How was "making babies" explained to you, as a child?

[Clawdy]

I was about ten, ( this was in the sixties ) and I came home from school filled with horror about what a schoolfriend had told me about how babies were made! Mum looked aghast, and tried to make it sound better.....She said men had to put their widgy in a lady's weewee ( weird names we used in our house! ). When I said "But that sounds horrible! " she said " Yes, I know, but if you love someone, you don't mind."

My schools were great though. Lessons on mechanics and periods etc in y5, further about relationships in y6, y7 we had lessons on contraception and abortion and y9-10 about abuse, coercion, love, pregnancy and bodily autonomy. Not bad for a comprehensive.

That included a video of adult female and male parts (walking down a hallway)

A friend’s dd at about 8 told friend that so and so at school had told her that to make a baby, the man put his willy into the woman’s (whatever word she used) - was it true?

Friend (peeling potatoes at the time) ‘Well, yes, it is.’
Dd - ‘Oh.’ (pause) ‘Did you and daddy do that to get me?’
Friend - ‘Well, yes, we did.’
Dd - ‘Oh.’ (Long pause). EEUURRCH !!!

@Hohofortherobbers

I was also under the impression that sperms were quite big, like tadpole sized and I remember being very concerned that they could escape

I also had this concern, I also at that time knew why you got erections, so I was scared that these giant mutant sperm would swim out of my willy if I saw a boy I liked and I would need to catch them without anyone noticing 😂

I'd read from books. Which are still. I was far too old when I realised movement was jnvolved!

My gran was brought up in foster homes and told nothing about sex, she only realised what it was all about on her wedding night! When she went into labour with my mum ( it was the 1920s) she asked the midwife how the baby was going to come out! The reply was "Same way it went in, love!" Gran said she spent the next minutes thinking "But that's just not possible....HOW??" She soon found out.....

Gosh that's really shocking.

I'm 33 and still waiting for someone to tell me

I vaguely remember a 30 minute session in year 7 where we were given a banana and a condom and shown how to put the condom on the banana. Dont know about you but I've never seen a banana shaped penis. We were then given a load of condoms each (we were 12!). The next day was a school trip and we spent the 2 hour journey blowing up the condoms like balloons .

I honestly cannot remember. I distinctly remember her sitting down with me and telling me we were going to talk about ‘the birds and the bees’ when I was no older than 9 but don’t recall what she said. We learnt about it in year 6 anyway so by that stage, I thought I knew pretty much everything. I had an older friend I played with on my street when I was 8/9 anyway so she liked to talk about her periods quite a lot. I remember feeling jealous about the fact she had periods, spots and homework .

I’ve always been open about things with my DC if they have asked so they’re well aware where babies come from and how much it hurts!

My mum told me you pray for a baby and God gives you one. She also said (when I was 6) if I don't lose weight I will not be able to have a baby because there is no space for it.

She also never explained periods so for 6 months I hid them from her because I thought I was dying and didn't want to upset her.

She tried to take me out of sex Ed at school but thankfully didn't succeed. That's when I found out that my periods were perfectly normal.

My mum was a bit embarrassed about it so she gave me a biology book to read at about age 11, which explained the facts about periods, sperm and eggs, but was very dry and didn't mention actual sexual intercourse. I got the rest from reading Judy blume.

I'm sure I got told some story about a man planting his seed! Couldn't have been further from my truth...3 rounds of ivf later haha

Still waiting.....I'm 37

I think my mother told me quite factually when I was about 10 or so.I already knew though.

What age do people think is appropriate to explain to children? My five year old has asked me a few times this week where babies come from (mummy's tummy), where do they come out (of mummy's vagina or a cut in her tummy - I had both) and then pressed on with 'but how do they get in there in the first place?'.

I have brushed it off for now with 'daddy puts a baby seed in mummy's tummy' but I know she'll think about it and ask again. I have no problem being factual, but at 5? This seems far too young. She's only just 5 too. She's also the sort of child who's would take her new found knowledge and explain it to all the children at school (she has autism, doesn't always get what's appropriate for what audience!). She's fascinated with the human body, and we have bought her books about the body generally, but this seems a bit much for such a young child!

Must have been pretty young - 6 or so? My mum explained that sperm came out of the penis and swam up inside, found an egg an joined together to make a baby.

I know I must have been young enough to still be sharing a bath with my younger brother as I remember being terrified that sperm had swum through the bath water and that I would be pregnant

My DD (8yo) asked me how women had babies when they weren't married this morning. Led to quite an in depth conversation about contraception, sex, IVF... And adults having sex for fun.

when I was 6 my aunt was pregnant. My mum explained to me that mummies and daddies have a very special hug and that makes a baby. I then promptly decided to ask them to demonstrate.

