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Pregnancy
Amy_is_a_Ganger!_-_Doctor_Who_-_Almost_People_-_Series_6_-_BBC

Amy is a Ganger! - Doctor Who - Almost People - Series 6 - BBC

Amy Pond gives birth to Melody on Demon's Run. (TV: The Almost People [+]Matthew Graham, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011).)

Pregnancy was the carrying of one or more offspring inside a womb or pregnancy sac, often by the females of a species, although male pregnancies were typical in some species. (TV: The Tsuranga Conundrum [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 11 (BBC One, 2018).) It typically ended with abortion, miscarriage or childbirth. (TV: Dead of Night [+]Jane Espenson, Torchwood series 4 (Starz, 2011).)

Some pregnancies, like ectopic pregnancies, could not result in a live birth, due to complications, (AUDIO: Moving Target [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.) except during the Miracle, when abortions and miscarriages were made impossible. (TV: Dead of Night [+]Jane Espenson, Torchwood series 4 (Starz, 2011).)

Time Lord[]

According to one account, all pregnancies on Gallifrey ended in miscarriage when the Pythia cursed her world with sterility. Even Rassilon's wife was said to have endured this curse. (PROSE: Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible [+]Marc Platt, adapted from Cat's Cradle, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1992).) This required Time Lords to adopt the asexual "Looming" process of artificial genetic reproduction. This resulted in the elimination of direct, lineal familial relations, rendering all relationships collateral. In other words, Time Lords of the same family could at most be only cousins of each other. However, the Pythia's curse did not seem to extend to off-worlders, as Leela was pregnant with Andred's baby. (PROSE: Lungbarrow [+]Marc Platt, adapted from Lungbarrow, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1997).)

Most other accounts did not support the idea of the Pythia's curse, showing that Time Lords had at least approximately human sexual relations. Susan, for instance, had an apparently Earth-normal pregnancy to produce her son; the extreme xenophobia present on Earth in the 2160s and 2170s would have made her a social outcast had her pregnancy been viewed as abnormal. (AUDIO: An Earthly Child [+]Marc Platt, Bonus Releases (Big Finish Productions, 2009).) The Saxon Master once reminisced with the Tenth Doctor about "[his] father's estate". (TV: The End of Time [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2009 and New Year Special 2010 (BBC One, 2009-2010).) As well as this, the Eighth Doctor made mention of a father, (TV: Doctor Who [+]Matthew Jacobs, Doctor Who Television Movie (Fox Broadcasting Company, 1996).) as did the Tenth Doctor, (TV: The Fires of Pompeii [+]James Moran, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).) the Tenth Doctor mentioned a brother (TV: Smith and Jones [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007).) and the Doctor himself being a father, (TV: Fear Her [+]Matthew Graham, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006)., The Doctor's Daughter [+]Stephen Greenhorn, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).) while Clara Oswald mentioned the Doctor's missing children and grandchildren (TV: Death in Heaven [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 8 (BBC One, 2014).) and Missy mentioned her daughter (TV: The Witch's Familiar [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 9 (BBC One|BBC One]], 2015).) — not to mention the fact that Susan and Alex Campbell were unambiguously identified by the Eighth Doctor as his biological grand-daughter and great-grandson. (AUDIO: An Earthly Child [+]Marc Platt, Bonus Releases (Big Finish Productions, 2009)., Relative Dimensions [+]Marc Platt, Eighth Doctor Adventures (Big Finish Productions, 2010).) One account showed numerous groups of families with Gallifreyan children on the planet Gallifrey during the Last Great Time War. The Doctor knew by his tenth incarnation that on the last day of the Time War, 2.47 billion children were on the planet. (TV: The Day of the Doctor [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special (BBC One, 2013).) The Eleventh Doctor claimed in one account that he slept in a small cot. (TV: A Good Man Goes to War [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011).) Another account showed the First Doctor as a child. (TV: Listen [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 8 (BBC One, 2014).)

Human[]

Under normal circumstances, pregnancies amongst the human and humanoid were always endured by the female of the species.

Human pregnancies typically lasted nine months. (TV: The Gathering [+]John Fay, Torchwood series 4 (Starz, 2011)., Dark Water [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 8 (BBC One, 2014)., The Tsuranga Conundrum [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 11 (BBC One, 2018).) Pregnancy could remain not visible as long as three months in. (TV: Boom Town [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

The Doctor's companions[]

Only a few of the Doctor's companions and close allies were known to be pregnant. Most were pregnant long after they stopped travelling in the TARDIS. Dodo Chaplet, for instance, was pregnant with James Stevens' baby when she was murdered by Francis Cleary. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy [+]David Bishop, Virgin Books (1996).) In 2600, Bernice Summerfield became pregnant with Adrian Wall's baby when Avril Fenman temporarily took over her body. (PROSE: The Squire's Crystal [+]Jacqueline Rayner, Bernice Summerfield novels (Big Finish Productions, 2001)., The Infernal Nexus [+]Dave Stone, Bernice Summerfield novels (Big Finish Productions, 2001)., The Glass Prison [+]Jacqueline Rayner, Bernice Summerfield novels (Big Finish Productions, 2002).)

