With my first, my mom wanted me to get rid of our two cats because they would scratch or bite or suffocate the baby or just make the house too unsanitary for him.
Wipe your breasts and nipples with rubbing alcohol each time before breastfeeding to sterilize them for baby.
Don't push shopping carts, strollers, vacuums, etc.
Don't carry heavy things. Heavy is apparently anything over a couple pounds.
Don't raise your arms above your head or the umbilical cord will get wrapped around baby's neck.
Make sure you take baby out for a stroller nap every day or at least set the stroller or car seat out in the back yard because it's very important that baby sleeps in the fresh air.
@Sgoldberg247 haha yes I get the eat the saltines. Just because they worked for you 32 years doesn't mean saltines work me. My mouth is so dry, the last thing i want is a saltine to make me gag. Ive told her 12 times I dont do saltines, but "hey but try the magical ******* saltines". Ahhhhh.
The baby advice of the 1980s kills me though, a lot of stuff has changed and i'll make a fairly good educated decision on my own. She's driving me crazy can you tell? She questions everything I do! My SIL got mad she gave her exclusively breast fed baby a bottle bc she thought he was hungry. She thought my SIL wasn't producing enough. Yeah you don't do that. I was like please don't do that..shes like "oh your going to be fussy".
Yes! The "when I was pregnant we did...". Just had this conversation with my sister and mom on bumpers in the crib. They both rolled their eyes and said it was fine with their kids. And I agree that many things are banned that most likely won't hurt the kid. However I'm trying to do the best I can to never have regrets. I don't want to be the small percentage that does something and badness actually does happen to my child. What would their comment be then? " huh, weird, my kid was ok"? Or "did you know that practice was banned? You shouldn't have done that".
My mom told me to see if they'd let me get a c-section because she had 4 kids, 3 vaginal birth, 1 c section and she said the c section experience was way better and she didn't have a hard recovery... I said thanks but I'm not really electing to have surgery when I don't have to and I'm pretty sure simply because your recovery was good it has absolutely 0 bearing on what mine would potentially be like...
Ugh. Some of this "advice" you all are getting is absurd!
My favorite is when people say "oh mothers in previous decades were eating/doing/drinking ______ for years before someone decided it wasn't healthy. It'll be fine for you have have/do that"
I get that people don't have to be uber strict and militant about things on the "do not" list -I'm not that much - but to cite previous generations doing it as proof that is fine is silly. New research has proven otherwise. If I choose not to be strict that's a decision/risk balance I will make but not because "my mom did it and I turned out fine so it should be no problem." The information they had back then was different.
This is the same as people who claim car seats are optional/you can occasionally go without one because people used to drive their kids around without them before they became the standard. Or gates around pools or any other kid safety thing. Because "we survived" without them. Well, the ones who didn't survive aren't around to talk about it, are they?
Ugh. Some of this "advice" you all are getting is absurd!
My favorite is when people say "oh mothers in previous decades were eating/doing/drinking ______ for years before someone decided it wasn't healthy. It'll be fine for you have have/do that"
I get that people don't have to be uber strict and militant about things on the "do not" list -I'm not that much - but to cite previous generations doing it as proof that is fine is silly. New research has proven otherwise. If I choose not to be strict that's a decision/risk balance I will make but not because "my mom did it and I turned out fine so it should be no problem." The information they had back then was different.
This happens after baby is born, too. I cannot tell you how many comments and eye rolls we got from my parents because I'm a car seat Nazi. The straps were "too tight." Ummm....she's screaming her lungs out and she's strapped in. Pretty sure she wouldn't be screaming if she couldn't breathe. Then, we kept our kids rear facing for too long because they couldn't see out the windows. They don't know any better. And RFing is FAR safer than FFing. Argh.
Make sure you take baby out for a stroller nap every day or at least set the stroller or car seat out in the back yard because it's very important that baby sleeps in the fresh air.
One of my coworkers has friends who live in Denmark and apparently this is a big thing there. It is encouraged by doctors to put your baby in a pram on the back deck to nap at least once a day or something for the fresh air.
I get a lot of the wait until baby is here comments. Sleep now. Make time for DH now because there won't be time for him later. A few people ask me regularly if I'm taking my vitamins, eating healthy, drinking enough water, etc. As if I've just completely forgotten how to care for myself.
And several people are asking how my dog feels about the pregnancy. I'm pretty sure at this point she has no clue what's coming. We haven't set up a nursery and have only a few baby items that are stored in a closet. She may sense something is different but how would she know a baby is coming?
Make sure you take baby out for a stroller nap every day or at least set the stroller or car seat out in the back yard because it's very important that baby sleeps in the fresh air.
One of my coworkers has friends who live in Denmark and apparently this is a big thing there. It is encouraged by doctors to put your baby in a pram on the back deck to nap at least once a day or something for the fresh air. _________ Yeah, my family is from Russia/former USSR and this has been a big deal there for decades. Multiple family members told me to do the fresh air naps and also to pretty much never take my son anywhere in public for the first year or even more to avoid colds.
