Alternatives to natural birth

[JALU3]

So in the PBeM, in a side conversation with Dan I had mentioned the fact that men are technologically unnecessary when it comes to having a child. So given that that is actually possible reality, I was thinking about the child birth that would follow. Given that we have seen natural child birth in Star Trek on screen, would it be possible given the advanced transporter technology, just to beam with child out as an alternative to having a cesarean section, without it having adverse effects on the mother?
Also, would two men, be able to procreate a child using the same technology? If so how would they gestate the fetus/prenatal/person? Another thing pops into mind seeing as how now women who can afford it, hire surrogates, with the level of technology available, would there be technology based alternatives?
How about multiple individuals (example 4 (1/4 genetic information from each person) like with the Relaunched Andorians)?

[The Tatterdemalion King]

I'm pretty sure they beam out Miral in VOY; the mother would still have to expel a significant amount of placental material though.

The existence of the Augments in ENT indicates that the ability to create life from genetic samples and gestate it sans biological womb existed far before the invention of the transporter.

[Dan Gurden]

Like I said. I am pretty glad I dont have to think too hard on this issue... However it came up in relation to my game and thus I had to give it some thought... Now to answer I feel I myust tread veeeeeery carefully here.

I think that the same technology to splice the genetics in a female/female pairing would also apply for a male/male pairing, although a donor egg would be required.

We know that with some alien technology men can get pregnant (just ask Trip Tucker), we also know that in an emergency the Transporter can be used to transport a feotus to a surrogate womb (just ask Kira Nerys)... also of note; said surrogate doesn't neccesarily have to be of the same species, as long as its mostly geneticaly compatible (long term care seemed to be required for the duration of term). This also implies that surrogacy is all fine and dandy too, another option for male/male couples.

There is also the option of a technological womb, and in the setting of the game in question (post 2380's Borg dissolution) there may even have been advances gleaned from Borg technology that enhances this science.

I would imagine that there is still a certain amount of discussion on the issue, but rather than this discussion focusing on the parents sex as it would do now, it would be on the use of technology and how close the science is to augments... (as TDK has pointed out that some of the same science may have been used)

[The Tatterdemalion King]

Like I said. I am pretty glad I dont have to think too hard on this issue... However it came up in relation to my game and thus I had to give it some thought... Now to answer I feel I myust tread veeeeeery carefully here.

Why? Did a male PC get knocked up?

I think that the same technology to splice the genetics in a female/female pairing would also apply for a male/male pairing, although a donor egg would be required.

Unless you can create an artificial egg which the male DNA can imprint upon. You might need to 'fill it out' with some other DNA, though.

[JALU3]

I'm pretty sure they beam out Miral in VOY

http://youtu.be/nhdrEHNhm-w
Was that the end of a natural birth?

sans biological womb existed far before the invention of the transporter.

Makes me wonder how often a the nonbiological womb is utilized.

We know that with some alien technology men can get pregnant (just ask Trip Tucker)

This was resolved before the prenatal person developed past the Zygote phase. So we do not know how far the technology extends to allow a male human, or any other species for that matter, to biologically develop the child. So it could be to second trimester or term, or sometime before then.

said surrogate doesn't neccesarily have to be of the same species, as long as its mostly geneticaly compatible (long term care seemed to be required for the duration of term).

This appears to be more due to Kira's Bajoran biology.

Can one create an artificial egg without DNA and implant two halves of DNA, or multiple portions of different DNAs?
For instance can a person with multiple partners all within one relationship (polygamy) have a child with parts of all their DNA?