#cw reproduction

[cartoonscientist]

“After van Leeuwenhoek’s discovery of sperm, it took another century before anyone realised that they were needed to fertilise eggs. That revelation came in the 1760s, when the Italian priest and natural scientist Lazzaro Spallanzani, experimenting on male frogs wearing tight-fitting taffeta pants, demonstrated that eggs would not develop into tadpoles unless sperm was shed into the surrounding water. Bizarrely, until Spallanzani announced his findings, it was widely thought – even by van Leeuwenhoek for some years – that sperm were tiny parasites living in human semen.”

-Robert D. Martin

[konphair]

~ Basics: Sentient Races ~

As it stands, here is the super bare-bones list of every sentient people living on Konphair! This list excepts individuals (such as spirits, gods, deities, etc.) and further classifications (they all have variant species separate from their genus. This is a list of genuses, separated into their families, and all sharing the same order. However, do note that this is how we would classify them, not how they would classify themselves) VERY long post so I’m gonna keep everything under the cut!

A couple important notes that I’m going to cover about races now and not touch on again: - This list only covers anatomy/bio basics and, like, maybe an additional important fun fact or two. I’m going to make a more in-depth post for each of them covering more biology, culture, origin, and the like. These descriptions are going to sound a whole lot like describing animals, but every genus here is fully intelligent. - On that note! Races in Konphair function a little different to races on Earth, considering they don’t mean the same thing, like in a d&d setting. Every race is a different animal entirely that also happens to be intelligent. Due to shared origins, needs, instincts, etc., members of the same race tend to group together to form mono-genus civilizations and cultures intrinsic to the race itself. This is not always the case (diverse cities, mixed cultures, and completely unique beliefs are all common), but it is a phenomenon that happens a lot. I.e., there exists a ‘dragon place’ and a ‘gryphon place’ and a ‘unicorn place’. - And on the note of Earth, as you can probably tell, I’ve pulled both inspiration and entire concepts from all over real-world mythos. However, only the names and appearances of these creatures have been kept. All bio and customs and suchlike are my own creation, as much as I can manage. I’ve used the name Kirin, for example, because the race it describes are scaly, horned equines. This is exclusively for ease of use referring to each race, and does not at all resemble what they are actually called in canon languages or attempt to associate any non-cosmetic details with their mythology counterparts. - In other words, this is all just for fantasy fun, and nothing is meant to represent anything or anyone on Earth. If something is accidentally really offensive and I didn’t catch it, please politely let me know or discuss with me through PMs. - Yeah they all lay eggs. Yes the 'mammals’ too. What r u gonna do about it Now, all the gunky clarification aside, here’s the people of Dynasty!

(A scanned copy of That One Time I listed and doodled all their basic anatomy. There’s a couple typos, but I don’t currently have the paper to fix them. ‘Lindrakes’, ‘Kerwyverns’, ‘Dracofeirs’, and ‘Camares’ are made-up names that you won’t find if you look them up. ‘Hypogriff’ is an intentional misspelling of ‘Hippogriff’ to fit better with the ‘Gryphon’ name)