And several people are asking how my dog feels about the pregnancy. I'm pretty sure at this point she has no clue what's coming. We haven't set up a nursery and have only a few baby items that are stored in a closet. She may sense something is different but how would she know a baby is coming?
I don't know about your dog but I swear my dog knows there's a baby in there. She was obsessed with my husband since we've had her but from about two weeks before I even realized I was preggo she wanted to lay with me and sought me out to feed her and take her out. And it hasn't stopped, H keeps saying she can't get enough of me. I SWEAR she knows. Maybe I'm crazy.
I've been asked/told repeatedly that I have to get rid of my dogs. I have a 3 year old pit and a 2 year old Shep mix whom we've spent thousands of hours training (both are certified PTSD therapy dogs). Easily the sweetest and gentlest dogs you've ever met. I've been told repeatedly that my pit is going to snap and turn on the baby, that the shepherd will lay on him and smother him, and that if I don't take my dogs to a shelter now I'm a bad mother. To begin with: I'm not an idiot. I'm never going to leave my baby alone in a room with 150 pounds of dogs. Even if they were tea cup chihuahuas I wouldn't leave a baby alone with dogs, it's just not a good idea. I can show you literally a million studies proving neither of my dogs is prone to aggression based on breed, and you're welcome to come meet them personally to confirm that they are sweethearts. They are PTSD therapy dogs who work with disabled veterans and handicapped children, do you have any idea how much testing and training they've been through? I love my dogs. When I adopted them from the shelter I made a promise that they would never go back. If I got some reason couldn't keep them, there's no limit to what I would do to find them a home together where I could visit every day. I was raised with shepherds, rotties, dobermans, and pits. Dogs are what you make them, and I was better off learning to love and care for them from a young age. Get rid of my fucking dogs, Jesus Christ.
I've been asked/told repeatedly that I have to get rid of my dogs. I have a 3 year old pit and a 2 year old Shep mix whom we've spent thousands of hours training (both are certified PTSD therapy dogs). Easily the sweetest and gentlest dogs you've ever met. I've been told repeatedly that my pit is going to snap and turn on the baby, that the shepherd will lay on him and smother him, and that if I don't take my dogs to a shelter now I'm a bad mother.
To begin with:
I'm not an idiot. I'm never going to leave my baby alone in a room with 150 pounds of dogs. Even if they were tea cup chihuahuas I wouldn't leave a baby alone with dogs, it's just not a good idea.
I can show you literally a million studies proving neither of my dogs is prone to aggression based on breed, and you're welcome to come meet them personally to confirm that they are sweethearts.
They are PTSD therapy dogs who work with disabled veterans and handicapped children, do you have any idea how much testing and training they've been through?
I love my dogs. When I adopted them from the shelter I made a promise that they would never go back. If I got some reason couldn't keep them, there's no limit to what I would do to find them a home together where I could visit every day. I was raised with shepherds, rotties, dobermans, and pits. Dogs are what you make them, and I was better off learning to love and care for them from a young age.
Get rid of my fucking dogs, Jesus Christ.
Pro tip: do NOT put the baby in a carrier on a table or countertop in the same room as the dogs. My mom did this with me as an infant and the golden retriever knocked me over, I fell to the floor and cracked my skull. Thankfully I was fine (and from the way my mom tells it, I think the dog was just curious rather than aggressive) but just a safety tip to pass along
@heathersaysso I don't understand the get rid of the dog montage... especially before the baby is even born! I have a small dog that is basically our kid and people have told me he'll be too jealous so we better rehome him now. Um. No.
Literally the only reason (that I can think of as a FTM) that I would get rid of my dog, no questions asked, would be if my child turned out to be allergic... it'd break my heart but at that point I think it'd be out of my control. A lot of the times when dogs bite children it's because they get scared -- kid grabs dog while he's eating or something of the like.
And several people are asking how my dog feels about the pregnancy. I'm pretty sure at this point she has no clue what's coming. We haven't set up a nursery and have only a few baby items that are stored in a closet. She may sense something is different but how would she know a baby is coming?
I don't know about your dog but I swear my dog knows there's a baby in there. She was obsessed with my husband since we've had her but from about two weeks before I even realized I was preggo she wanted to lay with me and sought me out to feed her and take her out. And it hasn't stopped, H keeps saying she can't get enough of me. I SWEAR she knows. Maybe I'm crazy.
Well, my dog has always been pretty obsessed with both of us pretty equally maybe a little more so with me. Her behavior hasn't changed yet so I don't think she realizes anything is different yet. I wonder if that'll change when I'm closer to my due date or when we put the nursery furniture together.
