Donora has a very family-driven society with a lot of emphasis on kinship, as such Donorians have specific traditions and rituals to do with pregnancy and raising children.
Childbirth & Midwives
Donorians go through a pregnancy and live childbirth as part of the reproduction of their species. Childbirth often requires medical professionals like midwives or medical professionals to be involved in the care of the pregnant person and the childbirth themselves. They are also important in keeping the mother calm during childbirth by giving off a calm presence for the Donorian mother’s empathic abilities to pick up on.
Midwifery is a respected profession on Donora, with them being called upon more frequently than a Doctor when a woman finds out they are pregnant. Midwives are trained by an experienced Midwife during an apprenticeship. Once they are fully trained Midwives still normally work under their mentor or they may move away and become the senior midwife of their own area.
Midwives take care of a woman and baby during her pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. While they are different from a Medical Doctor, modern Donorian midwives will still commonly use modern tools like ultrasounds and analysis of the blood or urine to detect any problems early on. Midwives are trained to deal with a normal pregnancy, so if there are complications beyond their skill they will call a medical professional for help.
Oftentimes, childbirth is done in the home through a homebirth, with midwives and possibly other medical professionals helping out. Hospital births are much rarer and really only happen when there is a risk to the mother or child.
Infants
Babies will commonly be carried by their mother, in a sling carrier until they can walk. Most times, parents will take care of most of the childcare, with extended family also helping out.
It is common for babies to stay in the home and out of the public eye for a while after being born, often being introduced to those outside the home after a few weeks. This practice is often seen as a way for the baby to slowly be introduced to different emotions rather than being brought out in public and exposed to many at once, which is often overwhelming for a baby.
Children and Approaches to Education
Children are seen as a key to the Donorian future and as such their education and future is seen as important.
Children are often taught by parents and extended family their basic life skills before going off to school where they learn reading and writing and all that. Donora has a strong public school system with all children being required to get at least a certain level of education.
Children are often encouraged to follow the skills they enjoy and are good at, not putting as much emphasis on things they aren't. This is part of the bigger philosophy of not forcing something to be something it's not.
Rituals & Traditions
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 seen as a way for the baby to get used to sensing emotions and not get overwhelmed.
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