Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) The Child (1988) User Reviews

Some interesting background to "The Child"

[mike_elston · 6/10 · 5 June 2019]

It turns out, as revealed in the first part of "Making It So: Continuing ST:TNG" (a retrospective documentary that appears on the Blu-ray release of season 2), that this story was originally written for the projected (but never made) "Star Trek: Phase II", with Captain Kirk et al plus three new characters. With the Hollywood writers' strike looming, rather than come up with a new story, "The Child" was revised, with the parts originally written for the new characters of Phase II given to Riker, Troi and Data. Of course, some new elements were necessary: introducing Dr Pulaski, explaining the decision of Wesley Crusher to remain with the Enterprise, and so on. This would explain many of the complaints in earlier reviews published here: notably that the plot isn't up to the standard of other ST:TNG scripts of the time. Simply put, it's not really a ST:TNG script, but a composite of an older script with new characters transposed into it. And, to my mind, it's done pretty seamlessly.

Many good changes, one bad.

[brueggemanntami · 6/10 · 27 February 2023]

I am reviewing the many changes beginning this season rather than simply this episode. Quite a few improvements were made to the show from this point forward.

Commander Riker's Beard. Counselor Troi's hair. Lieutenant Geordi La Forge's promotion to Chief Engineer. Guinan and the Ten Forward. Lieutenant Worf's promotion to Security Chief, along with better makeup for the actor. Ensign Wesley Crusher's more adult uniform. Transporter Chief Miles O'Brien becoming a defined character instead of just someone in the background.

However, they made one glaring mistake. The talented actress Gates McFadden was let go at the end of Season 1. Her character was sorely missed. I absolutely cannot stand Dr. Pulaski. A lot of Star Trek fans felt the same way. Thankfully the Powers That Be listened and Dr. Beverly Crusher was brought back.

A good episode ruined by one simple thing

[jfriesen1701 · 6/10 · 27 February 2024]

This isn't a bad episode on paper.

Dr. Crusher is gone so now we have Pulaski. Okay, that's fine. LaForge is now chief engineer and Riker has a beard. Okay that's fine. TV shows changing over time are a natural part of their evolution and so everything "new" introduced in this episode doesn't bother me at all.j The concept itself is very interesting: an alien impregnates a human to learn about human life. That's a solid Star Trek episode right there. Unfortunately there's a big issue with this premise for me. Why would Troi essentially immediatelly accept her rape as her own child?

Now, Troi accepting the child as her own I have no issues with. It grew inside her, so it was her baby. I imagine motherhood was quite strong there.

But the fact that an unknown alien impregnated Deanna is rape. Even if the alien wasn't malicious in intent, it was still rape. Troi is way too "okay" with the fact that she was raped and now has to have a baby because of it.

The rest of the episode is just okay for me. The writing isn't super bad or anything. It's just that the fact that Troi was raped is totally glossed over and is never mentioned at all.

The adventure continues . . .

[russem31 · 14 April 2006]

ST:TNG:27 - "The Child" (Stardate: 42073.1) - this is the 1st episode of the 2nd season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This episode marks the first of many firsts.

1. Dr. Beverly Crusher has gone off to head Starfleet Medical and won't come back until season 3 (trivia: this is a position she will later hold after Star Trek: Nemesis).

2. In her place is Dr. Kate Pulaski (played by Diana Muldaur - who is a Star Trek veteran, having starred as Lt.Cmdr.Ann Mulhall/Thalassa and Dr. Miranda Jones - 2 separate characters in 2 separate episodes of the Original Series). She is very much like Dr. McCoy in her disdain for technology - this is made apparent with her initial disregard for Data.

3. Geordi La Forge is now chief engineer (after the rotating chief engineers of the 1st season) and now has a yellow uniform instead of red.

4. Worf is now also upgraded to chief of security, filling the spot that Tasha Yar had until she died. Worf also has a yellow uniform in place of red now, AND better makeup effects for his face than in the first season.

5. Commander Riker now has a beard - he won't be clean-shaven again until Star Trek: Insurrection - a good 10 years from now!

6. Whoopi Goldberg makes her first of many appearances as the bartender Guinan - she is a mysterious figure supposedly a friend of Picard's - this mystery will slowly unravel itself as the seasons progress.