Piscan Family (Fishies) Leviathans - Long, massive, marine-exclusive people, possessing a variety of limbs and enormous fin structures between species, the most fish-like in nature. Amphibious, though with little reason or faculty to traverse land (contact with surface dwellers is not commonplace whatsoever), and omnivorous, prone to eating anything they can graze upon at the ocean floor and sifting through sand beds. Webbed tails, claws, and facial crowns for as effective underwater movement as possible. Although they can share any number of intimate relationships, close bonds, marriages, and the like, they do not reproduce, and instead create huge, democratic communities and civilizations around a local hydra. Hydras - Significantly larger, rarer, and longer-lived beings, characterized most notably by their multiplicity of heads. Each head possesses a different name and personality, though the collective receives a unifying title and shares a common mind. Four limbs, sometimes varying, and smaller, less used fins. Marine-exclusive, well in deep waters, likewise amphibious, but almost never leave their homes for centuries at a time. Omnivorous, consume anything gifted to them. They are responsible for independently birthing both all leviathans and new hydras, the latter through a special nourishment/heating process similar to the raising of ‘queen bee’ eggs. Ninki Nanka - Significantly smaller and more distant leviathan relative. Freshwater-exclusive and almost always land-dwelling for permanent arrangements, though they can safely reside for any amount of time in bodies of water and move much faster through currents than on foot. No fin structures, rather slick, smooth, and heavily coated in mucus for water travel. Always require moisture and some body of water to survive; this leaves them in swamps, wetlands, rainforests, etc., only travelling outside these areas for small amounts of time. Carnivorous, eating large prey whole thanks to stretching jaws and a large throat. All have identical organs and reproduce by, at a certain age, releasing or receiving airborne material. Eggs always laid in numerous clutches in bodies of water for a few to end up surviving, but there exists no cultural expectation to keep the eggs if not desired. Annelid Family (Worms) Wyrms - Beings of enormous magnitude, perceived as psuedo-gods in the same way hydras are, but with a much greater amount of importance and reverence from the world as a whole. Only a couple to a handful on the planet at one time and born with a few pre-fertilized eggs, one or two of which they lay over a lifetime. Dwell solely underground in massive tunnels and community nests, often going into hibernation for years upon years at a time. Body coated in stone-like scutes, unused eyes inlaid beneath flaring scales, mouth made up of three huge, extending jaws, and a throat filled with fire. Only consume rock and other inorganic earthy material and have no necessity for water. Can live longer than any other race, but are usually unseen by the public. Lungs (Reptilian Ancestry) - Large, long-living people who reside in cold, high-altitude regions, built with spiraling bodies that can be used for personal warmth. The only Annelid with fur or horns as well as a commonplace set of four clawed legs, closely likening them to their dragon relatives. Not nearly as rare in any way as hydras or wyrms, but still a grand and impressive sight. Don’t always find a partner or another of their own kind, but when they do, they tend to settle down monogamously and are capable of producing a few eggs. Not always entirely isolated, but almost never create lung-based civilizations, preferring to adapt into a mixed city if at all. Herbivorous, with powerful crushing jaws for eating huge swathes of fruit or vegetables at a time. Survivors of the winter. Salamanders (Distant Piscan Ancestry) - Many-legged, smaller underground annelids that spend the majority of their time deep in the earth or in moist regions. Unlike Ninki Nanka, their nearest relative, most of the water content they require can be created themselves or collected infrequently at large pools and water bodies. Nearly always coated in a mucus layer and will soften up and muddy the ground around them as they create tunnels. Infrequently form permanent bonds, instead gather in nesting groups to lay a swathe of eggs in one cavern before moving on. One of the only races to commune with wyrms, often serving as messengers between the will of the wyrms and the rest of the world. Lindwurms (Reptilian Ancestry, Close Amphiptere Relation) - Has a lindrake variant which lacks wings. Nearly the smallest race on Konphair, second only to Amphipteres; tiny, forest and woodland-based people who form huge city networks in treetops, trunks, and any organic material they can hollow out. Some of the largest metropolis-adjacent civilizations in the world, territory often spanning behemoth plots of land thanks to a distinct minority of other races who populate densely wooded areas. Gliders (and the first of this list with wings thus far, wyvern-like and serving as taloned forelimbs when down), incapable of long-term flight, but tend to do most movement climbing, running, or jumping. Can ‘puff up’ to appear larger than they are. Fruitarians and insectivores, often gathering as much food as possible at once and slowly sharing it over a certain period of time. Having children, partners, and a growing population is immensely important, and although only two are required to reproduce, they often group into large polyamorous bands that will readily accept new members and raise a family as a collective. The only race in Konphair which can mate with another genus and create another copy of itself rather than a hybrid (lindwurm & amphiptere parents will produce either a lindwurm or amphiptere). Amphipteres (Avian Ancestry, Close Lindwurm Relation) - Share diet, reproduction, biological needs, basic anatomy, and civilizations with lindwurms. Feathery, soft, and sharper-toothed than their scaled counterparts. Frequently do more of the hunting rather than gathering in smaller city systems and villages. Reptilian Family (Lizards) Dragons - Has a drake variant which lacks wings. Tall, horned, heavily scaled people that often exhibit fur around the head, neck, and keel, with occasional patches closer to a powerful, prehensile tail. Heavy but with hollow, gas-filled bones and large leathery wings that fold in at the shoulder. Four clawed legs, back more powerful for lifting off. Excellent fliers, though reside on the ground in dry climates and build up high architecture for air travel. Complete carnivores, consuming all bone and cartilage whole, as well as stone material to crush and digest these parts. All rock is, eventually, converted into methane and moved into the mouth for fire-breathing. Highly bird-like organs, including reproductive, proving to make sexing extremely difficult. Require two individuals to produce eggs and usually join in