Explaining a c-section to my toddler

sugarland726

Hi, I'm new to this board. I went back a few pages and did a search but didn't see this topic. Please forgive me if it is a repeat or a frequent question. DD is 3 and asked me how the baby comes out. I was super vague and just said I'll go to the hospital and grandma will bring her to see me and meet the baby. We try to be as accurate as possible when explaining things to her and using the proper terms, but I don't really know how to answer her that isn't going to scare the daylights out of her. How did you explain your RCS to your child? Any tips for me? Thank you!

EmR22

I actually had a way easier time explaining a RCS to my kids (ages 4,5,8)than a vague explanation of a vaginal delivery (to only my almost 9 year old). I kept it brief and to the point. I said that they will "make a little cut in mommy's tummy and the baby will come out of it. They give special medicine to me so it doesn't hurt." I did give more details for my 8 year old but I think just keep it age appropriate. We also talked about how I would get stitches and that meant that when I got out of the hospital mommy couldn't do certain things like drive or pick them up for a little while. I think it's important to let them know that part so you older kids don't feel left out. Plus it gives you the chance to talk about needed help getting things like diapers etc. and keep them involved.

SuperSecretStatus

I told DD1 that I have to go to the hospital and the doctor will cut my stomach open to get her sister out. She's not scared of stuff like that so it was pretty easy. I even showed her my scar from the c-section with her. She thought it was cool.

Mama-Bear

I just told him.  I told him that the doctor would give me a shot in my back to make it so I couldn't feel anything, then he cut a little spot in my belly and pulled the baby out.  After this last c/s he was obsessed at looking at my incision.  We're very straight forward with him, we actually talked today about euthanasia because we're getting our dog spayed at the end of the month, he wanted to know why we would to that so we talked about how there are more dogs than there are people that want dogs.  When I had my first c/s he was 27m and we told him about the process then.

Monilee1017

DS is three and I showed him my scar and said that the doctor is going to cut mommy and take out the baby. I think him seeing the healed scar made it easier since it doesn't look scary or gross. He didn't really ask many questions after that. I had my second one on 8/9 and so far DS has been great. He knows that mommy has a cut and that you have to be gentle and can't jump on me right now.

knottie3c0525a8a3c64eaa

I was born via csection and so were my siblings. My mom, who is a child's psychologist, told me when I asked her that she went to the doctor, he gave her some medicine so that it doesn't hurt and open Mommy's belly to take the baby out and then closed it.
I had a much harder time understanding why my cousin came out of her mom's vagina and was scared a baby would come out of mine too. Lol

knottie3c0525a8a3c64eaa

With that said, a toddler is so little to understand that I don't think you need to get too specific.

Lbear8

EmR22 said:

I actually had a way easier time explaining a RCS to my kids (ages 4,5,8)than a vague explanation of a vaginal delivery (to only my almost 9 year old). I kept it brief and to the point. I said that they will "make a little cut in mommy's tummy and the baby will come out of it. They give special medicine to me so it doesn't hurt." I did give more details for my 8 year old but I think just keep it age appropriate. We also talked about how I would get stitches and that meant that when I got out of the hospital mommy couldn't do certain things like drive or pick them up for a little while. I think it's important to let them know that part so you older kids don't feel left out. Plus it gives you the chance to talk about needed help getting things like diapers etc. and keep them involved.

Exactly what we did with our 5 yr old!

kreeper611

DD was a repeat c/s so I just explained that she would come out of the scar already there. DS thinks that's the only way babies are born! :-) He would ask after, and still does, to see my scratch and knew for a while it hurt me.

sugarland726

Thanks for all your advice! She brought it up again this morning and I just said the doctor would cut open my belly and pull the baby out when it was time. She processed it for a minute and then moved on. I clearly was making this much harder on myself than it needed to be!