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Siblings present during birth

knottie7f797a239525430eknottie7f797a239525430e member
in September 2024 Moms
I would love for my daughter to see her baby siblings be born, but I'm wondering if she may be too young. She will be 5 and a half when baby comes. What experiences do you have with siblings being present for the birth?
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Re: Siblings present during birth

  • themoonlightchildthemoonlightchild member
    I think it might depend on the maturity/understanding/sensitivity of the child. When my SIL was about to give birth to my niece, we would often watch over our nephew who was about 9 at the time. I remember having to console him often because he would burst into tears whenever he would hear us talk about / try to explain what his mom was going through… I think seeing her have contractions and feel any type of pain really scared/worried him. Each child might react differently. Blessings to you!
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  • knottie6a95a68bd50e1b91knottie6a95a68bd50e1b91 member
    I would consider having my 10 year old there, she’s very interested in science and the human body. My 16 year old son would die a thousand deaths before he would be in the room!!! 

    In practice it will just be my husband, though. :) 
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  • finalcountdown5finalcountdown5 member
    We did home birth with my last 2. Not by choice on one and the last one we had prepared for it.

    In my opinion it depends more on you then your children. If you're calm cool and collected it is a beautiful thing, but if you are the type to lose it during birth or other situations maybe not. Hypnobirthing is a game changer. It has reshaped birthing in my brain.

    It went fine for us. The 1st time they were very young and this last time they were interested but not too interested. They were running in and out of the area.

    It's a beautiful thing to share with your entire family. It is also not for everyone. I hope this helps some in your decision.
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  • mountainmama65mountainmama65 member
    I’m definitely going to have a conversation with daughter and OB about this… she will be 9 when her little sibling is born, and if she expresses interest I think it would be a cool experience for her to be there.
    ***********************************************
    PhD student - Wine Lover - Endurance Athlete - Adventure Seeker - Vizsla Mama - 

    Me: 30 DH: 30 --- Married 4 years, 12/31/09 --- Baby due 6/7/15!

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  • finalcountdown5finalcountdown5 member
    Oh I bet she will be such a help when baby comes. I agree I bet the experience will be a bonding moment for you both. A core memory. I'm interested in what your OB says. I never thought to ask mine their opinions.
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  • mountainmama65mountainmama65 member
    @finalcountdown5 I really hope she will be… my husband is deploying next month and will be gone through January!! He will probably get to come home
    for the birth, but it’s going to be just me and our daughter for most of the pregnancy and newborn stage!
    ***********************************************
    PhD student - Wine Lover - Endurance Athlete - Adventure Seeker - Vizsla Mama - 

    Me: 30 DH: 30 --- Married 4 years, 12/31/09 --- Baby due 6/7/15!

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  • cscrzldbgcscrzldbg member
    It partly depends on the personality of the child. A more sensitive child may be more impacted by the experience. It also depends on how you labor, too. Are you more calm or more emotional during labor? If you're a screamer, maybe not the best idea to have younger kids present. 😬 It's also important to talk to the kids prior and explain what is likely to happen, that it's nothing to be afraid of and that it's a completely normal process. Kids are really good about taking their cues from you.

    My 6th was the only birth which any of my kids did not witness. Mostly due to them being happily playing outside while my husband and mom were inside freaking out after learning that the midwife wasn't going to be making it in time and we were on our own. 😂 With my 7th, we just had the 2 youngest (2yo & 4yo) present and let the older kids sleep. It was also our first free-birth so we were a little nervous and wanted to minimize distractions. My kids being present for a birth have ranged from ages 2 to 8. 

    My brother and I were at the hospital for our younger brother's birth. We were 8 & 6. My mom's doctor was very supportive of her choice to have us present. He said it was the best birth control for teen pregnancies. 
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  • brennybirdbrennybird member
    As someone who experienced unexpected and sudden complications during delivery, I would just like to suggest having a plan for what to do in case a sibling needs to be ushered out of the room quickly (who will go with them, where they will go, what will be said to sibling and what they can do while they wait). Hopefully none of that plan will need to be put into action, but it’s a good idea to be prepared!
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