Eeeek! DD7 asking how babies get in Mommy's stomache!

[Vacation Lover]

I wasn't ready for this yet!! In the past I've been able to answer her questions without giving her all the details...(eg "how does the baby come out?" The doctor takes it out at the hospital) This time she kept probing..."how does the baby get in there?" Well, when the mommy and daddy decide it's time to have a family, they make a baby together. "But how does it get in there?" Well, the daddy puts it in there. "But HOW does he put it in there?" I stuttered and stammered and finally asked, "How do YOU think it gets in there?" She answered that she thinks it has to do with the dad's private parts and I knew I had to go into a little more detail so I told her that the dad and mom put their private parts together and that's how the baby gets made. She was satisfied with that answer, but YIKES, I really wasn't ready for this. My DS9 has not asked anything yet!

 

[LJRJR]

I think you did a great job answering the question. One of my children was bringing up the subject yesterday, maybe it was my 7 year old DD, but somehow we got distracted.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Sounds like you did a good job. Answer her question and encourage more. Now is the time to establish those open lines of communication that will carry you both through a lot of issues and times. Asking her what she thought is wonderful. That way you can clear up any misconceptions. Might also be the time to bring up the subject with DS. My DF's son has started asking questions and she is taking him to a traveling science exibit on the human body this week-end so we just had this confersation at GNO friday. She is a dr. but that makes it no easier when it is your own child. We had the full blown talk at 6. DS wanted to know everything. We put our own Christain values twist to the converstaion. DS was however pretty sharp. He was only 6 when he asked us how the egg and sperm know if the mommy and daddy were married or not . Point is at 15 we can still talk so starting now and never act embarrassed is so critical.

 

[rumrunnergirl]

My 8yo asks the same things, except she knows the baby grows in the womb and not the stomach. She does know how/where the baby gets out, but not quite how it gets in. I told myself that I would be upfront with my kids because my parents told us absolutely nothing, but ya know when the kids ask the questions all my answers evaporate in my head, LOL.

My 2nd child was born when DD was under 2, so she really doesn't have any exposure to reproduction either, like me still having babies, living on a farm, etc.

 

[Aliceacc]

My now-7-year old asked me that about a year and a half ago... as I was doing 60- mph on the parkway

I answered her questions as best I could without actually looking at her (all those annoying other cars kind of had to monopolize my vision.) After I was done, I asked if my answer had been what she expected.

Her response?

"No. I thought the baby came out of the mother's mouth."

 

[Beehn]

I'm not looking forward to this question. I have a 4 year old and a 5 mo. old. When I was pregnant it was simply "God put it in there and the doctor will take it out" That was enough for a 4 year old, but that answer won't last forever!

 

[abolanwoski]

My not-quite-3 year old starting asking specifics about how it gets out last month! We had just recently pointed out that women who were going to have babies had big bellies and ten she wanted to know how it got out. So we said, "you go to the hospital and the doctor takes it out". Then, she wanted to know if it came out the mouth! I tried to indicate that it comes out the other end, but I didn't want her to equate it with a BM!!!! I wasn't quite sure how to express it, so I just kind of used hand motions! So much for all those years of medical school and residency!

I was definitely not prepared for it this early, but we do have a lot of frank medical talk in our house, so I guess it's my own fault.

I just hope she doesn't ask how it gets in there anytime soon!

 

[pumpkin5156]

Oh my goodness. Hard questions at such a young age. I worked for 3 years in a third grade class as a teacher's aide. When I got PG with my son, I told the kids that I was going to have a baby. They looked my then size 2 stomach and said, "It doesn't look like your going to have a baby." I said, "Just wait a few months and it'll get bigger." When I was 7 months PG, one boy raised his hand and blurted out, "How did Mrs. (my last name) get pregnant??" The teacher just dropped her mouth and looked at me across the room, silenced. I said, "God created the baby." (it is a Christian school) One very mature girl in our class stands up and immediatly says, "Nooooo, I know how babies are made. Your mom and dad...." I was very quick to cut her off and move to the next topic.

SO embarrasing! What's worse? When my mother uses my DH and I as examples to explain the birds and the bees to my little sister who wanted to know how I got PG.

 

[ampc3]

I haven't really been asked any specific questions yet, but we also just say (for now) that it is a gift from god.. MY kids watched the baby story show with me all the time when I was PG with my last one. So they know how it comes out etc, but haven't really questioned to much about how it got in!
I swear tho, they always ask those questions when you least expect it or at the strangest times/places.

 

[eliza61]

I'm not looking forward to this question. I have a 4 year old and a 5 mo. old. When I was pregnant it was simply "God put it in there and the doctor will take it out" That was enough for a 4 year old, but that answer won't last forever!

Why, kids will surprise you. My kids asked when they were about 7 or 8 and pretty much we told them the truth without a lot of details and generally I find once they get an answer they move on. When my son was six, he saw 2 dogs having a little fun and asked why one dog was giving the other dog a "piggy back" ride? After we explained what was going on, he just said "oh" ok. I think the more confident and relaxed about it you are, the more at ease he will be.

 

[WantToGoNow]

My ds6 asked me this a couple of weeks ago. I told him that all girls (little and big - and used his 3 y/o sister as an example) are born with eggs in their tummy. When it's time for them to have babies, those eggs grow into babies. Luckily, he let it drop there. My dd23 commented that I left out a pretty big step in the process but I told him enough to satisfy his curiosity.

