Alex's Answer

Hi, welcome to Ask Alex.  

Thank you for your message.  

It sounds like you have a keen interest in understanding how babies are made. This is a great question and it’s completely normal that you want to know more about how you – and others – are made!  

A baby grows from sperm (produced by a man) and an egg (made by a woman). Kind of like how fruit grows from a seed. There are a few different ways this process can start. Sometimes, doctors help the sperm and the egg join so adults can have a baby. Other times, parents adopt children made in another person’s body. In some families, an adult will have a baby for other adults who cannot. In this way, there’s many places a baby can come from.

Have you got an adult you trust and feel comfortable discussing this topic with, in your life? This could be a parent, aunt/uncle, teacher or counsellor. They might be able to explain the process to you in a way that you understand as well as get some resources for you that explains how babies are conceived. The HSE has some valuable resources around this topic, perhaps you’d like to have a look at the website which you can find here: https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/healthwellbeing/hse-education-programme/resources/. Keep in mind that there is a lot of misinformation out there so always use a trusted website.  

If you prefer, you can also talk to Childline about it. We’d love to hear from you. You can give us a call on 18000 66 66 66, text us on 50101 or instant message us on webchat through https://www.childline.ie/. All of these services are free, confidential and are available 24/7. This is a safe space for you to explore what you already know about babies and where they come from.  Whatever it is you want to talk about, we’ll be here to listen and will never judge you.  

Thanks again for the question. 

Alex