Career breeders

Nasheenian term for a woman who has chosen the birthing of children as her career. Every woman is required to serve two years at the compounds, ensuring that over 98% of Nasheenian women become mothers. Those who are infertile often serve as surrogates. The remaining 2% either have unresolvable issues with carrying to term or have chosen to become bel dames or career soldiers. In that instance, they are still required to donate 200-300 eggs to the compounds by the age of 18.

Women who have chosen career breeding are often poor and unskilled. Nasheen is notorious for its program of innoculations and organic injections, which promotes multiple births. Typical Nasheenian broods range from 4-11 children. Women are often given a lifetime quota, depending on population expectations and major casualties. Some are required to have just 5 children, and choose to have them in two sets over two years. Others must have the full 11, either the full brood all at once or stretched out over the two years.

A career breeder typical serves 20 years, after which time she may retire on a stipend provided by the state. With the assistance of skilled magicians and state support, roughly 80% of women serving as career breeders survive to retirement age. On average, a career breeder will birth 125 children during her career. These women are not often seen outside the compounds, and do not make up a large part of Nasheenian society.

From God's War:

“What do you know about babies?” Nyx asked. “My mom was a breeder, remember? Multiples are hard. Singles are easy.” She eyed Inaya over. “I gotta have help, and Nyx ain’t doing it.”

From Infidel:

Eshe was a breeder baby, one of a brood of eight or ten popped out by some career breeder. There were thousands of women in Nasheen who made a living breeding babies for the cause. Looking for her would have been pointless. Breeders didn’t want to raise children. They wanted the state to feed them to front. Where his half breed blood came from was a matter of some contention. ... Nyx frowned. “Some career breeder popped out kids from my stuff, probably. They’re around. Getting ground up somewhere. Like everybody else’s. Why get attached to somebody who’ll be dead tomorrow?”