FINAL TSTO Lesa Dec 14.pdf - Flipbook - Page 41
Explaining intercourse, conception,
pregnancy and birth to children10
Making babies
To make a baby you need sperm (seed) from a man’s
body to join with a tiny ovum (egg) from a woman’s body.
This is how it happens. When two adults feel loving
towards each other they can really enjoy touching each
other’s bodies. Sometimes they decide to have sex.
When a man and a woman have sex the man’s penis
goes into the woman’s vagina.
When a man and a
woman have sex the
man’s penis goes into
the woman’s vagina.
The sperm gets from the man’s body into the woman’s,
and sometimes (not all the time) an egg from the woman
connects with one sperm from the man, and that might
develop into a baby.
The egg that has joined with the sperm travels into a place
in the woman’s body (called the uterus) where it settles in
to grow. It will go on growing for about nine months — this
is called pregnancy. When the baby is ready to be born,
the muscles in the uterus stretch and push the baby out
through the vagina, which also stretches so that the baby
can get through, and the baby is born.
What if a child has same-sex parents?
We are all different but every human baby starts the
same way - with a tiny egg from a woman and a small
seed, called a sperm, from a man.
Same – sex couples generally use assisted conception or
surrogacy, fostering or adoption to become parents.
Explaining assisted conception
These are the ways a sperm and egg can join:
sex between a man and a woman
with the help of a doctor, sometimes the egg and the sperm
can be ‘mixed up’ together and put inside the mother’s uterus.
What to do if they just won’t talk (or letting go of
the big talk concept)
For those of us worrying about how to answer children’s
questions, there are as many frustrated parents and carers
wishing they had that problem. You are looking forward to
being supportive and open, and helping your child through
puberty, relationships and sexuality, and their communication
stops! First, know that this is part of adolescence. Young
people often need to work things out in their own way.
Communication about values or providing information can still
happen, just not as directly as you might have liked.
There are some good websites (see page 62 for
recommendations), TV shows and CD-roms that might help
too. Perhaps one of the most important things you can do as a
parent is to support school sex education programs.
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