It finally happened (part II)

This morning at breakfast we were talking about something that DH and I had done before the girls were born, and Sarah said, "But we were dere too, because we were in your tummy, wight?" I said, "No, you weren't even in my tummy yet!" And she said, "But how did we get in dere?"

I sort of looked helplessly at DH and he said, "Mommy and Daddy decided that we wanted to have kids, and then you started growing in Mommy's tummy." Fortunately at that point Sarah got distracted by wondering whether she was so small that we needed a telescope [Me: "I think you mean a microscope"] to see her.

But at what point do you start trying to explain about the sperm & the egg? (I'm not interested in made-up stories about storks, etc.) Actually, it's not so much the sperm & the egg that gives me pause -- it's the explanation of how sperm meets egg. :blink:

 

Awww. My girls are really into talking about when they were in my tummy ("It looked like a GIANT MOUNTAIN mommy!"), but so far they haven't asked how that happened. Because we went thru IVF to conceive them, I wonder how I will explain all this in an age-appropriate way. Since your girls are a little more than a year older than mine, it looks like I better figure this out soon!

Sorry I couldn't answer your question, but thank you SO much for posting it!

 

We did IVF too, so that adds an extra level of complication. Although, actually, I think it would be easier explain about the embryologist and the petri dish than about s*x! :laughing:

 

"When mommies and daddies love each other very much, they call the insurance company and beg and plead. And then a mail order pharmacy sends a big box of medication and needles. Then for weeks daddy sticks mommy with needles and mommy wakes up at the crack of dawn to get her sore bum to the lab so they can test her blood. Then mommy and daddy go to the reproductive endocrinologist's office, meet the doctors, nurses and embryologists...." I think your preschooler will stop asking questions, aside from the ever popular "Why?" which is the easiest question of all (compared to the icky "How" question)! Because we love you and wanted you to be part of our family

 

I think you and your DH handled it well. I believe in giving information in an age appropriate way. There is nothing that would be gained by going into detail at this age. They were satisfied with your answer, so that shows they don't need more information, yet. If they ask for more, only give as much as needed at this time. Obviously there comes a time when more information is warranted whether they ask or not, but I don't think it is any time soon!

By giving too much information too soon, you could overwhelm them and get them thinking about things they aren't ready to handle.

 

Thanks for the laugh! :laughing: (Actually, I stuck myself with needles -- even the progesterone in the butt. It just freaked me out a lot less to do it myself than to stand there with my shirt up or my pants down, waiting for the pinch.)

Stacy, I'm sure you're right. The fact that she did not pester me for more info means she didn't really need/want more than that for now.

 

:laughing: (that's kind of nervous laughter... what the heck am I going to say to my boys?!)

I love your explanation, Leighann! And Alden, I think you're right - this is all they need to know now. As they need more, the questions will continue!

 

I too am LMAO at Leighann's description. Okay ladies, how do you top mine?? lol, i did IUI with donor sperm, so how am i gonna explain THAT one?? because mommy has bad taste in men and decided to swear them off... lol

 

I love Leighann's description too! I am hoping mine will not ask for a very long time!

I learned the hard way that cutesy stork stories are not the way to go! my ds#1 was almost 3 when ds#2 was born, he asked how the baby got in my tummy. DH made up some stupid cutesy story and ds#1 looked at us like we were aliens and said that is not the way it happened! He said "daddy laid on top of you" :woah: you can imagine our horror! Come to find out, our niece who is a couple years older had one of her cousins that was like 9 spend the night with her and informed her about how babies were made and my niece informed my son!