monogamous relationships, but it is exceptionally commonplace to go through many partners before settling down. Wyverns - Huge, especially long-lived, isolated beings, continuously growing over their lifespan until they are immensely larger than lungs. No horns but stronger scales than dragons. Largest wings of any race, leathery and joined to the fore ankles with talons for grasping. Capable of flight, but after passing a certain age and weight, it becomes more of a hassle than it is worthwhile. Hefty back legs, though frequently go unused, and extended, slender tail much like a whip. Live in extremely warm, arid environments in mountain ranges or rock nests, virtually never interacting with both others wyverns and other races. Will, if they so chose, briefly track down another long enough to mate, but promptly depart afterwards whether or not they bring the clutch with them. Consume exclusively meat and can digest bone matter, no rock necessary. Can brew smoke and embers from their chests and throats but lack the ability to spew real fire. Kerwyverns - Far smaller wyverns descendants with a more upright posture and lighter structure. Much closer in body type to dragons, but with the same wings, talons, tail, and lifetime growth as their parent genus. Likewise non-horned and thick-scaled. Proficient fliers, spending the most time of any reptilian or reptilian-adjacent genus in the air. Carnivorous and extremely adept in smoke, smolder, and spark production. Form independent cities but often not whole mono-genus nations, instead either staying individual or requesting to be annexed into larger collectives. Live primarily in rocky, mountainous regions with moderate temperature conditions, but can dwell anywhere from forests to plains. Usually lay eggs with their first partners, but unification and marriage ceremonies are extremely uncommon. Dracofeirs - The smallest of the reptilians, an offshoot of the dragons’ drake variant. The only of the four that are runners and solely ground-based, as well as, though small, bulky and horned for carrying materials. Four strong small-clawed legs for quick movement. Soft, leathery scales but bulky, tough bodies, excellent for moving quietly and unharmed. Omnivores with a carnivorous lean, lacking any trace of fire or smoke completely. Moderate climates preferred, but almost all locations can be suitable; civilizations (and partnering customs) vary wildly between environments, local culture, and community preferences. Large cities and nomadic parties, and anything in between are all fair game. Equine Family (Horsies) Unicorns - One-horned, four-hooved (though separate into claw-like toes) people who are nearly identical in size to dragons, though with a taller and length-wise shorter stature. Dense manes of hair down the back of the neck and puffing out at the end of a furred tail. No scales or chitin whatsoever, rather relying on a thick pelt and skin for protection. Obligate carnivores with some of the biggest ripping-and-tearing teeth of all Konphair’s races, second to members of the mammalian family. Long, sticky tongues for grabbing like those of a giraffe. Skilled runners with practice, but civilians in large cities don’t often use the ability. Live in moderate, verdant areas, preferring woodland, forest, and lush plains. The first in this list capable of using magic, harnessing sorcery through their horns, hooves, and mouth. This arcana is extremely significant to any unicorn society, and those who don’t have the resources to hone their skill are considered unfortunate. Possess sexual organs but cannot reproduce naturally together, instead creating eggs with magic to be fertilized. Partnership is not necessary for offspring, but it is significantly easier to create eggs through sorcery with two or more individuals. Kirin - Slightly resemblant of unicorns, but in no way related to them, instead being classified by their appearance. Shorter and more slender, possessing two horns, a thick, wintery mane which covers the entirety of the neck, and a sweeping broom of tail fur which begins at the base and grows larger all the way to the tip. Scaled along their backs, hips, and faces, though coverage can vary between individuals. Extremely secluded to kirin-based civilizations in frigid, flat environments, very rarely interacting with other races at all. Do not reproduce whatsoever, instead relying solely on their mother spirit, Awnscha (more on the spirits later), for new kirin. Made up entirely of magic from Awnscha’s hands, thereby requiring food only for energy and not survival, as well as capable of changing their bodies at will - such as into solid ice. Small permanent changes to the body are considered perfectly fine, but the form Awnscha has gifted a person is considered largely sacred. Partnerships are uncommon but not unheard of. Survivors of the winter. Qilin (Hybrid Offspring of Dragons and Kirin) - Traditionally, the two races despise each other in a way irreconcilable. However, during a brief burst of a peace attempt, many kirin and dragons joined together and, thanks to kirin magic making them compatible with any peoples if they so choose, ended up producing a new hybrid race entirely. No other kirin hybrid has exceeded a single generation but qilin went on to thrive. Huge, bulky people with a combination of kirin and draconic horns. Heavy, rectangular heads fit with sets of omnivorous teeth and a wide tongue. Massive manes that cover the chest completely, run down the back, and flare out again into the fluffiest tail of any race. Scaled down the back most frequently, but coverage varies wildly (always more than a kirin’s few patches but less than a dragon’s full skin). Muscular legs and big, snowshoe paws for travel; nomadic wanderers that often group together with either other races or more kirin and dragons, interacting occasionally with mono-genus cities but preferring to mingle among mixed civilization. Viable hybrids, meaning that either two qilin or a kirin and a dragon can produce a new qilin. Survivors of the winter. Avian Family (Birds) Gryphons - Large, muscular people covered entirely in feathers aside from a firm beak and talons on all four legs. Fanned, bird-like tails that can open or shut during flight, as well as feathered wings that fold in at the shoulder. Omnivorous, though teeth are extremely small and only for grinding up little foods and pieces. Plumage flares out around the base of the neck then gradually becomes smoother and smaller along the back. Three individuals are required to reproduce, and, even if not unified, all three tend to care for their offspring together. The best fliers of every race by a long shot. Highly magical, though in a different way than unicorns. Rather than abstract sorcery, they utilize a robust spell system more akin to wizardry. Magic is used on a day-to-day basis, but usually not new magic - gryphons use passive spells to set up systems, houses, and the like, tending to and upkeeping these spells