7. In the same vain, Ten Forward, the bar that Guinan runs is shown for the first time. Ten Forward will be seen in many of the episodes.

8. Troi gets the hairstyle we're accustomed to from this episode on - "Old Bunhead" as she was known in season 1 is no more.

9. Troi names her "child" Ian Andrew, after her father.

10. Colm Meany returns, this time in charge of the transporters - he wasn't seen since the pilot episode "Encounter At Farpoint".

11. You can see many new Enterprise shots, including seeing the Enterprise physically go into warp from the point of view of inside the ship (in this case in Ten Forward).

Indeed, the second season slowly but surely feels more like the series we will come to know as it becomes more comfortable being a series of its own, and not one that relies on Star Trek's past.

The Interconnectedness of the Universe

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 4 August 2014]

This is certainly interesting if one doesn't think too much. Sometimes this series goes over into realms beyond speculative physics. I guess the convoluted nature of the plan here has some acceptable parameters. But the whole childbirth thing and all its implications seems pretty far fetched, even for an alien intervention. It is interesting watching Data's fascination with the human (well, almost human) birth. He seems to wired to certain emotional connections. The virus being managed takes on a minor role throughout, and that is at times disappointing. What is even more disappointing is when dumb luck, not based on any actions of the crew or the captain come into play. A couple of other things thrown in. Diana Muldaur and her Dr. Pulaski serving as Crusher's replacement and the maybe/maybe not of Wesley's staying on board the Enterprise. Ho hum!

Troi needs a counselor after this episode.

[thevacinstaller · 7/10 · 7 March 2021]

After a baffling first season TNG comes out of the gates with a few changes and a bon-a-fide sci fi concept for it's first episode.

The enterprise gets boarded by an alien entity that clearly has not been educated in the time honored tradition of asking for consent before impregnating someone. It is an alien afterall; this appears to be it's method for understanding others. I did enjoy the banter between the bridge crew in the ready room and how it was completely shut down by Troi's assertion that she was keeping the baby ---- as it should be. After committing a completely selfish act of impregnating troi to experience human existence the alien entity commits a selfless act by committing suicide so that the space radiation would not cause a plague virus to become unleashed. After this suicide Troi cries in pain and Riker stands in front of her looking like a complete ass instead of going over to her and giving her a big hug.

For me this episode lands firmly in the 'good' category. I could see the very premise being controversial ---- but, it's something you can talk about and interpret and that's good trek in my view.

Assorted thoughts:

• Beverly and her hair are sadly gone this season. Fortunately for us, we have Riker's beard ---- In this episode his beard was masculine yet sensitive and contemplative.
• New wig and onsie for Troi. Big improvement.
• Guinan and 10 forward are introduced. Guinan is the real deal when it comes to being a space guru and drops her first wisdom bomb with, "Give yourself permission to be selfish" to a toned down Wesley Crusher.
• Pulaski thinks of data as a overgrown calculator yet shows an empathetic sign to those organic on the crew. I believe the writers had intended for this to be like the McCoy/Spock relationship.
• Worf earns my first belly laugh of the 2nd season with his line, "I'll accept responsibility..." in answer to the question of who will tuck in Wesley Crusher. I just picture Worf hovering over Wesley's bed with arms crossed and telling Wesley he has permission to sleep.

Weird and Gross

[Samuel-Shovel · 2/10 · 9 July 2019]

In "The Child" an unknown ethereal alien lifeform impregnates Troi in her sleep with itself, wanting to experience a humanoid lifecycle. Meanwhile newly promoted Chief Engineer Geordi is tasked with creating containment units for deadly pathogens and diseases that need to be transported to a science base to be studied for possible cures to a current disease wiping out a corner of the galaxy.

Of all the weird scripts to kickoff Season 2 of TNG, they chose the one where Troi is basically raped by an unknown entity and forced into motherhood? Then the kid is also radioactive and endangering the ship with his presence? And the kid is aging quicker than new Spock did in ST3? What a weird decision guys, no me gusta.

All of this combines to detract and distract from all the good improvements we have in Season 2: better lighting, new and more defined roles for the crew, some colorful new uniforms. All of this is very exciting. However when you kick off your season with an a-hole of an entity that without permission rapes, impregnates, births itself, almost causes a ship-wide meltdown, and emotionally manipulates Troi, how am I suppose to focus on any of these positives?

