Pets and a new baby

You know that the later you get in your pregnancy, the more changes you will have going on in your home. Baby shower gifts, decorating the baby’s room, new furniture, and adding new clothes to your laundry are all exciting reminders that your little one is going to be here before you know it.

But while these changes are fun for you, they can be very scary for your pets – particularly if you have a dog or a cat. Remember, your pet views you as their family and they can get very anxious and confused when a new addition to their family is just thrown into their home.

To prevent this from happening to your furry little friends, you want to start preparing them for your new baby’s arrival as early as possible. Your pet will sense that you are with child long before you are showing. So you want to be exceptionally loving and pampering of your pet from starting from the time that you learn of your pregnancy. It is especially important for mom to be very welcoming of your pet. Since it is the mom who is going through all of the physical changes, she should be ready to give your pets attention whenever they ask for it.

You also want to make sure that your pet has access to the baby’s room. This will allow them to sniff around and check out all of the new baby things that are arriving. A good idea is to welcome your pet into your baby’s room whenever you are in there. Give them lots of attention while you are putting together furniture, putting clothes away, etc. The more access your pet has to all of these new things before your baby gets here, the less of a shock it will be once the new baby arrives. You don’t want to make your animal feel like they are not welcome in your baby’s room, this will only make them feel even more anxious and nervous about the changes that are happening in your home.

Of course, all the preparing in the world doesn’t really get your pet ready for when the baby actually arrives. It is a good idea for dad to bring home one of the new baby’s receiving blankets. Let your pet smell it and leave it in the house when you go back to the hospital. This will let your pet get accustomed to the baby’s smell.

Many times a pet will try to protect a baby, so you want to let your pet investigate your baby freely while you are there to make sure that baby is not accidentally scared.
Remember, a pet that feels included in your new baby’s arrival is more likely to sleep in your baby’s room and protect them throughout their lives.