daily. This has served to make architecture, agriculture, and other trades exceptionally fast and unique. Prefer high-altitude and sunny areas, most civilizations tending to claim land and then create enchanted cities in the clouds above it, forming a summer and winter-home system. Hypogriffs (Equine Ancestry) - The gryphons’ closest relative, stockier, slightly less feathered people with hooved back legs and equine heads lacking a beak. Omnivorous with a herbivore lean and capable of chewing through much larger, tougher food items. Though with a lot of practice they can also be skilled in the magical arts, they are exceptionally less naturally talented than their bird-like counterparts. Decent fliers, but prefer to spend more time on the ground and in fields. The same reproductive and environmental needs as grpyhons, frequently choosing to mesh with their civilizations and take up wide expanses of land that would go unused by gryphons. Cockatrice (Hybrid Offspring of Kerwyverns and Gryphons) - Being great fliers and having a tendency to mix themselves in other communities, kerwyverns repeatedly lean towards gryphon civilization, becoming strong trade partners if not adapting into gryphon nations and cities entirely. This has resulted in the cockatrice hybrid - but, strangely enough, cockatrice are not skilled fliers whatsoever and spend virtually no time in the sky. Initially were relocated closer to hyprogriffs where they could be on the ground, and, eventually, due to being viable hybrids, spread out completely independent from either parent race and formed their own culture and communities. Modern day, they are usually found in tribes and large bands on wide open plain spaces as well as, occasionally, hotter, more rocky areas. Omnivores with a carnivorous and insectivore lean. Beaks, fanned tails, and feathered wyvern-like forearms. One of only two konphair races with a unique back leg structure that allows them to stand on two legs for an extended period of time. Carried a little magic over from their gryphon parentage, but only enough for small enchantments. Mammalian Family (Cats) Manticores - Hardy, lion-like people, bearing horns, four paws, and fur all along their body with larger manes and tufts around the neck and tail. Nowhere near hydras or wyverns, but particularly large when compared to the other average-sized races. Massive wings, larger than a dragon’s but smaller than a gryphon’s, webbed and useful for short flights. Despite this, they spend most of their time on the ground, in the hottest climates that exist on Konphair. Carnivorous, as little plantlife grows in the volcanic and desert regions they thrive in. Venomous fangs fold in beside canines, a product of the unique bacteria in their stomach interacting with blood of prey, which can then be transferred to a pouch in the mouth. Much like dragons, this venom can be ignited into flame, but it is usually used in its liquid form. Very often form tight bonds with one partner and children are seen as an incredibly important step in these bonds. Camares - Quite similar to dracofeirs in build, though larger, stockier, and generally more robust. Strong legs, the front two clawed and the back two pawed, as well as huge, scooping horns for lifting and carrying. Although furred across their whole body, they have a particularly large mohawk of fur that runs from the forehead back to the base of the tail, well-maintained in order to serve as protection from the sun while working. Muscular prehensile tail and wide, bulky hips. Stronger venom but weaker capability of fire breath. Share similar dietary, environmental, etc. needs with manticores, often found in regions as close as possible to them. Partnerships are also quite strong, but often less attention is given to them comparatively to their big cat cousins. Chimeras (Hybrid Offspring of Manticores and Camares) - Manticores and camares share needs almost exactly and thereby are often required to ‘share’ land, but this has left the two in an ongoing feud most anytime their communities are close together. Although their hostility is much less violent and set in history than, say, the enmity between dragons and kirin, this likewise produced the occasional peace movement that promptly fizzled out and left behind the remnants of a hybrid. But chimeras have been appearing since manticores and camares have been anywhere in a close vicinity to one another, and the importance placed on couples and children in both cultures left the unusual parents extremely defensive of their hybrid offspring. As a result, although chimeras are not viable and cannot reproduce with each other, they are not all that uncommon of a sight near manticore or camare civilizations. Carnivorous and two-headed, each with a different personality and mind but capable of reading the other effortlessly. That’s about where the uniformity in chimeras end, though; they almost always have manes, horns, and paws, but a variety of fur placement, claws, wings, horn shape, head shape, and the like can appear. Do enjoy partnerships although rarely go out of their way to have them sanctified, and adopting children is quite common. Dinonek - The largest and longest lived of the mammalian family, carrying a substantial scaled shell on their back with dense fur along their body anywhere the scales don’t reach, especially prevalent under the chin and tail. Sizeable curved horns, rigid, scaled noses, and clawed forelimbs, all great for digging holes, burrows, and nests, as well as sturdy back legs for standing up in a posture similar to a pangolin. Venomous barbs hidden under tail fur that can be retracted or extended at will, but are omnivorous and use them mainly for self defense. Live in arid deserts and sandy areas, making anywhere from temporary nests in the ground for a span of a night to intricate underground rock and sand systems that can permanently house many. Almost always form small clans and family clusters of dingonek that sleep, build, trade, and travel together, but will often accept trusted non-dingonek members in as readily as they would their own children. Require two individuals to produce eggs but will happily partner with more people depending on personal preference. Tatzelwurm (Annelid Ancestry) - Only a few times larger than amphipteres and lindwurms, tatzelwurms are the smallest mammalians by far. Carnivores with a taste for small birds, rodents, and large insects. Long, slender bodies with pawed forelegs and no hind legs. Fluffy across their whole body with a mane that races their spine. Thin, tall horns and small sharp-toothed jaws excellent for crunching fragile bones in prey. Thrive in humid woodland areas, one of the only peoples who share territory with amphipteres and such. Burrow in shallow holes or under tree roots. Mostly individual, usually only forming small family groups with just a partner and children if at all, but this serves them well to travel outside their home territory to other civilizations.