Cute puppies though...

Better than it sounds

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 6 May 2016]

There's an air of confidence as 'The Child' opens; you can totally feel this is a new season. Geordi's running Engineering, cosmetic changes abound on the bridge, chief among them the origin of Riker's beard (game-changer, baby!). The bad news is we also get Dr. Pulaski and her anti-android prejudice.

But as for the actual episode, we get the Enterprise transporting some sort of death plasma, while Counselor Troi gets impregnated by a glowing blue sparkle (so, Tinkerbell?) and delivers a baby within hours. Miracle of pain and scar-free delivery, no less. All kidding aside, there's actually some emotional weight to this, as the child is linked to the plasma stuff and the Enterprise is under threat. I must've watched a different episode than everyone else did, because I liked it. I got a real "Starman" vibe from this.

7/10

Ridiculous Episode

[M_Exchange · 3/10 · 18 December 2016]

I just watched this episode for probably the third time in my life. As others have written, it is forgettable, and I remembered only bits and pieces of it as I watched it.

I understand why Marina Sirtis hated it. The story is ridiculous, and it lacks real, genuine tension. It's also implausible, even for a futuristic science fiction setting.

This episode also marks the introduction of Diana Muldaur as Doctor Pulaski. Almost every Trek fan hated her because she replaced the sexy and talented Gates McFaddden then whined about her experience on the show years later.

I'm going to rank it 3 stars only because Sirtis's acting is believable despite the fact that she knew that her character's situation was ridiculous, which makes her performance even more impressive.

Mixed bag of an episode but generally underrated

[snoozejonc · 7/10 · 27 May 2021]

Deanna Troi is made pregnant by a non-corporeal life form as the Enterprise transports dangerous plague samples.

This is an interesting episode with some strong character moments but has some problems.

The story has been criticised for a lack of plausibility, particularly for Troi developing an attachment in a short space of time. Personally I did not find that a huge issue as the scene with other crew members discussing her pregnancy is done in such an effective way it makes her reaction and subsequent arc fairly plausible. The fact of those particular characters (in 24th century Star Trek universe) would actually have such a conversation is less plausible. In fact it feels entirely out of character for all of them. I'm guessing it was included by the writers as an unsubtle message of support for a mother's right to choose.

For me it is a good Troi episode and a vast improvement on her involvement in the first series, where she mainly slowed down plot lines for some rather pointless emotional analysis. The only real problem I think is the simple resolution and lack of follow up to a seemingly traumatic experience. Also, the sub plot involving the plague samples is okay but it feels a bit contrived to get that easy conclusion to the Troi plot.

There are some decent character introductions such as Guinan and Dr Pulaski. A philosophical bartender feels a more natural avenue for crew members to seek solace than the previous season tactic of Troi forcing her council on everyone. Dr Polaski seems a stronger and more interesting character in this episode than Dr Crusher did in the entirety of her first stint aboard Enterprise. Although I hate that terrible exposition line of dialogue where Picard explains Dr Crusher's absence in one sentence.

The visuals are strong, with better effects and cinematography than the first series being quite apparent. Easily the most cinematic sequence is that one focussing on Troi and her maternal body language as the other commanders discuss her and the baby.

The acting is solid from all, with the standout being Marina Sirtis, who gives her best performance of the show so far. Will Wheaton is also good until he dons the smug grin at the end. Caryn Johnson fits the part of Guinan like a glove having such a warm, easily relatable persona. Diana Muldaur has a strong presence as Pulaski.

For me it is a 6.5/10 but I round upwards.

Horrific A plot, but a B plot with interest

[joby-72927 · 2/10 · 14 January 2020]

The A plot of Counselor Troy is quite disturbing and hasn't aged well -- while the general plot of Troy being fine with getting impregnated against her will is quite horrible, some of the scenes are cringe worthy. The scene of the bridge officers discussing how to terminate her pregnancy (entirely ignoring Troy) is particularly unpleasant.

The B plot about Wesley Crusher -- particularly the introduction of Guinan -- is fairly good. It provides a good bridge to keep Crusher even though his mom left the ship while providing some good life lessons.