My dd3 has obviously watched too many programs showing babies being born. She told him that the mommy goes to the hospital, they cut her tummy open, the doctor puts the baby in, sews up the mommy's tummy and the mommy goes home. Later she goes back to the hospital, get's her tummy cut open and the baby comes out.

 

[RyJMom]

When my son was 7 he asked the same thing. It didn't make sense to him that the parents decided when the time was right. I then told him about the private parts getting together. He still wanted to know how on earth that made a baby so I had to give DETAILS !! When I was done with my speech his response was "That's Disgusting!" My poor husband almost had a heart attack when I told him the conversation. I just felt like if he was pressing for details we should be the ones to give them. He has never really asked much more about it. He's 9 now and at his last checkup the Dr suggested we talk to him about puberty and changes that will take place with his body. My husband and I have both talked to him and he told me he'd rather talk to me about it than his Dad. I think my husband shows that it makes him a little nervous. He knows Mom will give it to him straight.

I think every kid is different and will want info and details at different times.

Another funny story - My 9 yr old niece was visiting and asked me to tell her about "this period thing". I told her we'd talk when we had a few minutes alone. I ran to my room and called Sis in Law to see what she wanted me to do. She told me that if she's asking she needed to know and go for it (they were staying with us for several days) So I had to explain that one to another very detailed oriented kid. Now its the family joke that I will take care of all the Sex Ed.

 

[HelenePA]

I'm going thru some of the same questions most of you are getting too... but I saw this posted on another board I go to and thought some of you would get a laugh

Should children witness child birth?

Due to a power outage, only one paramedic responded to the call. The house was very, very dark, so the paramedic asked Kathleen, a 3-year-old girl, to hold a flashlight high over her Mommy so he could see while he helped deliver the baby. Very diligently, Kathleen did as she was asked. Heidi pushed and pushed, and after a little while Connor was born. The paramedic lifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom. Connor began to cry. The paramedic then thanked Kathleen for her help and asked the wide-eyed 3-year old what she thought about what she had just witnessed. Kathleen quickly responded, "He shouldn't have crawled in there in the first place........ smack his butt again."

 

[WildGrits]

What's the Big Secret?: Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys


This is a great book for talking to the under 10 crowd about babies and privates along with issues of privacy.

 

[mrsltg]

I'm not a fan of the "hush" nature of the conversation. My dd was 3 when I was pregnant for the first time following her birth. She asked how the baby would come out. I told her. It's biology. She was interested. Over the course of the next 3.5 years I have been pregnant twice more. This has lead to great conversations with my now 6.5 year old dd. She wanted to know how the baby gets in the Mom's uterus (again, use the right words, the baby is not in your tummy next to the food) and I told her. She looked at me like "you have got to be kidding," and I told her if she ever had any questions she was welcome to ask me and I would always tell her the truth. I don't pop a porno in the DVD, just use basic language and go from there.

Honestly, what's the big secret? It's sex and you don't need to get into the nitty gritty, just the basic biology behind it. I have friends with 10 year olds who don't know what a period is or why it happens. This is not directed at anyone inparticular - get over the embarrassment and tell your daughter about her body before she gets the shock of her life or hears about it from an idiot whose parents only gave them half the story! JMHO...

 

[eliza61]

I'm going thru some of the same questions most of you are getting too... but I saw this posted on another board I go to and thought some of you would get a laugh

That's what I love about kids.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Honestly, what's the big secret? It's sex and you don't need to get into the nitty gritty, just the basic biology behind it. I have friends with 10 year olds who don't know what a period is or why it happens. This is not directed at anyone inparticular - get over the embarrassment and tell your daughter about her body before she gets the shock of her life or hears about it from an idiot whose parents only gave them half the story! JMHO...

I agree. I've answered my boy's questions through the years. Whether they were "girl" questions, or "boy" questions. Then when they hit 10 (2 down, one to go) their dad takes them on a trip, where they spend lots of good time together, and cover everything a young man needs to know, going into/through puberty. It isn't a bad thing to know how your body works.

 

[newtowdw1]

We've always used the 'right' words with our kids. But the privacy issues make me squirm with some of the questions. DD was 7 when we had the detailed discussion. She, too, felt it was disgusting. I try to remain cool and calm and answer what they want to know.

Oh, and DD always asks in the car too!

 

[graygables]

I've always told my 4 DDs that there is a special place called a uterus and it is NOT connected to the stomach or digestive system where the baby grows. I never got the "Daddy put the baby there" thing...it takes 2 to tango and I never liked the insinuation that it implies. Honestly, we've talked much more openly about female anatomy than male anatomy, for obvious reasons. When 11yo was 3, she did announce that she saw little boy's "tail" when his dipe was being changed, so I had to deal with that.

I will always remember this story: A little boy went to his mom and said, "Where did I come from?" The mom sighed, having known this day would come, so she sat him down and gave him the whole birds and bees talk. The little boy said, "OK, that was gross, now where did I COME FROM?" The mom was confused and asked what he meant. He said, "Billy told me he came from Dallas, so where did I come from???" The moral to the story? Only answer the questions they ask...

 

[Rowlf]

I have to say I'm not comfortable with the "gift from god" or "doctor takes it out" answers. You can be truthful without being age-inappropriate.

DS4 asked me how babies get out the other day - I told him that they can come out two different ways. One was via a c-section, like he came out, and I showed him my scar. The other was via a special way that women have that men don't. And I reminded him that he has a ***** and girls don't.

That was enough to satisfy him. And I'm comfortable with having been honest with him.