[reasonsforhope]

"The first modern attempt at transferring a uterus from one human to another occurred at the turn of the millennium. But surgeons had to remove the organ, which had become necrotic, 99 days later. The first successful transplant was performed in 2011 — but even then, the recipient wasn’t immediately able to get pregnant and deliver a baby. It took three more years for the first person in the world with a transplanted uterus to give birth. 

More than 70 such babies have been born globally in the decade since. “It’s a complete new world,” said Giuliano Testa, chief of abdominal transplant at Baylor University Medical Center.

Almost a third of those babies — 22 and counting — have been born in Dallas at Baylor. On Thursday, Testa and his team published a major cohort study in JAMA analyzing the results from the program’s first 20 patients. All women were of reproductive age and had no uterus (most having been born without one), but had at least one functioning ovary. Most of the uteri came from living donors, but two came from deceased donors.

Fourteen women had successful transplants, all of whom were able to have at least one baby.  

“That success rate is extraordinary, and I want that to get out there,” said Liza Johannesson, the medical director of uterus transplants at Baylor, who works with Testa and co-authored the study. “We want this to be an option for all women out there that need it.”

Six patients had transplant failures, all within two weeks of the procedure. Part of the problem may have been a learning curve: The study initially included only 10 patients, and five of the six with failed transplants were in that first group. These were “technical” failures, Testa said, involving aspects of the surgery such as how surgeons connected the organ’s blood vessels, what material was used for sutures, and selecting a uterus that would work well in a transplant. 

The team saw only one transplant fail in the second group of 10 people, the researchers said. All 20 transplants took place between September 2016 and August 2019.

Only one other cohort study has previously been published on uterus transplants, in 2022. A Swedish team, which included Johannesson before she moved to Baylor, performed seven successful transplants out of nine attempts. Six women, including the first transplant recipient to ever deliver a baby back in 2014, gave birth.

“It’s hard to extract data from that, because they were the first ones that did it,” Johannesson said. “This is the first time we can actually see the safety and efficacy of this procedure properly.”