Around the same time I saw Les Mis for the first time. I asked my mum what a prostitute was and she told me that it was a woman who sleeps with men for money. any earning money whilst sleeping (there is a line which is literally "make money in your sleep") sounded like the best job ever! I went into school on Monday and told my teacher i wanted to be a prostitute when i grew up! My mum learnt not to always be quite so honest with me after what.

My DH are currently going through IVF and I was out with my Sis and nephew when I got the call about the number of eggs that had survived. My sister has clearly been teaching my 7 year old nephew the birds and bees lately and decided to try and explain IVF to him. She was honest saying "they take eggs out of auntie and sperm out of uncle and then inject the sperm into the egg and leave them to grow. Then they get put in the freezer until ready to go back inside auntie". The look on my nephew's face.....

My mum told me she went to the doctor and had a talk, and then had an injection (oh yeah?) and then nearly a year later the baby comes out of your tummy.

Which is I suppose kind of true. I believed this up until I was about 9.

I remember ‘seeds and eggs’ I knew the seeds came from men and women had the eggs. I was also aware that ‘tummies’ came into it and that the man and woman had to lie down together to make it all work.

I have older siblings and so I think my early info was very early and a muddled whispered mix. At around 4.
I don’t think my parents ever actually told me anything ‘officially’ as it was clear I had a good idea.

I was expelled from a Roman Catholic nursery for telling a fellow inmate pupil what i knew during one afternoon nap time.
My parents were told it was indecent and inappropriate for me to know or to have said.
I was brought up atheist.

'Mummy and Daddy decide they want a baby, so they pray to Jesus and then a baby arrives.'

I distinctly remember asking if that meant that my mum had prayed for a baby 4 times (once each for me and my siblings).

art-sheep.com/how-a-baby-is-made-is-the-most-traumatizing-childrens-book-in-the-world/

That book! My Mum found it in a charity shop around about when she was pregnant with my brother. I would have been 4. It was actually very effective.

@MouseholeCat

art-sheep.com/how-a-baby-is-made-is-the-most-traumatizing-childrens-book-in-the-world/

That book! My Mum found it in a charity shop around about when she was pregnant with my brother. I would have been 4. It was actually very effective.

Wow. Very graphic!

Didn't manage to get the vagina/vulva distinction right, unfortunately. Still, you can't have everything, I guess.

I'm lucky in that my mum was very open and would discuss anything in an age appropriate way.

We watched a series called Living and Growing at middle school which covered everything very factually and simply. Mum had also passed on a booklet about periods so I was pretty clued up about those before they happened at 12 - she still hadn't got any sanpro in the house though . My poor dad was the only one in the house when they started and had to go and get some for me from the chemist. To his eternal credit he was brilliant about the whole thing.

It wasn't. Very religious mother. I wasn't even allowed to know what the word pregnant meant, if I had said it, she would have been hysterical.

One terribly embarrassing night when I was about ten, we were at a friend of theirs house and they had a book called "the mum machine and the dad machine" which my dad loudly read to me in front of everyone. All the adults jeering at me. It was horrible.

When I started my periods I had to pretend I didn't l know what they were. I actually had about 6 periods in secret using loo roll before I plucked up the courage. I asked my mum what all the blood was and she had to go and lay down. I then wasn't allowed out to play on my bike all week because "men would smell me and try to have sex with me".

She was an odd, odd woman. She died when I was 12. I'd hate to think how awful she would have made my teen years.

@timeforanewnameagain

I think my mother told me quite factually when I was about 10 or so.I already knew though.

What age do people think is appropriate to explain to children? My five year old has asked me a few times this week where babies come from (mummy's tummy), where do they come out (of mummy's vagina or a cut in her tummy - I had both) and then pressed on with 'but how do they get in there in the first place?'.

I have brushed it off for now with 'daddy puts a baby seed in mummy's tummy' but I know she'll think about it and ask again. I have no problem being factual, but at 5? This seems far too young. She's only just 5 too. She's also the sort of child who's would take her new found knowledge and explain it to all the children at school (she has autism, doesn't always get what's appropriate for what audience!). She's fascinated with the human body, and we have bought her books about the body generally, but this seems a bit much for such a young child!

It's tricky isn't it. They are so young. I told DC when questioned (4 and 5) that if a man and a woman who love each other want a baby, they make a special wish. If they are lucky, special wishing powder reaches an egg in a woman and may make a baby. When asked how it comes out, I just said the doctor helps the baby come out and we stay in hospital so that they can check the baby is healthy (I have a 1 year old too, so was asked all this). They would definitely tell their friends if I told them the truth.