A note on pregnancy

[Nindigo]

Just thought I'd share an observation (I know it's probably not unique, but still..).

Each time my Melanie has been pregnant, I have refrained from using the pregnancy test, as I have come to enjoy not knowing whether to expect success or not. Instead, I wait and look for signs of nausea and thought bubbles indicating pregnancy. During this time (before pregnancy has been established) I have also observed Melanie sprint to the bathroom in the morning to throw up. So, all in all, there are obvious signs of pregnancy that one can enjoy when leaving out the use of the pregnancy test. I guess I'm writing this because I know it's common to be impatient and use the test, especially among challenge players. In order to save precious time, of course. But playing casually, though, I would no longer want to miss out little things like this

How do you guys handle pregnancies?

[Deklitch]

Just thought I'd share an observation (I know it's probably not unique, but still..).

Each time my Melanie has been pregnant, I have refrained from using the pregnancy test, as I have come to enjoy not knowing whether to expect success or not. Instead, I wait and look for signs of nausea and thought bubbles indicating pregnancy. During this time (before pregnancy has been established) I have also observed Melanie sprint to the bathroom in the morning to throw up. So, all in all, there are obvious signs of pregnancy that one can enjoy when leaving out the use of the pregnancy test. I guess I'm writing this because I know it's common to be impatient and use the test, especially among challenge players. In order to save precious time, of course. But playing casually, though, I would no longer want to miss out little things like this

How do you guys handle pregnancies?

I handle it by sending the pregnant sim into a purchased tent and leaving them in there for as much of the pregnancy as possible.   I also read or thought I read on Carl's guide that if you didn't give the sim the pregnancy test, after woohoo/try for baby, they couldn't get pregnant. So, what you're saying is the test isn't needed?

I always used the "check if sim can go to uni/on holidays" 'feature' of Sims 3 to know if my sims fell pregnant (I play with sound off in Sims 3). Is there a similar 'feature' in sims 4?

[Nindigo]

@Deklitch No, the test is not required. It's simply there for the impatient player to offer clarity right away for a small fee. My Melanie has always gotten pregnant after the first try. No tests ever used. The feature you mention is not really a thing before pregnancy has been established, and by then you already know. Pregnant Sims in TS4 can do all normal activities except for hard exercise in the later stages.

[Trip]

Doesn't not using the test make the pregnancy longer? Since the test immediately gives you the First Trimester buff. Haven't impregnated anyone in a while but I swore it made a time difference.

[Nindigo]

@Trip Yes, it adds the stage of being pregnant, but not established pregnant. Which is why, I assume, impatient and time pressed souls skip it by using the test. But I rather enjoy the more natural flow of the pregnancy when not using a test.

[TomasGrizzly]

I always used the "check if sim can go to uni/on holidays" 'feature' of Sims 3 to know if my sims fell pregnant (I play with sound off in Sims 3). Is there a similar 'feature' in sims 4?

I think TS4 only limits physical activities in the last stage. If your household was at 7 members already, it might block another 'try for baby' as the 8th slot would be reserved for the unborn child. Due to the way travel works in TS4, I don't think there's a limit on the travel of pregnant sims.

[Deklitch]

No offence to anyone meant, but in my games, I always play with the default gender roles/making baby assignments. So, I will use the words mother/mumma and father/dadda and they will refer to the 'traditional' roles.

Thanks @TomasGrizzly and @Nindigo . Nindigo as soon as my Sims 3 sims try for baby/woohoo, I click on the phone of the mother and see if go to uni/travel are allowed or not. Hovering over those options tells me that "Pregnant sims can't enrol in uni/travel" and I know whether or not Dadda and Mumma have to try again straight away. The throwing up process by the mumma sim doesn't happen until some time after that. Of course, that only works if the mumma sim is controlled by me, if she isn't, then they keep on trying until she cries out "not tonight dadda"

From memory, the way that my sister looked in the last trimester of both of her pregnancies, was a lot more similar to the Sims 4 pregnant women than the Sims 3 pregnant women.

'twas amusing when mumma sim was ready to give birth and dadda sim continued playing his computer game, even though it was happening right in front of him. He completed his game, by this time I think the first of the twins was born, and THEN he decided to go into the panicked dadda dance.

[Nindigo]

@Deklitch I doubt you have offended anyone. Nothing wrong with playing with traditional roles "not tonight dadda"...you drive a hard bargain, huh? And that's a neat little trick you are using in TS3.

When my Sim(s 4) ladies are in labor, I usually have them take a nap or go to sleep. For some reason, they can do this. Then they are spared the "uncomfiness" of labor (being sarcastic her, as I have tried it in real life). Come time to pop, they just get up in front of the crib and deliver.

[Joria]

Having used the no test route I wasn't sure my Sim was pregnant.  However, as she stood by, building a rocket ship, the confetti came down to announce she was pregnant!  I don't recall ever seeing this unless they took the test.

[Nindigo]

@Joria The confetti always happens when the first trimester sets in - whether it be by test or waiting, and then the Sim will want to go and inform the other parent, if they are present.

[Playalot]

I like to wait, looking for the little signs too, like the nauseous dry retch into the hand and the thought bubbles with a baby's toy (?) in it and so on. It also gives my vampires another day to drink from the pregnant-but-we-don't-officially-know-it-yet sim.   

[reggikko]

You can also click on the toilet several hours after Try for Baby and if "throw up" is one of the options, the Sim is pregnant. This doesn't seem to work for abduction pregnancies, though. I usually use the toilet trick and then take the pregnancy test if they get the throw up option. This avoids the sad moodlet that occurs if you take the test and they are not pregnant.

Oshizu did some extensive testing of pregnancy and infant times in her Wonder Child challenge. I can't remember the exact breakdown, but it seems that length of pregnancy affects how long the infant stage lasts. I think not taking the pregnancy test yields a 2-day, rather than 3-day, infant stage.

[Deklitch]

In some playing around I'm doing with pregnancy and nooboos ... I chose not to take the pregnancy test on the first try for babies ... they had twins and it seemed almost straight away they were being told its time for the twins to have their parties.

Their older adopted siblings seemed to take longer before they got that message.

[Sindocat]

Last night, I made my start on Generation 3, with my heir, Alf Baulaire, and his childhood friend, high school sweetheart, now husband, Alexander Goth.  They literally managed a Try For Baby in the rooftop hot tub before I had to send Alf off on his first day of work as a Secret Agent, so Alexander was home alone.

Back downstairs, I was cycling through topping off his motives preliminary to sitting him down to hammer out a Freelancer Writing gig, and so though he wasn't in the amber zone yet, I had him visit the toilet to top off his Bladder meter. Clicking on it, I was immediately offered the options "Use" and "Upgrade" (greyed out - he doesn't yet have the skill), but also "Take Pregnancy Test" and "Throw Up". 

The latter looked pretty persuasive of pregnancy for me - I don't let my Sims near spoiled food, so I never see "Throw Up" otherwise, but I spent the 15 and had Alexander use a pregnancy test. I like to know right away! But even so, there are usually indications.