One pregnancy in a companion's family can be directly attributed to the Doctor's matchmaking. After the Tenth Doctor's repeated insistence that it would be a "good match", an alternate Peter Tyler pursued a relationship with Jackie Tyler. She was pregnant with his son by the time that the Doctor summoned Rose Tyler to Bad Wolf Bay. (TV: Doomsday [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).)

A pregnant Amy in the Dream Lord's fantasy world

A pregnant Amy in the Dream Lord's fantasy world. (TV: Amy's Choice [+]Simon Nye, Doctor WhoTelevision stories series 5 (BBC One, 2010).)

One companion was known to be pregnant while an active TARDIS traveller. After being exposed to psychic pollen, Amy Pond dreamed that she was pregnant with Rory's baby. (TV: Amy's Choice [+]Simon Nye, Doctor WhoTelevision stories series 5 (BBC One, 2010).) She later fell pregnant and gave birth to River Song, conceiving her while in the Doctor's TARDIS and it was confirmed that being conceived in the Time Vortex had given River Time Lord-like characteristics. (TV: A Good Man Goes to War [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011).)

Another companion, the male Chris Cwej, was known to have impregnated a couple of women — Ishtar Hutchings and Dep — that he met while the Seventh Doctor's companion. (PROSE: Happy Endings [+]Paul Cornell, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1996)., The Also People [+]Ben Aaronovitch, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1995).)

Captain Jack Harkness, a male, had fallen pregnant at an unspecified point in his life, (TV: Everything Changes [+]Russell T Davies, Torchwood series 1 (BBC Three, 2006).) as a result of a student prank. (AUDIO: Expectant [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

Harkness was later impregnated by the Empress of the Yalnix Empire with the future Ruler of the Yalnix. (AUDIO: Expectant [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

On an alternate Earth, Jo Grant was pregnant when she encountered the Seventh Doctor, but lost the baby shortly afterwards. (PROSE: Blood Heat [+]Jim Mortimore, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1993).)

In one account, Sarah Jane Smith was said to have fallen pregnant and given birth to a girl named Lauren. (PROSE: Lily [+]Jackie Marshall, Short Trips: A Christmas Treasury (Short Trips short stories, 2004).)

Rose gives birth to her daughter

Rose Tyler gives birth to Mia. (COMIC: Empire of the Wolf [+]Jody Houser, Doctor Who (2020) (Titan Publishing Group, 2021-2022).)

Rose Tyler fell pregnant with the Meta-Crisis Doctor's child Mia. The Meta-Crisis Doctor was a human hybrid incarnation of the Tenth Doctor created by biological meta-crisis. (PROSE: The Turning of the Tide [+]Jenny T Colgan, The Target Storybook (2019).)

In an alternate universe created when the Fourth Doctor went through with destroying the incubation room, Leela fell pregnant with the child of a Tesh called Gentek, placed there by the Master. The Master later captured Leela and used a cataclysmic converter to accelerate her pregnancy to full term, forcing her to give birth to the first members of a new tribe known as the Sevatesh. (AUDIO: Who Am I? [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

Other humans[]

Queen Mary I believed that she was pregnant, but this turned out to be a false pregnancy. (AUDIO: The Marian Conspiracy [+]Jacqueline Rayner, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2000).)

In 1953, Marjory Kennedy was pregnant with Father Hemmings's baby when she was murdered by Walter Seacombe. (PROSE: The Canvey Angels [+]David Bailey, Short Trips: Companions (Short Trips, Big Finish Productions, 2003).)

James Stevens' wife Natasha was pregnant with his baby when their marriage ended. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy [+]David Bishop, Virgin Books (1996).)

In 1987, Sarah Clark was pregnant with Stuart Hoskins's baby. It was in part because of this that they scheduled a wedding for this year. (TV: Father's Day [+]Paul Cornell, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

In 1997, Tilusha Meswani became pregnant with Phil Tarrant's baby, Sanjay, which became possessed by Kelzen. (PROSE: Infinite Requiem [+]Daniel Blythe, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1995).)

Penelope Silver became pregnant with Norton Silver's baby. (PROSE: Option Lock [+]Justin Richards, BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1998).)

In 2003, Annie Carpenter was pregnant with Michael Pembroke's baby. This fact helped them fight off the Scourge's attempts to feed on their negative emotions. (AUDIO: The Shadow of the Scourge [+]Paul Cornell, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2000).)

In 2005, Agatha Ellis became pregnant with Godfrey's baby. (PROSE: Curtain Call [+]Joseph Lidster, Short Trips: Farewells (Short Trips short stories, 2006).)

In early 2006, the webmaster of Who is Doctor Who? was aware that there existed a reason for MP Joseph Green's recent weight gain, and that is wasn't because he was pregnant. (PROSE: Rose sighting confirmed [+]BBC webteam, Who is Doctor Who? (BBC, 2005).)

In September 2006, Cathy Salt was three months pregnant when she interviewed Margaret Blaine. Blaine, who was actually Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen in disguise, planned to kill Cathy, but let her go when she learned of her condition. (TV: Boom Town [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

Paul Langer told his son Clyde that he had impregnated Clyde's aunt, Melba. (TV: The Mark of the Berserker [+]Joseph Lidster, The Sarah Jane Adventures series 2 (CBBC, 2008).)

