"mummy, how do you 'get' a baby in your tummy"

[onedayatatime73]

Sorry I am sure this has been discussed lots of times.

My 3 yr old dd asked me today and wouldn't leave the subject alone. I said that mummy and daddy have a "special cuddle" and then a baby grows in mummy's tummy. She wants more info about the special cuddle. I am not sure what to say that is appropriate for her age but she's not going to let this one go. Any advice please? And any books on the subject that could help?

I think you should just tell her straight. Whatever age a child is, I think if they ask a question it's your job to answer it in a way she can understand.

Tell her that daddy puts his [whatever you call it in your family] into mummy's [whatever you call it], that it's something grown-ups do, and that sometimes they do it when they want to have a baby. If you tell her now, just think - you won't have to have that embarrassing 'facts of life' chat when she's older.

Tell her she grew in your tummy, and when she'd grown just enough you gave birth to her. If she asks how she got out of your tummy, tell her.

As long as you keep the language simple, there's no reason why she shouldn't know how babies are conceived and are born. Tell her as much as she needs to know to answer her question, but there's no need to go into huge detail. If she wants more information, she'll ask more questions.

My DC love the 'Mummy's Laid an Egg' book. I find it a bit coy, but it's a fun take on the subject.

Good luck OP - you'll be fine.

'Questions Children Ask' from Amazon is great as it sections each question into age-appropriate answers. here

Our lo is 3 and I'm pregnant - cue questions!

I went down the special cuddle route too. Luckily that seems to have satisfied her curiosity for now. I always plan on being honest but at the level that's suitable. Personally I don't think daddy putting his into mummies _ is suitable for age 3 but you know your child best.

Good luck!

There is a really good book called "I know a secret" I had it as a child and bought it for ds from amazon. It explains things really simply without going into too much detail and also explains the umbilical cord, my son loves it

Thank you for all your replies. I will order the books and talk to her. I am glad I asked for your advice - it hadn't occurred to me to just tell her straight. I was somehow trying to dance around it!

Good going, OP.

I think we tell 3 year old all sorts of things that sound bizarre - the planet's round like a ball. Leaves fall off trees in Autumn but grow again in Spring. Mummy and Daddy having a 'special cuddle' is probably one of the least odd things she's going to hear this week!

Also, I think children love to hear that they were made from a bit of mummy and a bit of daddy. I think it's quite reassuring for them, actually.

i always just told them straight, in very simple temrs how i have an egg in my tummy and it needs a bit from daddy to help it grow into a baby, some of the books linked here are very good, keep it simple but truthful :)

We used the 'special cuddles' line with DD when I was pregnant with DS and she was happy to accept it without question (she was 3.5 at the time). We've had a chat about periods since but nothing about how babies are made. However DS asked the same question in the bath the other night (he is now 3 and DD is almost 7). I said the same thing and DD asked 'but how do special cuddles make a baby?'. I was totally unprepared for this so just said pretty much what culturemulcher suggested - starting with 'well this is going to sound a bit funny but .....'. She giggled, got a bit embarrassed then asked a few more questions like 'when do you do it? and do you have to take your clothes off?'. Then moved on. I think because it came up naturally and I didn't have the chance to overanalyse what I said that it came out much better than it might have - and as someone else said I won't have to do 'the chat' later. The only down side was that she went to the loo when DH was in the shower later and she was looking at his penis, went all red and started giggling again!