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.
Midwives & Obstetricians
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 they 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.
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.
Children and Approaches to Education
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. Kids will often also learn skills like hunting, fishing, or other survival skills from their families; this is less common in urban areas where these skills aren’t widely used.
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.
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