Male Pregnancy

Take Two on Male Pregnancy

Okay, my autistic brain still hasn't given up on this. It occurred to me that an intersex (or maybe what you'd consider a "true hermaphrodite" - but I am not meaning "hermaphrodite" in a derogatory manner - I'm taking it from the Greek where it's the proper name of the son of Hermes and Aphrodite who, in Ovid, was loved by the nymph Salmacis so ardently that she prayed for complete union with him and as a result they were united bodily, combining male and female characteristics) still doesn't answer some problems and it also occurred to me that there are ways around having a vulva-like opening. So... take two...

One big problem with those who appear male in bearing offspring is the pelvis. "Female" and "male" skeletons can be distinguished by the pelvis because a narrow pelvis isn't conducive to birth or squeezing out eggs. So, once again, we're left with very small infants if we're going to have our "males" giving birth.

Now, the "Xy" chromosome is a must, in my opinion, because NOTHING is going to change the fact that the "y" chromosome is simply too stunted and lacking in genetic code to consistently produce viable offspring. (There's a reason why so many genetic disorders are linked to the "y" chromosome - like hemophilia.) So our propagators still have their own chromosome and that chromosome is a large part of why I would accept our propagators as an evolutionary improvement. Their offspring would have more stable genetics than the typical "x" and "y" pairings.

On to the physical aspects again...

If you don't want to have an opening between the testicles and the anus (as I suggested in chapter one) then an alternative would be a separate opening in the rectum (very low and just after entering the anus) that connects via a tube to a functioning uterus. In the interest of "no child unwanted" (which is super important to me) I'm going to suggest that this opening is closed during sex unless certain conditions are met. Those conditions could be Alpha and Omega pheromones combining in the Omegaverse, a seasonal "heat" (which is used in many Omegaverse stories and a few that just have a third gender), or maybe something internal like a hormone secreted when the propagator has decided it's time to bear offspring (but that hormone, in my imaginary world, would NOT secrete under any sort of coercion - only a genuine desire to bear offspring).

This would quite possibly result in sex that is extremely pleasurable for both parties. The one doing the penetrating would enjoy the tight space and the one doing the receiving could have nerves connecting to the both the penis and to an internal clitoris, Bartholin's glands for lubrication, and the hormones/pheromones/chemical production to increase pleasure (if the author chooses).

You still have to have very tiny babies because there's just not a lot of room in the "male" pelvis to cradle a big womb or in the body cavity to squeeze one out. I'm still in favor of a marsupial pouch (although if you've got nipples in it to feed the babies then the nipples on the pectorals would probably no longer exist. Also, the propagator would definitely end up a bit pear shaped if there are mammary glands AND babies in an abdominal pouch.) The alternative to that would be to have newborns strapped up high on the chests the majority of every day while they finish developing. This gives vital skin on skin contact and allows the infants to nurse at the same time. (This, by the way, is actually a technique used with preemies in some underdeveloped areas that has had a really good success rate in survival of these preemies. Both parents can "kangaroo carry" their preemie and the skin to skin contact seems to be especially beneficial to the baby.)

Fun fact: "Males" have mammary glands too. Male mammals have nursed offspring, even though it's uncommon. So if you want both parents to be involved after birth in your story you can either have the "father" consume or inject estrogen supplements to encourage lactation or you can have the propagator emit some hormone/pheromone/chemical that stimulates estrogen (and lactation) in the "father". Doing so would certainly help with parental bonding, give the propagator a much needed break, and make life considerably more fair - but that's an author's choice. Another notion that occurs to me is having this hormone/pheromone/chemical affect a "female" to create a wet-nurse without making the wet-nurse get pregnant first. (I've always found the concept of taking another baby's milk supply away from it to feed YOUR child repugnant.)

Twins might be a common side affect of our propagators bearing offspring because multiples are smaller at birth (usually) than singles. If our propagators evolved after a big disaster, the predisposition to bear twins would be a further genetic advantage.

Disadvantages would be that birth would probably be more dangerous for our propagators. They've got narrow pelvises and the anus has limits to how far it can stretch. It is possible (although generally very rare in developed countries) for a "female" to experience tearing that extends to the anus. Our propagators would have a far higher risk of anal tears so our obstetricians would need to be very skilled at those kinds of repairs. Also, I would think our propagators early recovery from birthing would involve a LOT of residual pain. (So PAMPER those propagators, authors!)

Another disadvantage could easily be bone density. You might not know this, but gestating a fetus robs the body of calcium, especially in the bones and teeth. "Females" can rebuild a lot of their bone density after birth and after they stop breastfeeding (both gestation and breastfeeding are hard on our bones) because of increased estrogen levels. If our propagators produce more testosterone than estrogen during pregnancy and breastfeeding then their bones are going to be at risk. So the propagators should also have calcium rich foods (and supplements), iron rich foods (and supplements), and (if needed) foods and supplements that increase estrogen levels. But maybe your propagators already have higher estrogen levels during pregnancy and childbirth...

(Almost forgot!) Before sex and DEFINITELY before birth the rectum would need to be THOROUGHLY cleaned. Fecal matter is a huge transmitter of disease and parasites. Not only would lack of careful cleaning put the the propagator at risk of serious infection but the babies would be at risk to. I see way too many stories where that part is ignored and it always makes me cringe...

What I haven't figured out is why these propagators would evolve in the first place. Generally speaking, we're in more danger of men dying out than we are of women dying out. If I ever write a story in this sort of AU I will probably have it follow a huge disaster where a bunch of foolish men banded together and didn't protect the childbearers until the male to female ratio was entirely out of whack. And then this group will be isolated from the others for a few generations until the propagators are numerous enough and their genetics are stable enough to survive contact with the wider world. But realistically speaking, I have more faith in most women surviving an apocalypse than I do most men because women are trained from infancy to be cooperative. (This may, of course, be my bias because I live in America which is saturated with males who compensate for their failures as humans with aggression and guns.)

I'll end this with a book suggestion (not on Wattpad). If you want to read about an AU where men are rare and women rule check out Wen Spencer's "A Brother's Price".