Where do babies come from? How do they get there? Whether your child is two or twelve, this is one of those questions, which all parents want to escape. Ask any twenty years old also and the reply will be sheer nonsense with lot of imagination. This is because generally all biology teachers tend to skip the chapter on human reproduction. Then where will the answers come from? Would you prefer that your child explore and find out for himself/herself?
Of course, the answers must come from you; the parent and you should be ready to take this responsibility. But, remember that you have to be comfortable with your own sexuality, with your own body, so that you can face your child squarely in the eyes, not those slinking looks up at the ceiling as if you were reciting some long forgotten poem. What is there to be ashamed of? And if you do find your child in a moment of self-discovery, perfect. In fact, this is the time to teach him the use of every part of his body and how to avoid misuse and the wrong touch by themselves and any other person especially older boys and so called uncle-jis.
Once you are comfortable with your own sexuality, the next most important thing to remember is to be absolutely honest. Never ever tell children that you picked them up from the wayside or Mother Teresa’s ashram. This is suicidal and tends to lead to lot of insecurity in the child especially at times when he needs a scolding for something. Consider the child’s age. Two year olds may be satisfied with the fact that babies grow in mummy’s tummy. Older children need elaboration of the same thing, but at all times, it is the truth and nothing but the truth, either watered down or the whole thing depending on the sensitivity, comprehensibility and age of your child.
But before you begin, it is wise to catch up on some facts yourself and pick and choose from scientific information how much you need to tell them. You could also visit a library and pick up books with pictures for your child to read. The first question usually asked by young children is: where do babies come from?
The baby grows inside the mother’s abdomen in an organ known as the uterus or womb. This lies in the lower part of the abdomen, protected within the bony cage above the legs called the pelvis. The uterus is connected to one tube on either side, the other end of which is connected to the ovary. The ovary is the organ or structure where the eggs are made. The ovary is present even at birth but begins to make eggs only at puberty. Puberty is the age, around 10 years, when certain changes begin to occur in the body e.g. the girl child begins to put on height, breasts begin to develop and hair begins to grow in the underarms and the pubic area, which is the area on the lowermost part of the body, between the two legs.
Unlike the female, where the genital organs – the uterus, two tubes and two ovaries, are protected inside the body, in the male, they are outside the body. To make a baby, the egg from the mother has to meet cells from the father of the baby. These male cells, which unite with the egg to make a baby, are called sperms and are produced in structures called the testes. The two testes lie in a wrinkled purse like structure called the scrotum, which hangs down from the lowermost part of the body of the male, between the legs. The sperms, which are produced in the testes, need temperature lower than body temperature to survive. Therefore nature placed them outside the body. At the time of puberty in males, certain changes occur like gain in height, deepening of the voice and growth of hair on face, chest and pubic areas.
Every month one egg is released from the ovary in the female. This is picked up by the tube, which will transport it to the uterus. If the egg meets a sperm on the way, both fuse together in what is called fertilization. In the meanwhile, the lining of the uterus is preparing itself to receive the fertilized egg. This it does by becoming thicker and spongier. The fertilized egg will implant in this spongy layer and ultimately grow into a baby.
The baby starts it’s life as a single cell and the marvel of nature is that, dividing again and again, many more cells are formed which at first appear like a tiny fish and then grows arms and legs and soon begins to look like a baby. In the early phases this small bundle of cells gets its nutrition from the spongy layer of the uterus. Later a cord like structure, called umbilical cord, stretches from the belly button of the baby to the wall of the uterus. Here a structure called the placenta forms that will now supply the baby all the nourishment it needs. The baby remains inside the uterus of the mother in a watery bag called the amniotic sac, which keeps the baby well cushioned. After nine months inside the body of the mother, the baby is pushed down below by contractions of the uterus through the birth canal or the vagina and is born in this beautiful world.
If, however, fertilization does not occur, then this spongy layer is of no use and, very intelligently, nature sheds it off. This shedding off of the spongy lining of the uterus every month is called menstruation. Menstrual discharge consists of blood and cells from the lining of the uterus. Shedding of the menstrual blood every month is a sure shot sign that all is normal – the internal genital organs of the girl child are normal and so is the hormonal system, which controls the release of the egg. However, what is not normal is to actually have a baby at this young age. Imagine, a girl of 14 or 16 years, a child herself, having a baby. For all to go well, many more changes are required in the body. There has to be growth of muscles, bones and further development of the basic structure of the uterus. Additionally, mental growth of the individual is not complete as yet. Pregnancy in the teenage years has higher risks of having complications like high blood pressure. There are more chances of the need for operation to take out the baby and the baby is more likely to be mentally retarded as well.