According to IMDb, Miss Sirtis disliked this episode...but I thought the concept was amazing and highly original.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 12 November 2014]

Often, I have found that when my reviews for "Star Trek: The Next Generation" it's usually because I dislike a show and others haven't. However, this is an unusual case where I loved a show that was generally disliked or at least scored in the mediocre range. And, interesting, Marina Sirtis (who starred in this particular episode) especially disliked it! Yet, I thought it was terrific.

When the show begins, the Enterprise passes through space and an alien presence enters the ship. However, it looks more like a tiny glowing light and is not detected. Now here's where it gets weird-- the light impregnates Counselor Troi and soon the new doctor, Dr. Pulaski, informs the Captain. Soon, things get even weirder, as instead of the normal 10 month gestation period for Betazoids, the child is delivered (pain-free and without all the icky amniotic fluids) only a few days later! Soon, the child has grown to appear about age 8 within a day!!! At the same time, however, a very dangerous load of plasma plague is taken aboard and the child might just pose a risk to this cargo.

I loved the concept of an alien race creating a link to humans through an impregnation--talk about a first contact! To me, it's one of the more interesting concepts I've seen in the series. While I felt a tiny bit disappointed how it all resolved itself, it still worked very well and made for an interesting and emotionally-charged episode. I especially liked Ms. Sirtis' acting--watching her cry and emote was quite nice, as it expanded her otherwise limited range on the show.

By the way, I felt a little bad for Diana Muldaur in this and subsequent episodes. Her task of substituting for Gates McFadden's character wasn't easy at all. But, the writers sure made it a lot tougher with the dialog they saddled her with when it came to Data. She comes off as surprisingly clueless and insensitive towards him-- referring to him as 'it' and acting rather patronizing towards him. In hindsight, I don't think this was a wise decision. Having her be curious and even a bit taken aback would have worked, but in the Trekkie 24th century, she seems out of step due to her prejudices towards him.

Decent Start

[anarchistica · 6/10 · 20 March 2020]

Let's start with the bad. Mystery rape is always awful, it doesn't matter if it's TNG or the Bible. On top of that the creepy kid is manipulative and apparently knowingly endangers the ship. Also, a nearly instantaneous birth is just... ugh.

On the plus side, we get Pulaski - a no-nonsense doctor with a healthy distrust of technology. I've always preferred her to holier-than-thou Beverly. The 'crisis of the week' is clever and ties nicely into the b-plot. With only one security main character and a chief of engineering main character the show works much better. Though they do kinda undermine this efficiency by basically hiring another counsellor (Guinan).

There are two highlights. First we have the scene where the camera is focussed on Troi while a bunch of men discuss aborting her baby in the background. Oof. And Worf promising to tuck in Wesley is one of less than a handful of times TNG has made me laugh out loud on this rewatch. :-)

Season Opener Flop

[loupfeiffer-442-436967 · 5/10 · 10 March 2017]

The episode was just weird. Not sure what they were thinking making this the opener of season 2. The more I think about the plot, the more I realize how ridiculous it was.

The acting has improved considerably since season one. The newly added characters seem solid. This is not a good reflection on a pretty well written season 2.

Not quite sure why the score is below 6

[cheesustoast · 7/10 · 27 March 2014]

This is a very good episode out of the earlier ones. I believe that there may be something wrong with the ratings or someone has put 1 by mistake.

The episode is not so much exciting as it is "moving" and well executed. On the other hand it does contain a certain amount of intensity that is seen throughout the Star Trek TNG series.

The main reason for me rating this episode is down to the oddly low rating. There are a few "not-so-good" episodes throughout the entire series. This, however, is always remembered by me as one of the better ones (out of the earlier episodes).

EDIT: The only problem is that it is a little bit slow paced at times. I originally gave this a 10 but I have downgraded it to 7 because it is good in comparison to other early episodes but it is not one of the best overall.

I've made up my mind .... i'm keeping my baby...

[amusinghandle · 7/10 · 2 January 2024]

Right out of the gate all of the production methods have greatly improved on season 1's quality. There is actual cinematography and not just point the camera at someone like a 6pm tv news cast interview. Sound, sets, lighting, properly paced filler --- all improved.

How much difference can a beard make? A lot! Riker goes from robotic starfleet 'everyman' to a contemplative seasoned tactician brimming with life and virility.

