What Happens When You Have a Baby at Home in The Sims 4?
Having a baby in The Sims 4 is a major life event for your Sims, and choosing to do so at home offers a unique and often more convenient experience. When a pregnant Sim goes into labor, you have the option to either wait for the baby to arrive naturally after about three in-game hours or speed things up by selecting the “Have Baby” option. This option is available as a self-interaction or by clicking on a bassinet placed on the lot. Opting for a home birth allows you to control the timing and avoid the potential hassle of a hospital visit. A bassinet or crib will automatically appear if you wait out the labor. If you have already placed one, you can use it straight away. Once the baby arrives, you are then thrust into the joys and challenges of parenthood in the game, raising a newborn in your Sims’ house.
The Mechanics of Home Births
Timing and the Arrival of the Baby
The pregnancy in The Sims 4 is divided into three trimesters, each lasting for varying lengths, after which the labor will begin. A Sim will usually take about 3 hours of labor time before giving birth, however, you can speed it up. Once labor begins, you’ll notice your Sim waddling around, possibly feeling uncomfortable. Once the three in-game hours are up, a crib will magically appear, and your Sim will automatically go to it to give birth. The baby is then immediately available and added to the family unit. Using a purchased bassinet or crib, the ‘Have Baby’ option allows you to skip the three-hour wait for a home birth, allowing you to instantly give birth after labor has started.
Choosing a Home Birth
Home births are incredibly convenient, especially if you are playing a family-focused household. It allows your Sim to remain in the comfort of their own home. This saves you from having to travel to the hospital and losing control of your Sim. However, there is no way to select a hospital or home birth. If you select ‘Have Baby’ on a bassinet or crib, or wait the three hours during labor, then your Sim will automatically have a home birth.
Initial Care and Gameplay
Once the baby is born, your Sims will be able to interact with the newborn through various actions like feeding, changing diapers, and cooing. You can control the baby’s name, and the baby is now a part of your household. Managing a newborn requires a lot of attention, with your Sim parents having to balance caretaking duties along with their own personal needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can a pregnant Sim lose the baby in The Sims 4?
No, in the base game of The Sims 4, there is no way to abort a pregnancy. You would need mods to introduce this functionality. If you want to undo the pregnancy, you can try to revert to an earlier save or choose to ignore the baby after birth, which will eventually lead to Child Protective Services taking the baby away.
2. Can NPC Sims give birth at my house?
No, NPC Sims will not give birth in your Sim’s presence. They may leave an empty bassinet or crib, but will always give birth on their own. The arrival of the baby will happen off-screen with no one seeing it.
3. Will Sims give birth on their own?
Yes, after the pregnancy trimesters are complete, your Sim will eventually go into labor. If you choose to wait the full three in-game hours, they will give birth on their own, and a crib or bassinet will appear for the new arrival.
4. How many babies can you be pregnant with in Sims 4?
You can have up to seven babies at once through cheat commands. However, because each household is capped at eight Sims, you may only be able to have a maximum of six babies at once before needing to have a Sim grow up and leave the household.
5. Can you have two wives in Sims 4?
Without mods, polygamy is not possible. Sims can have multiple casual relationships but can only be married to one Sim at a time. The base game does not allow for open relationships.
6. How rare are triplets in Sims 4?
The odds of having twins or triplets are quite low. There is about a 10% chance of having twins, and just a 1% chance of having triplets, making triplets a rare occurence. Gameplay tricks can increase these chances though.
7. Can Sims accidentally get pregnant?
In The Sims 4, Sims do not accidentally get pregnant from regular WooHoo. Sims need to use the ‘Try for Baby’ option for pregnancy to occur.
8. Can Sims have twins at home?
Yes, absolutely! When a Sim becomes pregnant, there is a chance that they will have twins or even triplets. Specific items or foods do not influence multiple births in The Sims 4, but certain traits or lot traits can make it more likely.
9. Can pregnant ghost Sims give birth?
No, ghost Sims cannot procreate. This means that ghost Sims cannot become pregnant or have ghost babies. Mods are required to make ghost Sims appear pregnant.
10. How do you have a home birth in Sims 4?
A home birth automatically occurs once labor has started. Either by waiting three in-game hours, or clicking ‘Have Baby’ on a crib or bassinet. There is no other way to have a baby in the Sims 4. You can use mods to select having a home or hospital birth if you would prefer a different method.
11. Do NPC Sims ever propose?
No, NPC Sims can only propose to other NPC Sims. The player is the only one who can propose or get married in the game.
12. How do you speed up pregnancy in Sims 4?
You can speed up pregnancy using console commands. For PCs, use CTRL + Shift + C. For Macs, use Command + Shift + C. Then, input the necessary command. On PlayStation and Xbox, hold all four shoulder buttons to open the console.
13. Why is my baby gone in Sims 4?
If your baby disappears, try travelling away from the lot and returning. You can also switch to build mode to move the crib to a more open space. It is possible that a bug can make babies disappear, but this usually fixes the issue.
14. How do you cheat on Sims 4 when giving birth?
Open the cheat console by pressing CTRL + Shift + C (or the equivalent on your platform) and type sims.addbuff pregnancyinlabor to force your Sim to go into labor.
15. How do you guarantee twins on Sims 4?
The Elixir of Fertility, acquired from having level 10 Herbalism skill is the best way to guarantee twins. You can get this in the Outdoor Retreat Game Pack. You can also use other mods and cheats to guarantee the arrival of twins or triplets.