Imagine we live in the future where it is possible but not entirely routine for men to be given artificial uteri that allow them to bring a baby to term. The baby would be delivered via something like c-section. In my world I’m imagining it would be something akin to a sex change operation, something that is possible but a number of people disagree with, don’t see the value in it, maybe even believe it is harmful, and not very many people ever undergo.
Also assume that after the birth, if you choose, you could be restored back to your old self with no hint that you were ever any other way.
Let’s also assume that money is no object.
Under what circumstances, if any, would you be willing to have a child grow inside you? Would you do it only if your wife physically couldn’t for some reason (I know this is tough to imagine such a world where a man could be affixed with an artificial method of live birth but a woman couldn’t be)? Would you do it if your wife insisted on it, at least for one of the children that you would plan to have? Would you do it happily and possibly even insist that you be allowed to do it even if your wife could and wanted to?
For the straight lady dopers, what would you think about such a world? Would you want your husband/boyfriend to consider it? Would you be aghast at the idea and refuse to date a man who wanted to become pregnant?
For gay male dopers, would you consider it as a way to have your own baby (obviously the egg wouldn’t be yours)? This is the category I fall into personally and I think it would be a great option and would look forward to it excitedly.
For gay female dopers… um, well what would you think about it?
I have never wanted kids, but when I was younger, I thought it might be fun to be pregnant. But after the kid is born, I would turn it over to Star Labs and let them do what they want with it.
As a straight female, I’d date only men who were willing to do it. Since he’d have no after effects,and I surely would, he’s the obvious choice to bear our children. And since I wouldn’t have to do it, I’d want a lot of them. Hopefully he will also take over the household chores, as outside employment might be difficult in his near-constant state of pregnancy.
Hmm I see I overlooked a point of nit picking that seems to be important to many female dopers. What I meant by that comment/qualification of the hypothetical is that the man could be restored to being 100% male with no artificial uterus or whatever, but any stretch marks or other health effects pregnancy would have on a woman will still have on him. He just won’t be stuck with the artificial uterus, or any scars from the surgery or such.
But anything that would last from a natural pregnancy in a woman would last for the man as well.
For my money, what would be vastly more useful would be if medical science would allow a man to nurse the baby. For me at least, carrying the baby was half the effort of nursing. The feeling of “this must be done, with no delays, and only I can do it” was much, much more overwhelming with nursing, and nursing certainly put much greater restrictions on my lifestyle, especially in terms of cost to my professional responsibilities.
Now, had I had one of those babies that went more than 3 hours between feedings, ever, or a job where ducking out to express more often than once a day wasn’t a practical impossibility, or more than six weeks of maternity leave, or even breasts that responded better to the pump, I might feel differently.
As a straight female, if I wanted another child (I don’t), I would be considering the option. My last pregnancy did some damage, and I’m not sure I would be physically up for another.
On a non-personal level, I would be happy that this scenario had more options for more people. Not thrilled that it means more c-sections, but in the right circumstances that’s a small price to pay.
Absolutely! I would almost insist on carrying the pregnancy at least once. Physical depredations notwithstanding, my wife loved being pregnant, and I’m frankly jealous that I’ll never get to experience it.
You guys aren’t getting what I’m trying to say. The pregnancy itself, however it would be for a woman, would be the same for the man. But the surgery to allow for it would leave nothing lasting. Clear enough?
So, yes he would have a scar from the c-section but not from the hypothetical uterus implantation.
Let me make this abundantly clear: ANYTHING A WOMAN WOULD GO THROUGH IN PREGNANCY AND C-SECTION WILL APPLY TO THE MAN, INCLUDING LONG LASTING EFFECTS.
The hormones produced during pregnancy also prepare the breasts for this, so it might not be outside the realm of possibility.
There have been cases of men producing breast milk, and not necessarily those with hyperprolactinemia, either.
Years ago, I was at a meeting with a group of women who were a generation older than I, and somehow the subject of long-term breast-feeding came up. I mentioned that many women had told me that they gave it up sooner than they really wanted to, or never did it in the first place, because you just plain old cannot hand the baby over to your husband and say, “Here, you do this.” Those other women looked at me like I had just said “Sieg Heil”. My guess is that they had the kind of husbands who refused to have anything to do with the kids until they were potty-trained.
I’m a mom, and I wouldn’t let my husband carry the baby. I loved being pregnant, loved the feeling and the emotion of it, and a few months of morning sickness and some stretch marks, hemoroids, back pain and leg cramps didn’t spoil it for me. It’s really a cool, cool thing.
The problem with the hypothetical is if we are at the level of bio-technology that this can be done all the man is providing is a warm sac and a blood supply for the baby. Assuming this level of technology exists there is nothing the man can provide that cannot be provided more safely and efficiently by a dedicated future tech artificial womb of some kind.