"Honestly dear, an alien impregnated me without my consent in the middle of the night....." Sounds crazy doesn't it?! Turns out it's completely true. There is clearly no malicious intent from the alien but we have serious Troi emotional wounds that need patching after this one.

I like Dr. Polaski. There's a beautiful honesty to gruff doctors that I appreciate. They even have the start of a synthetic/organic conflict between her and Data.

Guinan makes her first appearance. Where is my Guinan to provide me with timely sage advice when I need it? Guess I will just fumble hopelessly in the dark as per usual.

Solid start.

Abhorrent

[cfefnir · 3/10 · 15 May 2020]

This episode is truly a bad way to start a season.

An episode that can only be the result of pregnant fetishism, we can watch Counselor Troi giving birth before all the ships officers and we as the audience. Then a plot which circles itself.

The only redeeming points are the showing of new technologies, special effects and characters

Star Trek TNG- The Child

[Scarecrow-88 · 6/10 · 30 September 2011]

The second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation is kind of regarded as the red-headed step child of the series, a bit underrated in my opinion, but not considered of the same quality as the seasons which came after. Some things happen after the first season. Beverly Crusher has left the ship to become head of Starfleet Medical and son Wesley really doesn't want to leave the Enterprise. Guinan(Whoopi Goldberg who would make occasional appearances on the show), the "bartender" of Ten Forward would be introduced. Taking over Crusher's position in the sick bay is Dr. Katherine Pulaski (Diana Muldaur), who can be stubborn and bull-headed, doesn't take to the transporter, and is more "seasoned" that her predecessor. Interesting that the show would open with a less action-packed episode, more focused on a very unusual storyline, that of Deanna Troi becoming pregnant from an "unidentified energy source", in actuality a life-form entity that resembles a bright star. The threat of this episode is specimens of a plague to be contained on board the Enterprise and taken to a starbase for further study to determine if a cure can be found. In one of the protective modules is a specimen that has started to grow. The stimulation of this growth could be the child born from Troi (she really bonds with the baby from the moment she sees the fetus videoed from her womb and refuses to abort it despite how the lifeform "chose" her without permission). The baby, from the moment it first started to form inside her, grows at an alarming rate and the birth did not prove difficult for Troi. But what is the purpose of the lifeform? How will the Enterprise crew contain the growing specimen before it breaks from the module threatening everyone on board?

The result of the story really did nothing to stimulate my interest except for Marina Sirtis' performance as a new mother who really cares for her child even though he is not the most ordinary lifeform. The episode ends rather predictably, but is really a starting point for the show going forward. Muldaur has a moment with Data (he "takes offense" to being called "Data" instead of the pronunciation of "Day-ta"), but hadn't really broke out with the character during her first episode. While many TNG fans didn't like her, I think there were certain episodes during the second season where Muldaur had her moments. Anyway, Wesley haters will not like this episode as it dedicates a sub-plot specifically to him (the show seems hell bent on getting him involved when it could) on the decision to leave or ask Captain Picard permission to stay on the Enterprise. John Cassavete fans will recognize Seymour Cassel as Lt. Commander Hester Dealt, the one dedicated to making sure the specimens get to the starbase without a hitch, a scientist behind the search for the plague's cure. Riker has a beard, Worf is Chief of Security, and Leforge is Chief of Engineering. I think the show was still trying to find its way and the signs of that potential I think are evident by the set up with this first episode of the second season.

Boring

[wiltoncarter · 1/10 · 10 October 2021]

Dr. Pulaski is an idiot, and this an awful episode.

"I'm going to have this baby!"

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 28 September 2023]

If 'We'll Always Have Paris' was the Casablanca episode of the first season, this one might be referred to as the Immaculate Conception story. Kicking off the second season, it comes as a surprise to everyone aboard the Enterprise that Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis) had somehow become pregnant! Even more astounding is how the gestation period lasted for only about forty-eight hours, and the resulting child reached a chronological age of eight in even less time! In sci-fi terms, the explanation for this actually made some sense, as it was an alien life force, resembling a star-like light pattern, that wanted to learn what human life was like, so it decided to take the natural approach by impregnating Troi. What didn't make sense to me, whether in sci-fi terms or not, was how the life force's flight from the Enterprise somehow was linked to the halting of the growth in the plasma virus transferred aboard the starship for relocation to another planet. How do you connect the two unrelated events? It was merely suggested by the story's ending as if that was meant to explain things, but for this viewer it didn't clarify things one bit. Besides all that, the second season introduces new characters and new positions for some of the returning officers of the Enterprise. Seeing as how it's been mentioned repeatedly by other reviewers, I won't bore you with the repetition.

