My Daughter Asked How Babies Get Out of Their Mommies Bellies...

We have always been extremely up front about the birth process. My oldest daughter, now 6.5 went with me to all of my ob visits when I was pregnant with my youngest who is now almost 4. While both of my daughters were C-section, we have often discussed that while I had to be cut open for them to come out, babies are supposed to be pushed out from a special space between their mothers legs. The girls have also seen Milo and Otis (a movie about the friendship and travels of a cat and dog) which has a natural birth of kittens and puppies, so it is easy to understand the process after watching something natural like that. I would suggest you check out the local library or bookstore for a book that explains it the way you want it explained, but sometimes children are only looking for a basic answer and something as simple as "babies are pushed out by their mother when the time is right" is enough. Best wishes.

Victoria

I told my son babies can come out with surgery on the mom's stomach or through the mom's woo-hoo ;) Seriously, that was a good enough answer for him at the time. I haven't had the big question yet, but he told me recently that while he was "blood-related" to me, he wasn't "blood-related" to his dad.

I suggest just telling her the truth - better to become a source that she can always turn to for the straight facts from the beginning than giving her false information which she finds out later isn't the way it is - your information will become suspect. Children, if talked to as an adult, will take the information in the manner it's delivered.
Best,
W.
childrensbehaviorhelp.com

My 4 year old daughter asked me the other day, and I told her the truth...in her vocabulary. She was fine with my answer, and I won't have to edit it later to tell her what really happens. Good luck.

Hi there. I looked to see what the other moms had already said and laughed because you have no responses yet! This is a toughy. I remember being school-age, looking at my own belly and thinking that a flap must open up somewhere to let the baby out-- there was no other way!

I never asked my mom about it, so never got that impression corrected. In your shoes, I think I would have tried the avoidance tactic, too, but if she brings it up again, you may want to consider answering it honestly. You don't have to go into any detail, just say the mom's body pushes the baby out of her vagina.

Fact is, a lot of women give birth with their (often young) children in the room and those kids do just fine when prepared so I doubt it will upset your daughter too much to learn the facts about pregnancy and birth.

Tell her the truth. I was always open and honest with my girls when they were small and still today at ages 21 and 23 if they ask me something I tell them the truth. In most cases they ask, you answer, it's forgotten about.....

I wouldn't bring it up again, but if she does, keep it VERY short, simple and matter-of-fact. She is too young for a whole book about the birds and the bees! We said, "God made a special part in a woman's body that the baby comes out of." and that was good enough for our sons at that age. A mom I know took this same question from her daughter as a cue that she was ready to know all the details about the facts of life. She bought a book and went through the whole thing with her. It was TOO much information and became a problem. This little girl felt as if she needed to educate all of her friends about the amazing and mind-blowing lesson she learned, and several of her friends' parents were quite upset that their 5 or 6 year old child was being told all of this info by another 6 year old!

Good Luck and God Bless!