Donna Noble mentioned that her friend Nerys had conceived twins using a turkey baster. (TV: The Doctor's Daughter [+]Stephen Greenhorn, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).)

Gwen Cooper appeared to be pregnant when a Nostrovite transferred one of its eggs into her body in the 2000s.[nb 1] (TV: Something Borrowed [+]Phil Ford, Torchwood series 2 (BBC Three, 2008).)

In 2009, Gwen became pregnant for real with her husband Rhys Williams' baby. This happened despite her use of contraceptive pills. Gwen blamed the various medications she had been given as a member of Torchwood Three for the failure of her contraception. (TV: Children of Earth: Day One [+]Russell T Davies, Torchwood series 3 (BBC One, 2009)., Children of Earth: Day Two [+]John Fay, Torchwood series 3 (BBC One, 2009).)

Tameka Vito became pregnant with Scott's baby. (PROSE: Beyond the Sun [+]Matt Jones, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1997).)

In 5,000,000,053, Cheen was pregnant with Milo's baby. (TV: Gridlock [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007).)

Zara, even as a product of the Grace, became pregnant with Marek's baby on the Sphere. Her connection with her sister, Abby, meant she could feel the pains and illnesses of Zara's pregnancy. (AUDIO: The Sphere [+]Simon Guerrier, Graceless (Big Finish Productions, 2010).)

Kala Mandell was three weeks pregnant with her husband Niccolo Mandell's baby when his crimes were exposed. (PROSE: Mission: Impractical [+]David A. McIntee, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1998).)

Other species[]

Shub-Niggurath was pregnant when she arrived into the beginning of the universe from the previous universe. She delivered her child on Polymos, which became the Nestene Consciousness. (PROSE: Synthespians™ [+]Craig Hinton, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 2004).)

Quill pregnancies typically resulted in many children and often ended with the death of the mother in childbirth. Pregnancies appeared to progress rapidly and a Quill could appear heavily pregnant less than an hour after conception, (TV: The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did [+]Patrick Ness, Class television stories series 1 (BBC Three, 2016).) which was the start of a week-long hibernation period where the fetuses moved to the second womb. (TV: The Lost [+]Patrick Ness, Class television stories series 1 (BBC Three, 2016).) In 2016, Andra'ath, otherwise known as Andrea Quill, last of the species, fell pregnant with the half-Lorr child of Ballon after having sex. (TV: The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did [+]Patrick Ness, Class television stories series 1 (BBC Three, 2016).) Andra'ath was scared of giving birth as she was aware it would result in her death. Abnormally, she conceived only one child instead of many. She fought the Shadow Kin whilst heavily pregnant with the child. (TV: The Lost [+]Patrick Ness, Class television stories series 1 (BBC Three, 2016).)

At least one Aggedor was pregnant for nearly 100 years between the 40th and the 41st century. (AUDIO: The Bride of Peladon [+]Barnaby Edwards, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2008).)

Both Gifftan males and females could fall pregnant, though males only bore male children, whilst females only bore female children. Male Gifftan pregnancy lasted for a week and progressed at a rapid speed compared to human pregnancies. Babies were gestated in a pregnancy sac that was cut open painlessly during birth. In the 67th century, Yoss Inkl was an unexpectedly pregnant Gifftan encountered by the Thirteenth Doctor and her companions just before he gave birth to his son, Avocado. (TV: The Tsuranga Conundrum [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 11 (BBC One, 2018).)

In the year 200,000, the Face of Boe fell pregnant, expecting "Boemina". (TV: The Long Game [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

Behind the scenes[]

A few actors made public the fact that they were pregnant while filming Doctor Who. Caroline John was probably the first, though she didn't let producer Barry Letts know about it. Nevertheless she definitely was pregnant during the filming of The Ambassadors of Death, and even performed some ill-advised stunts. (DCOM: The Ambassadors of Death) Wendy Padbury was also pregnant during the filming of The Five Doctors and had to have rather oddly-designed clothes to conceal the fact. Unfortunately, she miscarried soon after recording the story. (DOC: MM VHS 7) Tracy Ann Oberman learned of her own pregnancy during filming of her role as Yvonne Hartman in the two-parter Army of Ghosts/Doomsday.[1] More recently, Jodie Whittaker was pregnant whilst filming her final story as the Thirteenth Doctor, The Power of the Doctor.[2]

At least one false pregnancy was circulated by the Doctor Who production office. Mary Tamm claimed that John Nathan-Turner invented the rumour that she left the programme was because she was pregnant. In fact, though, her daughter's birthday was proof she couldn't have been pregnant while filming even the later part of her tenure.[3]

Footnotes[]

Notes[]

  1. The second series of Torchwood is set anywhere from 2007-2010 as a result of conflicting evidence shown in the episodes Ghost Machine, Greeks Bearing Gifts, Random Shoes, To the Last Man, Reset, Adrift, Fragments, Exit Wounds, and The New World, as well as Meat placing the series about a year after the start of series 1.
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