My husband is concerned that our dog and cat (but mostly dog), would not be able to settle down with the midwives in the house. I'm really not that concerned, but it did get me thinking. Are you shipping your pets to a sitter, or are they staying in the house?
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
Re: Homebirthers: What are you planning on doing with your pets?
My cat stayed in the house. Actually, she stayed right on our bed for most of the time I was laboring. I loved it. Nothing like having the comforts of home!
This is one of my favorite pictures... my midwife doing her initial evaluation on me while I pet my cat
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
My dog greeted the MWs and then eventually resumed her normal position (sleeping behind the couch). My labor was long so I am sure that there were points when she was let out, when her dog walker came (we used to live in the city) and when she was being fed or petted in the next room, but I don't recall any of them.
I do remember her spying my PB toast at one point (sitting on a low side table) when I was in the birthing tub and I remember I had to call someone in to rescue my snack.
Making them watch.
I have two cats. We'll see how they respond. If it's a problem, we will put them in the basement.
If I had a dog, I think it really depends on the dog's personality. A high energy dog might need an alternate while a low energy may not. Perhaps you can play it by ear and have a back up on hand in case it's not going well.
Haha if our cats weren't afraid of strangers, they would totally watch. The little creeps were most likely staring when we conceived. Realistically, they'll probably hide as soon as the midwife shows up.