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Talking about…how human life begins

Talking about how human life begins can arise when there is a pregnancy in the family, or your child notices a pregnant woman, or there is a general curiosity about human reproduction. At this age it helps to describe sex and different forms of insemination in a factual, straightforward way.

By P6/P7 your child may be learning about how human life begins at school – or you might know they have done this already at school. You can ask school what this lesson contains and have chats at home that help clarify any questions your child might have.

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How is a baby made? How does human life begin?

Whether prompted by a question, or because your child shows interest, or seems curious, this suggested text might help support your chats.

A baby is made by grownups. To make a baby you need a tiny little egg from a woman, and you need the seed (called the sperm) from a man. A woman’s eggs are inside her body; a part called the ovaries. A man’s sperm is made in his testicles which are inside the bag of skin that hangs behind his penis.

When a couple want to make a baby, they have loving cuddles, this can be called having sex. During sex, the man’s penis goes inside the woman’s vagina. The sperm from the man comes out and travels inside the woman to meet her egg. When the egg and sperm come together, they can start a baby. This is called fertilisation. The start of the baby is called the embryo.

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IVF

If IVF is part of your family’s journey – or your child shows interest in this – we offer some words to support your chat.

A baby is made by grownups. To make a baby you need a tiny little egg from a woman, and you need the seed (called the sperm) from a man. A woman’s eggs are inside her body; a part called the ovaries. A man’s sperm is made in his testicles which are inside the bag of skin that hangs behind his penis.

Some parents need help to make their baby. So, a doctor will collect eggs from mum. The dad will give the doctor some sperm. Then the doctor combines the egg and sperm in the laboratory and makes an embryo. The embryo is the beginning of the baby. The doctor puts the embryo back into mum’s womb. Now the mum is pregnant. When parents get this kind of help from the doctor it is called IVF which is a short way to say in vitro fertilisation.

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Donor insemination

If your child has been conceived without the support of doctors/IVF, these words can be adapted to support your family chats.

A baby is made by grownups. To make a baby you need a tiny little egg from a woman, and you need the seed (called the sperm) from a man. A woman’s eggs are inside her body; a part called the ovaries. A man’s sperm is made in his testicles which are inside the bag of skin that hangs behind his penis.

A baby can be created when a man gives his sperm to the woman. She puts the sperm inside her vagina. The sperm from the man travels inside the woman to meet her egg. When the egg and sperm come together, they can start a baby. This is called fertilisation. The start of the baby is called the embryo.

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Talking about miscarriage

If your family experiences a miscarriage, or your child hears of this happening they may have worries or questions. The words here are offered as a simple factual description with the intention of supporting the chats you will have to explore feelings.

A miscarriage is when a pregnancy ends, usually nearer the beginning of the pregnancy. It means that the baby was not able to continue to grow. This can happen, and often we don’t know why it happens. It can be a difficult time for a woman and her family because they were expecting a new baby.

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Books

You might like to read these books together. Your school or library might have them, or you can ask the library if they will order a book for you.

Text describes exactly what takes place in the body at the time of puberty. It contains sections on sex and contraception, food, exercise, hygiene and drugs and other problems both physical and emotional.

This book gives the facts – biological and psychological – of sex, including sections on the body, families and babies, and sexual health.

A book on sex, sexuality, bodies, and puberty.