule, would sense this,late pregnancy as being stressful on her rider's body.
So a dragon would rise normally until late Month 5 of pregnancy (think month 8 of Earth pregnancy). Flights would probably resume within a month or so of birth for a natural birth.
If the flight list plops your female rider into a flight during Month 6 of her pregnancy, just let Flight List Organizer know and they'll reschedule for later.
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Months 1-2 is the equivilant to the Earth "first trimester". Morning sickness, etc, but no affect on the dragon other than the mom-to-be moving from her regular wing to Queens or Weyrlings. Risk of miscarriage is high, therefore /betweening/ can lead to pregnancy termination.
Months 3-4 is the equivilant to "second trimester". A woman can /between/ safely during this trimester, although she needs to keep such trips to a bare minimum. Mating flights by a dragon wouldn't harm her or the baby (some women on Earth report a very much increased sex-drive during the 2nd trimester due to the hormone changes and lack of morning sickness or fear of pregnancy).
Months 5-6 is the equivilant to "last trimester". /Betweening/ is forbidden mostly during this trimester b/c the woman's body is too awkward due to the baby's growth, and climbing on-off the dragon is dangerous (falling risk, etc). The last month (m 6) is when /betweening/ becomes a danger in inducing early labor, although it could be a factor in m5 if an emergency required a woman to /between/ after hoisting her round self up a dragon.
Mating flights in the last part of pregnancy would taper off. The reason?
Sex can induce early labor. Semen contains prostaglandins, which ripens the cervix (the cervix has to ripen (dialate) for the baby to arrive). Orgasms also induce uterine contractions due to hormones released. This is something you can see in most Natural Childbirth sites for inducing labor naturally.
A dragon, so completely in tune with her rider's body that serious injury or illness can affect the rising schedule, would sense this,late pregnancy as being stressful on her rider's body.
So a dragon would rise normally until late Month 5 of pregnancy (think month 8 of Earth pregnancy). Flights would probably resume within a month or so of birth for a natural birth.
If the flight list plops your female rider into a flight during Month 6 of her pregnancy, just let Flight List Organizer know and they'll reschedule for later.
See Also: No articles yet
Referenced By: No articles yet