So far, the signs are good: High success rates for transplants and live births, safe and healthy children so far, and early signs that immunosuppressants — typically given to transplant recipients so their bodies don’t reject the new organ — may not cause long-term harm, the researchers said. (The uterine transplants are removed after recipients no longer need them to deliver children.) And the Baylor team has figured out how to identify the right uterus for transfer: It should be from a donor who has had a baby before, is premenopausal, and, of course, who matches the blood type of the recipient, Testa said...

“They’ve really embraced the idea of practicing improvement as you go along, to understand how to make this safer or more effective. And that’s reflected in the results,” said Jessica Walter, an assistant professor of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, who co-authored an editorial on the research in JAMA...

Walter was a skeptic herself when she first learned about uterine transplants. The procedure seemed invasive and complicated. But she did her fellowship training at Penn Medicine, home to one of just four programs in the U.S. doing uterine transplants. 

“The firsts — the first time the patient received a transplant, the first time she got her period after the transplant, the positive pregnancy test,” Walter said. “Immersing myself in the science, the patients, the practitioners, and researchers — it really changed my opinion that this is science, and this is an innovation like anything else.” ...

Many transgender women are hopeful that uterine transplants might someday be available for them, but it’s likely a far-off possibility. Scientists need to rewind and do animal studies on how a uterus might fare in a different “hormonal milieu” before doing any clinical trials of the procedure with trans people, Wagner said.

Among cisgender women, more long-term research is still needed on the donors, recipients, and the children they have, experts said.

“We want other centers to start up,” Johannesson said. “Our main goal is to publish all of our data, as much as we can.”"

-via Stat, August 16, 2024

[suddenly-frankenstein]

chastity for a vampire

[bitchesgetriches]

To be clear... this didn't all happen ON the girls' trip...

[teaboot]

seeing the NSFW question and answers you've got happening here

my vulva is really itchy and sore but I haven't had any kind of sex recently or even used any sex toys recently. I haven't changed my washing powder. I haven't douched ever or used soap inside my vulva or used any lotions or scents around my vulva. I last shaved 2 weeks ago with a razor and the same body wash I always use. I don't think it's BV or thrush and its driving me mad. help?

CW DISCUSSION OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Shaving public hair can increase your odds of developing bacterial infections, yeast infections, and UTIs, all of which can present as soreness or itchiness. Underwear made of synthetic fabrics can, too. High-sugar diets, hormone fluctuations, thong underwear, dehydration, bath water quality, and some lubes can, too, as well as touching without washing hands thoroughly first. Long nails especially are fantastic at holding onto and transporting bacteria and fungi. Antibiotics can cause these issues, and antibiotics can cure these issues. Medications, too.

Short and simple annoying answer: Could be anything.

I recommend drinking lots of water and cranberry juice and seeing a doctor- if it is BV then using a yeast infection treatment will burn like holy hellfire and you dont want that. Getting a urine test is your best bet.

In the meantime, again, drink lots of water and urinate frequently. Don't wash with soap, but do wash, and do so with clean water. Wear loose clothing when possible made of breathable fabrics like cotton. Change underwear daily.

I'm not a doctor or a medical professional. These are just things I've picked up through work and life. My first recommendation is always to contact a doctor, and if you start producing unusual discharge, experiencing pain during urination, developing sores, welts, or a rash, or end up with swelling or pain in your lower back, DEFINITELY seek medical assistance.

Good luck, bud 👍

[yiga-hellhole]

"Good to become acquainted."

a long-overdue tribute to @orfeoarte 's BEAUTIFUL fanfic, Shrine Beneath the Skin! not for the squeamish at all, but very much for you if you like intimacy so deep you gotta stick your hands in your lover's guts about it. give it a try! verbose ghirazant fics are my lifeblood, after all!

the twilit alphabet i used here was made by UndyingNephalim! its translatableeeee... have fun!

[odinsblog]

🗣️ tw rape mention

In U.S. history the Red Coats were the bad guys, literally coming to oppress American freedom, so it is perfectly apropos for Republicans. Oh, and the reference to The Handmaid’s Tale is also spot on.

[cartoonscientist]

it doesn’t make sense on paper but like viscerally I feel that a reverse mermaid would just be a bipedal fish person, since my argument is that a regular mermaid’s tail isn’t 1:1 anatomically accurate to a fish and mermaids are frequently portrayed with their top half not being perfectly humanoid and separate from their bottom half

so like logically, regular mermaid = fish tail, external fertilization, young hatch from eggs and drink milk, more recognizably humanoid face and chest and reverse mermaid = humanoid legs and hips, internal fertilization, live birth young who can immediately consume meat, more fish-like face and chest with gills instead of breasts, may have more than five webbed fingers on each hand and elbows/shoulders may not have traditional joints for a humanoid

[midcenturypartum]

what happened with evinrude’s other partners? how did he and Miriam get to know each other? Thank you for the wonderful art.

