How does the baby get out?

Pregnancy brings up all kinds of questions in kids. Recently Dallin asked me how the baby gets out, which is a common one. I think it's really important to tell kids the truth about these things, but in a simplified way appropriate to their age and understanding. We have a book I love called The Visual Dictionary of the Human Body by Eyewitness, and we have read it so many times it is literally falling apart. It has such great, clear illustrations and simple explanations for kids, including a couple of pages on reproduction. So I brought out the book and showed him the picture of the baby inside the mommy, explaining contractions, the cervix and the birth canal. This cleared things up a little, but he still wanted to know more about it. So we got on my favorite pregnancy site and watched some animated videos together. My kids love watching the videos of the developing baby, but you'll need to preview them first because some of them show a little too much - at times I need to cover up the mom's bare chest with my hand. The one about labor and delivery was excellent (it does start out with the bare chest though), and then we watched the real-life c-section. At first they weren't too sure if they wanted to watch it, like when the doctor started the incision. But then they were amazed when the baby came out and ended up watching that part over and over. One of the boys exclaimed, "This is real mad science!" I think that when we are comfortable and honest with our kids, it will make them comfortable with the subject matter and continue to ask questions as they are ready for more information. And visual aids are always important.