Pets improve our quality of life. But introducing a new baby—and a new routine—to our furry, feathered, scaly, and slippery friends can make life stressful for everyone involved. The sooner you begin preparing your pet for a new family member’s arrival, the better that transition can be.
At Moreland OB-GYN, our team of specialists spends time working with women to discuss their family planning needs. This includes understanding the unique details of life at home and how a new baby may affect siblings and pets.
Below, we outline some of the things you may want to consider once you become pregnant and before your baby arrives home for the first time.
Before Your New Baby Arrives
When you find out you are pregnant, you should take some simple steps to help prepare your pets for a new family member in the home. It’s important to get your pet to the vet for fecal tests and updating vaccinations. In addition:
Dogs
In general, dogs are safe pets during pregnancy, but as the baby develops, be careful of your pup jumping on your tummy while you’re sitting or lying down.
Now is a good time to revisit obedience training. Mastering commands like sit, stay, down, off, go to your mat, drop it, leave it, and back will go a long way toward a happy transition.
When your baby arrives, your household routine will take a sharp left turn. Most notably, you won’t be able to spend as much time with your pup. Begin now to gradually reduce the amount of time you spend playing with and giving attention to your dog, so he/she doesn’t associate less time with you with the baby's arrival.
One more tip: Get your dog used to walking next to a stroller, starting with an empty stroller. You should be holding the leash while you walk; don’t strap it to the stroller.
Cats
Cats can transmit toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that can put your unborn baby at serious risk. Indoor/outdoor cats are more likely to contract the parasite than purely indoor cats.
To be on the safe side, relinquish your poop-scooping duties to another family member – or use disposable gloves and a facemask if you have no other choice. Also, avoid digging or gardening outside. If you are harvesting foods from your own garden, wash fruits and veggies thoroughly before you eat them, as well as the utensils you used to prepare them.
Birds
Pet birds can transmit infections, including salmonella, that can put your pregnancy and unborn baby at serious risk. Be diligent about hand washing with soap and hot water after handling Tweetie or his cage.
Rodents
Rodent pets like hamsters, guinea pigs, and mice, are also risky to be around while you’re pregnant. A virus they can carry, called lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), can be harmful to you and baby. Hand washing after handling is important for all family members.
Keep these pets away from your face. You’ll need to hand off your cage-cleaning duties to another family member. Cage cleaning should be done in a well-ventilated area.
Reptiles
Reptilian pets like lizards, snakes and turtles, and amphibious ones like frogs can carry infection-causing salmonella and listeria bacteria. To avoid serious risks to your pregnancy and harm to your unborn baby, it’s best to relinquish all caregiving duties to another family member or find a temporary home for these pets.
Prep Your Home and Your Pet for Your New Baby
As you begin accumulating baby gear (oh, so much gear!), get it set up so that your free-roaming pets get used to the loss of floor space as well as the sights and smells of it all. Set boundaries by gating off areas where you don’t want your pet to go. For those who consider your boundaries as mere suggestions (i.e., cats), consider using motion-activated sprayers around the baby’s bassinet and crib to deter trespassing.
Introduce your curious pet to common baby smells, like lotion and ointments, and sounds, like babies cooing and crying.
Provide a Preview of Your New Life-To-Be
Dogs and cats who haven’t spent much time around children will benefit from a little play-acting: Get a doll and play mommy. Walk around the house holding “baby,” coo to it, place it in the bassinet, the bouncy seat, the crib, the stroller; pretend to feed it; bathe it. And let your pet get to know and be comfortable in these scenarios the best way he knows how—sniffing it all in.
For dogs, get into the habit of using the sit command every time you walk into the room with “baby.” Avoid letting your dog get up in the “baby’s” face using the back command. As silly as it may sound and feel doing, you and your hound can build a comfort level with some good play rehearsal time.
Plan Your First Meeting
Before you come home from the hospital, have someone bring home a blanket your newborn has been wrapped in. Allow your pet to sniff the blanket to become familiar with the baby's scent.
When the baby comes home, allow your pet to greet you, mommy, before meeting the baby. Have someone else carry the baby while you and your pet reunite. Keep that first interaction short; allow your pet to see, but not touch the baby.
For dogs, set up a supervised introduction on neutral territory, like the sidewalk outside your home. Make sure your pup is on a leash.
Tips Once You and Your New Baby Are Home
In the early days, when you’re sitting on the sofa, keep an adult between you and your pet, if possible. If you have a dog, remember to tell your dog to sit every time you bring the baby into the room. After your pet becomes accustomed to the baby's smells and sounds, it’s okay to let him sniff the baby. Leash your dog during early encounters; you can gradually allow him to sniff off-leash while supervised.
A few more pointers:
- Never leave your pet and baby unsupervised.
- Discourage pets from licking babies to avoid bacterial infections.
- Make special time for your pet while the baby is with you so that pet associates fun with the baby.
- Dogs need exercise. If you’re unable to give your pup the exercise it needs, consider using a dog-walking service or doggy daycare a couple of times a week—especially in the first few weeks home.
- Don’t scold your pet for picking up something that belongs to your baby; replace it with one of their own toys.
- Yelling at your pet for such an infraction could create a bad association with the baby.
There are countless resources out there to help you through the transition of introducing your new baby to a pet: friends, family, YouTube videos, professional pet trainers, animal behaviorists, and by all means, your Moreland OB-GYN medical team.
It’s going to take some time, but with planning and practice, your pet will come to appreciate that your new baby is an awesome addition to the family.
Join our online community of Waukesha-area moms that will provide you with advice, ideas, and encouragement as you begin and continue the best journey of all - motherhood! View our 'Moreland Moms' Facebook group with over 1,000 moms and moms-to-be.
Additional Resources From Our Team!
- Video: What Should You Pack in Your Hospital Bag?
- How to Exercise Safely After Having Kids
- 5 Key Qualities the Best Obstetricians Share
- Top Baby Gear
- Postpartum Care and Recovery
- 10 Tips for Breastfeeding Success
