How to explain birth?

OK, so Joshua saw some of the Friends episode the other day where Rachel gives birth to Emma And he asked afterwards why the lady was crying and why the baby came out of her bottom.
So I told him that the lady was crying because she was very happy to have her baby, but also that having the baby hurt her a bit. So he said: "well I guess you wont cry because your baby is coming out of your tummy and not your bottom." Bless him. And as I didnt feel comfortable him having this untruth, I explained to him that the baby will have to come out near my bottom and that I might cry because it is only a small hole. He seemed to be ok with that at the time but then this afternoon on our way back from the shops he suddenly asked why the baby has to come out of a small hole because its supposed to come out of my tummy. So I asked him how the baby was supposed to come out of my tummy as I didnt have a hole there...
He was quiet for a bit and then asked if him and Anna also came out of a small hole - to which I replied that yes they did.

I generally talk quite openly about boy and girl bits, and we call them what they are and not silly names. But I felt that if I told him exactly where the baby would be coming out, he'd ask the next question which is how did the baby get in your tummy in the first place! And wasnt quite ready to have that talk with him yet.

Has anybody else had to explain birth to the older sibling? Its been nice that Joshua is now old enough to really be aware of a baby coming, especially compared to Anna who is still more or less unaware, but at the same time I dont know how much information to give him at this stage.

Sorry I don't have any advice as my 3 did come out of my tummy, I had 3 sections. I think you sound like you are doing a fab job telling him the truth in an age appropriate way

Sounds like you have done well so far. Kieran asked me this question when he was 3!!!! I told him that babies come out of the Mummies front bums and that we push them out, he was fine with this but he did ask how babies get there, I told him that Daddys plants a seed in mummies tummy which ofcourse lead to the "how does the seed get there" at that time I told him he puts it in my dinner and I ate it Anna and her friend asked a couple of weeks ago, Anna's concern was "what if the baby is blind, how will it know where to go?" and her friend said no babies come out of tummies so I explaned that the normal way was to be pushed out of front bums but sometimes the mummy has to have an operation, he friend was horrified at the though her Mum had had an operation!!!
Strangely we haven't had the SEX questions yet, only a matter of time I guess!

similar things here! I have told Lucas that babies come out in different ways, some come out through the mummys vagina, he asked how? so I just told him that Mummy pushes it out like pushing out a poo he was perfectly happy with that, he also knows that he and his sisters came out through mummys tummy, the doctor made a little hole for them and got them out, he is happy with that too!

With regard to how they got in the tummy I explained to him that when a man and a lady love each other they want to make a family, and to do this the daddy plants a seed into mummys tummy that grows into a baby. He did once aske me how daddy plants the seed and I told him that it is a special planting between mummys and daddys (vague I know but he was only 3 and was happy with this)

good luck

jan x

not sure i'm looking forward to these questions

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Thanks for your replies - he has not questioned me further so I will assume that he is happy with the answer I gave him. I do think though that I should be ready for more questions in coming weeks and especially after baby is born.
DH doesnt really help when he jokes that the small hole near my bottom gets bigger with each baby

[clothmama]

DH doesnt really help when he jokes that the small hole near my bottom gets bigger with each baby

norty DH!!!!

Josh asked me how Louis would be born in a very loud voice in the middle of Matalan At the time my placenta was very low lying and I was having bleeds all the time so was psyching myself up for a cs so just told him that the doctor would cut a hole in my tummy to get him out! I was waiting for more questions and they never came so I never needed to go into more detail - I didn't end up having a Caesar in the end!!

taneli asked me if my belly button will get bigger and bigger until its big enough for the baby to pop out of, so i corrected him that there is a hole that will get bigger and bigger till its bigger enough for the baby to come out of, but its not my belly button, its on a ladies bottom. but he also knows that some babies cant get out on their own and need some help and then the doctors do an operation (like him and Boo's birth).

how idi the baby get in...well then its really useful to bring your kids up with a belief in g-d!!!! i have told him that all mummies have seeds inside them, and sometimes g-d makes one of them grow into a baby

my boys were a little older when sam was born so were fully informed and v interested and even saw a few births on telly (i used to love those birth story shows ) however they needed reassurance that everything would be ok and knew i was back and forth to hospital so got a little stressed by that. henry got v distressed seeing sam in SCBU all wired up

a few weeks after sam was born henry had obviously been thinking about how sam had got in there and knew he was conceived when we on holiday in portugal and said "it must have happened when daddy jumped on top of you in the pool ":giggle: well the actual event was not much more exciting but even my ex wasn't that quick