Thank you for the interest and kind words! sorry for the late reply haha I ended up with a long answer dumping quite a bit of lore and got a bit sheepish. Initially I didn’t have plans to pair them with each other, it’s just one of those cases when you have two characters and are like hmm what if?

To start Evinrude and Mariam met because Mariam is a doula! she was originally a masseuse who began training due to the compassion she felt for pregnant clients, and a desire to provide them with care beyond prenatal massage, particularly those who struggle finding someone who will advocate for their reproductive rights.

She has no medical training of course, but she’s excellent at providing new parents with platonic love and support and often sticks with them for 2 weeks postpartum. Evinrude was her client for his first 4 children.

more about Evinrude's past partners under the cut but tw for death and reproductive abuse

Evinrude’s children have 3 different non-gestational parents. He was in a throuple with 2 loving spouses for most of his 20s. When they were ready to have children Anita was born, conceived with Gail, then Henry, Eleanor, and Theo, conceived with Thomasin. They worked and met at a textile & shoe manufacturer owned by Gail’s parents, where Evinrude learned his trade, and they had a collective goal of opening a small independent tailor & shoemaker workshop, despite Gail’s parents often interfering out of their desire to pass their business to him.

Gail and Thomasin are passed. They died due to a fire that broke out at the factory, caught up in rapid flames that spread through the highly flammable fabrics they worked with. Evinrude, primarily working with high flashpoint materials common in shoemaking, managed to get out in time.

Gail’s parents never approved of their only son’s queer-poly relationship, and not having any more heirs after his passing went after Anita, trying pretty ruthlessly to paint Evinrude as an “unfit parent incapable of providing for 4 children on his own.” This ordeal lasted for 2 years, and when the stress and instability started to affect his kids Evinrude was officially at his lowest. He became distant from everyone he knew when Gail and Thomasin were alive, including Mariam, and jumped too quickly into a new relationship with his attorney Oleander.

His initial attraction was due to the lawyer’s commitment to the case, as Oleander managed to bankrupt Anita’s grandparents with countersuits by not only Evinrude but several employees/families effected by the fire, with evidence that the disaster was preventable, forcing them to drop the custody suit.

Their attraction to each other was very strong during the case and they got married on a whim, but cracks began to show quickly. They were very different people with irreconcilable differences and did not get along. However Oleander, while indifferent, was at the very least not ugly to Evinrude’s kids so he stayed for the stability it brought to their lives. Violet and Carol were conceived with Oleander.

He had zero plans to have children with Oleander and had been very explicit with him about this before they married, so Violet was his first surprise/unplanned pregnancy. However, her birth helped ease some of the tension in their relationship, and things looked very hopeful.

When the novelty of a new baby seemed to wear off of Oleander, they both agreed (i.e. he convinced Evinrude) to have another under the false implications it would “fix” the marriage again, but their arguments merely escalated.

It was during one of these arguments that it’s revealed Violet’s conception was not an accident, and that Oleander had sabotaged Evinrude’s birth control. Evinrude began making plans to leave.

Since the ordeal with Anita the fear of his children being taken from him was and is always on his mind, so the day he left he had Oleander sign a document relinquishing parental rights to Violet and soon-to-be Carol, blackmailing him with information that Oleander had been embezzling money from his clients for years.

Evinrude is very proud, and struggles to ask for help. He reconnected with Mariam mostly to apologize for becoming distant with her. Mariam, thankfully, is an emotionally intelligent person, informing him that she was expecting a baby of her own and making him a deal where they help and support each other as single parents. Him and his kids ended up never leaving.

i hope to flesh them and their relationship out more as i continue to entertain them as a couple, i'm leaning towards something more queer-platonic as Mariam was originally created as a way to explore an ace/aroace person who chooses to have a baby. if you made it this far thank you for reading ;o;

[g1deonthefirst]

cw for reproductive coercion and violence: i feel like we should talk more about the implications surrounding reproductive coercion re the heirs: in a no lyctor trials au, i feel like pal & ianthe & maybe harrow would really be pushed into having kids to keep those necromantic lines going

(i say ianthe and not coronabeth here b/c it's probably less likely that corona would have a necromantic child/she needs to run ida, which a pregnancy would make much harder) but we know that there are at least a few ppl on the sixth who pal is genetically compatible with

