What the Medicine is for

Stra'a smiled with just a hint of condescension. "It's medicine, Nyota, not magic. Of course it's going to take time for the effect to be noticeable. When I said I was going to prove to you that it was for the good of our child, I did not mean to imply that the effect would be instantaneous. Now to explain it to you.

"You will know that the actual process of giving birth is very stressful for both the mother and the baby. At least, it is for Omegans, and I assume that the same must apply for humans. Intelligent races tend to develop disproportionately large skulls to accommodate their big brains, and this causes problems. I believe you are a slim woman even by Earth standards, Nyota. You certainly are by Omegan standards. Thus a very difficult birth would be almost certain, probably requiring a caesarian. That would be bad for you and bad for the baby. So, over a period of a few months, the medication is going to widen your hips and so make the birth much easier.

"As for your thirst...

1. "That's a perfectly normal side effect. We'll see that you get plenty to drink."
2. "That's rather worrying. Perhaps human women are more different from Omegans than we had thought."

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