No Shuttles?

[markbyrn-1 · 4/10 · 26 December 2023]

Counselor Troi becomes a non-consensual random vessel for an energy only life form to become human via super accelerated pregnancy. The baby is born a male despite no male being involved; perhaps the energy life form synthesized an Y chromosome? The baby grows like a weed but doesn't last long as the Enterprise is carrying dangerous cargo that might become lethal due to the presence of the boy. Rather than get a shuttle and depart the ship, the boy quickly decides to end its human existence and go back to being a pure energy life form. He didn't seem overly upset about it but Troi was very distraught. I felt bad for Troi but I'm sure she'll be okay by the next episode.

Motherhood

[gritfrombray-1 · 8/10 · 3 July 2007]

This episode moved the series forward in the right way. The first episode of the second season usually is expected to be far superior to the first but this story is just about adequate. The writer's strike was responsible for this being a heavily rewritten episode from the abandoned 70s Star Trek II series. We see Deanna coming to the crew with a bombshell, she's pregnant. Interestingly, for an alien presence which had entered her the night before! She gives birth after a very short gestation period and the child, named Ian Andrew, after Deanna's father grows at an alarming rate. His presence eventually endangers the ship and he 'dies', becomes an energy ball and departs. Heartbroken Deanna holds the energy in her hands just before it departs. We get to see a promoted Lieutenant LaForge, now Chief Engineer. Worf wears a yellow tunic and is Head Of security, with much improved makeup to boot! Riker now sports a beard and appears much more grown up. Colm Meaney returns, his first appearance since 'Lonely Among Us' and gets a much more integral role, even a name, Chief O'Brien.

Solid fresh start to the season but overall flawed and unremarkable

[movieguy96 · 5/10 · 22 November 2020]

Whilst not an outstanding episode, The Child is nevertheless a solid opener which effectively does what Encounter at Farpoint did for Season 1, in that its as much about setting the tone and introducing new elements to the show as it is about the actual plot. The higher budget is there on show with the expanded sets like Ten Forward, slightly enhanced visual effects, and new principal characters with Guinan and Dr. Pulaski. Both Whoopi Goldberg and Diana Muldaur bring their own quirky idiosyncrasies to their roles and quickly assert their places among the main cast. It's quite impressive, and at first something of a novelty, to see what changes have been made since the first season. The execution of the story does leave a bit to be desired though. Basically Counselor Troi is impregnated by an entity (which resembles a flying ball of energy) and has to come to terms with being a new mother to a child that grows at an alarming rate. The suggestion that Troi has been sexually assaulted is swiftly brushed aside and not really entertained. The early discussion between the officers on how best to deal with the baby doesn't ring true for this reason. The whole episode could've done with more runtime to flesh out some of these moral dilemmas and bring added character development. As it is, it feels a bit rushed and while enjoyable enough doesn't really register in the long term.

A Senior Trekker writes........................

[celineduchain · 5/10 · 28 December 2021]

The Second Season of Star Trek the Next Generation has often been downplayed due to multiple production and writing staff problems, and several major cast changes. Although of mixed quality, it does contain some outstanding and brilliant episodes, and Senior Trekker is extremely grateful to all those people who worked so hard under difficult circumstances to keep it on our screens.

This episode had already been on the shelf for a while by the time it got made; it was originally written for Lt Ilea of the ill-fated Phase II. Marina Sirtis once pronounced it one of her favourites although, even at the time, the involuntary impregnation was more appropriate for the horror genre than for Sci-Fi. Nowadays, it wouldn't be considered appropriate for EITHER and a benign alien would be expected to choose a less invasive way to experience humanity.

Star Trek has always prided itself in the desire to learn about and understand other cultures. Senior Trekker, herself a new Mum when this was released, never understood how a woman who's costumes nearly always showed off plenty of cleavage, wore a back-fastened outfit that came up to her chin in order to give birth. Won't we nurse our new-born babies in the 24th Century?

(Senior Trekker scores every episode with a 5)