Babble

Hello all,

I'm pregnant with my 2nd biological child, due 9/1. I have two other daughters - a 4 yr. old and a 6 yr. old stepdaughter. Recently, my 4-year old has been very curious as to how the baby will "come out." I've been dodging the question, but the kid is persistent and she's getting wise to the fact that I'm not telling her everything.

I don't want to lie to her, really. We're fairly open and honest with her with everything else, but I don't want to traumatize her. When you think about how vaginal birth (or a C-section) would seem to a kid, it's scary - and really, it's scary to a lot of adults, too.

I'd like some opinions or some personal stories... what have you told your older children about birth?

Thanks!

The arrival of a new baby requires planning and preparation. If you already have other children, you will need to prepare them in advance to expect the new addition to your family. This is important to prevent them from experiencing feelings of jealousy because of the newborn baby.

• Here are some ways you can help prepare your children for the arrival of the new baby:Inform older children in advance, early on during the pregnancy.
  
  
• Give children an idea about the date of the baby’s arrival by using some other event with which they may be familiar. For instance, you can tell them that the baby will be arriving around Christmas time.
  
  
• Tell children about the pregnancy in a way that is consistent with the concept of pregnancy or childbirth they may have already gathered earlier.
  
  
• When answering their queries, give them only details they want to know. You can ask questions to find out exactly what it is that they want to know.
  
  
• Involve older children in preparing for the coming of the baby. For instance, you can let them pick some of the things you require, while shopping for the baby. This way they will be less likely to feel jealous later on.
  
  
• Take older children along with you when have your prenatal appointments with the doctor.