This is normally my first answer. Then I wait to see if the follow up "HOW?" gets asked. Then I'd say "through the vagina". |
+3 |
This question is way preferable to “How does the baby get in there?”
Some version of: the mom pushes the baby out through her vagina or the doctor has to cut her tummy and lift the baby or. |
why would you not answer with anything but the truth? you people are weird.
my DS asked when he was 5 and was relieved to know that the doctor did not have to cut the baby out in all cases. |
“What Makes A Baby” is fantastic; without belaboring details, it keeps the doors open on lots of variations about how reproduction happens (and even gives a pretty great kid-level explanation of what DNA is and does).
It also answers this question. I just read it to 4 yo; highly recommend. |
This is the easy part of the question.
The harder part is when they ask "how did the baby get in there?" |
This is what we told my DD, although a little later than 3. There have been no follow up questions. Originally she just knew that I had a c-section but not everyone does. Around age 5 she got very concerned about how babies were born before surgery was common, so I told her the vagina and that was it. We own a copy of It's Not the Stork that I plan to pull out soon. |
I said the tummy muscles squeeze the baby out through a birth canal that has an opening between mom's legs. Then we looked at a rubber ducky and squeezed water out of it. My 4 year old was pretty happy with this explanation. |
+4 |
Get a book to she can visualize what you are saying. |
Why is it preferable? You can't tell your kid what sex is? |
No, I'd rather not tell her the details yet. I found out about it at an early age from a relative who meant well but the idea of it caused me a lot of anxiety back then. My kid is a worrywart like I was, so I'd rather wait just a little longer. I'll look into the Stork book for sure though. |
Mom pushes |
I told my 3.5 year old that mom goes to the hospital and the doctor and nurses help get the baby out. That seemed to satisfy him. If pressed I would have said that I push the baby out through my vagina, which is a special opening between my legs. I wouldn’t have said anything about a c-section/surgery though, because my husband had surgery when my DS was 2.5, almost 3, and it was a huge source of stress for my kid seeing dad in the hospital and unable to move around. |