YES ANON!! ugh this is SUCH a good point. my thing is like, i don't understand how people can argue that the nine houses are post-sexism, post-homophobia, post-gender roles, etc. when you have seven of eight houses relying on a hereditary system of governance that by definition values heirs based on their reproductive capacity. the scene where harrow uses her father's corpse to shoot down the suggestion that she marry and have kids with ortus is honestly horrifying. regardless of whether she's even attracted to men (something nobody seems to care about), she's a child in that scene and already the adults around her are discussing her reproductive capacity. not to mention ortus is, what, eighteen? years older than her. in a world where harrow's parents killed 200 children for one necromantic heir, there is no way all the scions aren't being forced to reproduce whether they like it or not. considering how the themes of the horror of pregnancy/birth and reproductive violence come up again and again, i can't see this detail as anything but intentional, either.

[cyberthot666]

ok so if you haven’t heard about that new mexico teenager that gave birth in a hospital bathroom and tried to hide the dead baby in the garbage can, I ignored it for a bit then I just saw footage from the cop bodycam of them questioning her in the hospital room right after it happened. I am not condoning the way she handled it at all. but the way the news is pushing this story as if she’s some kind of sadistic cold blooded killer. you watch the video and the girl is scared. she’s 19. she may have known she was pregnant she may not have. but this is what happens in a country that constantly bans access to sex education, restricts women’s reproductive rights, and shames women for how they react to becoming pregnant. we don’t know if she was raped. we don’t know if she was coerced. we can not keep acting shocked. these women in these cases are automatically demonized but you don’t know the reality of that situation until you’ve been in it. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this. especially because of the way the media historically treats women. I don’t think what happened to the baby is okay. but they’re sensationalizing her story instead of seeing the real issue here! THIS. IS. WHAT. HAPPENS. when women have no way out. when women aren’t taught about our bodies and instead we are censored, silenced, and shamed. more situations like this will be popping up I guarantee you. this is only the beginning of a reality to come since the overturning of roe v wade.

[thashining]

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The number of women in Texas who died while pregnant, during labor or soon after childbirth skyrocketed following the GOP’s 2021 ban on abortion care — far outpacing a slower rise in maternal mortality across the nation, a new investigation of federal public health data finds.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/4ed8FZM

[bonefall]

what sort of things might a clan cat take for morning sickness? i'm trying to do my own research but all the plants i'm finding that are used for folk remedies to deal with nausea either don't grow anywhere near where i need them or are probably dangerous for pregnant people!

Unfortunately you're not finding anything because there really isn't a good treatment for morning sickness, known scientifically as NVP-- Nausea/Vomiting of Pregnancy. Just folk remedies, which could work decently as a placebo.

Even its cause is unknown. There's a theory that it's supposed to discourage the carrier from eating anything that might harm the fetus during the most sensitive early periods. You don't want to take a risk on eating anything WEIRD when your stomach is extra sensitive, makes sense. There's some evidence that ties it to fluctuations in reproductive hormones, too. But we're still kinda unsure about it.

So my prescription is for your Clan to choose an herb that doesn't actually do anything (I'd suggest dandelions or maybe wild carrots, something with some vitamins) and put that into a bone broth. Something bland but nutritional, and most importantly, hydrating. Bad NVP can really dehydrate the carrier.

In fact there's a severe form of NVP. It's called Hyperemisis Gravidarum; it means you can't stop vomiting. HG is a potentially life threatening pregnancy complication.

HG can cause a pregnant person to lose weight, develop jaundice, anemia, kidney failure, blood conditions like thrombosis or an embolism, or even muscle atrophy. This is a deadly complication but there's still NO particular cure.

If you're looking at HG instead of NVP, the carrier will need to be exclusively on bland broths so they can keep it down. Antihistamines are used as medication, and the BEST herb for that is processed Stinging Nettle.

(Nettle btw is actually an extremely important herb and I've talked about how to harvest it, using Sneezecloud as an example because he requires it for his allergies.)

Stinging Nettle is common as an introduced plant in most temperate environments, but if you don't have that in your chosen biome, do some research into plants used to treat allergies. Those will be a good source of antihistamine.

But, I'm not messing around with how hard NVP and HG are to treat. If HG doesn't respond to that, you may need to consider an abortion-- but keep in mind that the later term the abortion, the more dangerous it will be.

HG is rare, thankfully!! But pregnancy is a dangerous time. Less dangerous for cats, but still dangerous nonetheless.

(Yes btw, cats can develop both of these conditions. It's rarer than in humans though, since we're pretty uniquely fucked up as a species in terms of reproduction)