How do you have a baby in The Sims 4?
You have three ways to get a baby: Try for a Baby, Have a Science Baby, or adopt. EA lists these three in its own pregnancy guide. Try for a Baby needs a romance. A Science Baby works alone or with a partner. Adoption needs no romance at all.
This guide shows the steps for each way. It also covers twins, triplets, the gender of the baby, and the cheats that EA lists. We read the EA Help pages on the day that we wrote this post. Packs change the game, so the menus in your game can differ a little.
How do you try for a baby?
Build a relationship between two Sims first. Then select the other Sim and open More Choices, then Romance, then Physical Intimacy. Choose Try for a Baby. The EA WooHoo guide gives this path.
Where the action appears
You can also click an object. EA names the bed, the shower, the hot tub, and the rocketship. The Try for Baby action appears on these objects when the two Sims have the right relationship.
Who can try for a baby
EA says that Sims must be young adults or older to WooHoo. Teen Sims cannot WooHoo. They can only Mess Around with other teens, and they cannot get pregnant. Elder Sims can get other Sims pregnant, but they cannot become pregnant.
Can a male Sim get pregnant?
Yes, if you change the setting. By default, only female Sims can get pregnant. In Create a Sim, open the menu with the three dots under the gender icons. In the Gender tab, set Pregnancy to Become Pregnant, Get Others Pregnant, or Neither.
This setting works for young adult and adult Sims. Read the Sims 4 romance and attraction settings for the other options in the same menu.
What is a Science Baby, and what does it cost?
A Science Baby is a baby with no pregnancy. Your Sim uses the phone, opens the Home app, and chooses Have Science Baby. EA says that this works alone or with a partner.
GGRecon says that the cost is 1,200 simoleons for either method. It also says that the other Sim can be any friendly, unrelated acquaintance. The two Sims do not need a romance.
What happens in the game
GGRecon says that your Sim leaves and comes back with the baby. You do not wait for the normal pregnancy and birth. When a Sim does it alone, the family tree lists one parent only. GGRecon states that this feature came in the March 2023 base game update. EA does not state the date or the cost on its page, so check the price in your own game.
When to choose it
Choose a Science Baby when your Sim has no partner, or when you want a baby fast. Choose Try for a Baby when you want a pregnancy in the story.
How do you adopt a baby?
EA lists three ways to adopt. Each way gives your household a child without a pregnancy.
- By phone: Select the phone, open the Home app, choose Hire a Service, then choose Call the Adoption Agency.
- By computer: Select the computer, choose Household, then choose Adopt Sim.
- Your partner’s child: Adopt an infant, toddler, or child when your Sim is in a relationship with the parent. The option is in the Friendly action menu.
If you own the Life and Death expansion pack, EA says that a Will can leave child Sims to an other household.
How do you know that your Sim is pregnant?
Select a toilet and take a pregnancy test. EA gives the price as 15 simoleons. You can also watch the moodlets, which show the trimester.
EA says that the pregnancy lasts about three days. When labor starts, you can send your Sim to the hospital or have the baby at home. You cannot go to the hospital with your Sim. If you own the Get to Work expansion pack, you can visit the hospital when your Sim gives birth.
How do you get twins or triplets?
EA gives the base odds: a 10% chance of twins and a 1% chance of triplets. No method is certain. Each method only raises the chance.
| Method | What you need | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Fertile trait | Base game, 3,000 satisfaction points | Buy it in the Rewards Store. It also helps Try for a Baby to work on the first try. |
| Elixir of Fertility | Outdoor Retreat game pack, Herbalism level 10 | Brew it at a stove, BBQ, or cauldron. |
| Fertility Massage | Spa Day game pack, a Wellness level 9 masseur | Get the massage, then try for a baby in the Fertility Boost moodlet. |
| On Ley Line lot trait | City Living expansion pack | Add the trait to the lot in Build Mode. |
The Elixir of Fertility ingredients
EA lists one blackberry, one dust spirit, two false morels, and three morel mushrooms. Your Sim finds them around Granite Falls. The Fertility Boost moodlet from the massage lasts about 12 in-game hours.
How do you earn satisfaction points?
EA says that your Sim earns satisfaction points when it completes Whims. Open Aspirations, then the Rewards Store, then Fertile.
Can you pick a boy or a girl?
EA says that you can raise the chance, but nothing is certain. Do these things while your Sim is pregnant.
- For a girl: Play Pop music on a stereo. Eat strawberries.
- For a boy: Play Alternative music on a stereo. Eat carrots.
EA says that you find strawberries in the wild near Willow Creek, and carrots near Oasis Springs. With the Seasons pack, you can buy seeds. With the Cottage Living or City Living packs, you can buy the food at a market stall.
Will the baby be an occult Sim?
It can be. When one parent is an occult Sim, the baby can be an occult Sim. EA names werewolves, vampires, spellcasters, mermaids, and aliens. Ghost Sims cannot have children.
| Parents | Result that EA gives |
|---|---|
| Occult Sim and regular Sim | A 50/50 chance |
| Two occult Sims of different types | Likely one of the two occult types |
| Two occult Sims of the same type | Likely that type, but it can be a regular Sim |
| Two regular Sims | A regular baby, never an occult one |
With the Life and Death expansion pack, the Try for Baby action also works with the Grim Reaper. EA says that the baby then has the Grimborn trait. Read how ghosts work in The Sims 4 for the other side of death in the game.
What are the pregnancy cheats?
First open the cheat box. On a PC, press Control + Shift + C. Type testingcheats true and press Enter. EA lists these codes.
sims.add_buff buff_pregnancy_trimester1,buff_pregnancy_trimester2, andbuff_pregnancy_trimester3set the trimester.sims.add_buff buff_pregnancy_inlaborstarts the labor.sims.remove_all_buffs pregnancy_in laborcancels the pregnancy. This is the text as EA prints it. Check the spelling in your game if the code does not work.
For more codes, read Sims 4 cheats. For the cost of the game and its packs, read is The Sims 4 free.
Does LifeSim have babies?
Not in the same way. LifeSim is a free game in the browser. You live one life in a real city, and the people there remember what you say. We do not have a menu with a Try for a Baby action, and we do not list a set of twin odds.
If you want to plan a family with menus, odds, and packs, play The Sims 4. If you want a life where people answer you in their own words, read LifeSim vs The Sims.
Questions
Do you need to be married to have a baby in The Sims 4?
EA does not name marriage as a rule. It says that Try for a Baby needs a romance. A Science Baby and adoption need no romance.
Can two Sims of the same gender have a baby?
Yes. EA says that you set the pregnancy option in Create a Sim. GGRecon says that a Science Baby works with any two Sims, whatever their gender.
How long is a Sim pregnant?
EA says about three days.
How do you cancel a pregnancy?
EA lists a cheat for it. See the cheat section above.