One of my male childless coworkers saw me this week with a cup of coffee (it was decaf) and said "Are you sure you should be drinking that." When I angrily stuttered that I was allowed 200mg of caffeine a day but that it was decaf he asked me "And you aren't still smoking are you?" I said no and walked off, but I wanted to scream: "I QUIT 2 YEARS AGO F#!@$ FACE, but since my husband and I are hoping for low birthweight I picked it back up." Are you kidding me? Who the hell does he think he is?
One of my male childless coworkers saw me this week with a cup of coffee (it was decaf) and said "Are you sure you should be drinking that." When I angrily stuttered that I was allowed 200mg of caffeine a day but that it was decaf he asked me "And you aren't still smoking are you?" I said no and walked off, but I wanted to scream: "I QUIT 2 YEARS AGO F#!@$ FACE, but since my husband and I are hoping for low birthweight I picked it back up." Are you kidding me? Who the hell does he think he is?
Next time just ask him where he went to medical school. You don't have to explain anything to him
One of my male childless coworkers saw me this week with a cup of coffee (it was decaf) and said "Are you sure you should be drinking that." When I angrily stuttered that I was allowed 200mg of caffeine a day but that it was decaf he asked me "And you aren't still smoking are you?" I said no and walked off, but I wanted to scream: "I QUIT 2 YEARS AGO F#!@$ FACE, but since my husband and I are hoping for low birthweight I picked it back up." Are you kidding me? Who the hell does he think he is?
I most likely would have thrown my coffee in his face...
I was told to make sure I didn't forget about DS! Hello ok I love both my S and LO equally! And I wanted to ask have you ever had a 4 year old? They're pretty hard to forget! DS is the biggest part of our lives and since getting Prego has been involved every way a 4 year old should/could be at his age!! Thank you ugh lol
Oh my gosh that's a horrible thing to say to someone!!
Sort-of FIL (DH's step-dad, who is like 80) gave me a speech about how seatbelts and carseats are cruel and kill more people than they save, and the best thing is to be thrown clear. Yes, I really want my newborn's soft little baby skull to go through a heavy sheet of glass at 100 km/h and land god knows where on the highway. That sounds super safe. Throwing out my carseat right now on your advice, thanks so much.
Also got a speech from an older relative about how my anti-nausea meds (Diclectin) would cause birth defects. Nope nope nope nope nope. It's been in use for over 60 years and has been studied and tested plenty and there is literally zero evidence of any problems for the baby. What might actually cause some risk in this pregnancy is uncontrollable vomiting for months on end. But clearly you know better than me, my doctor, or the scientific community in general.
With my first I also got a lot of "advice" on the parenting practices I was planning for. "You won't actually use cloth diapers, you should stock up on Pampers." "You'll hate having baby in your room, you'll never get any sleep" etc. Bitch you don't know my life. Thankfully now that I've been cloth diapering, babywearing, bed-sharing, etc for the past 21 months with my daughter, people don't tell me that my own ideas of how I want to parent are stupid so much anymore.
@Emztron500 I got the same thing about taking dilectin. My MIL took it and it was pulled off the market. I ended up being allergic to the unisom so I only took one pill. I got a lot of crap for it, meanwhile I've been to the hospital 8 times in 20 weeks for dehydration.
@Emztron500 I got the same thing about cloth diapers!!! Other moms at my shower full on laughed in my face when I said we were planning on cloth. I was so pissed. And I went on to cloth diaper for over two years! Take that!!! Because of that, I try to be hyper aware of not shooting down new moms on things they want to try with their babies - every one is different, every baby is different, and every family is entitled to go through this journey on their own without my opinions on the matter. (Although, this was very hard when my brother and his wife said they want to try elimination communication - I managed to keep it to myself, but in my head I was thinking there ain't no way, not with their lifestyle!!).
@aloha5736 that sucks at you were allergic it was pulled off the market voluntarily by the manufacturer in the states after a bogus lawsuit from falsified data that cost the doctors involved their medical licenses. That forced the use of less-safe, less-tested anti-nausea meds for pregnant women in the US because no one was selling the safe, tested one (even though it was never banned by the FDA and has always been considered completely safe).
@Emztron500 oh yeah very well aware and I did my research before she even told me. I was very reluctant to take meds, so I did much research and debating before I got the Rx. Just to be allergic LOL. My MIL took w my husband too and he's fine!
I've been asked/told repeatedly that I have to get rid of my dogs. I have a 3 year old pit and a 2 year old Shep mix whom we've spent thousands of hours training (both are certified PTSD therapy dogs). Easily the sweetest and gentlest dogs you've ever met. I've been told repeatedly that my pit is going to snap and turn on the baby, that the shepherd will lay on him and smother him, and that if I don't take my dogs to a shelter now I'm a bad mother. To begin with: I'm not an idiot. I'm never going to leave my baby alone in a room with 150 pounds of dogs. Even if they were tea cup chihuahuas I wouldn't leave a baby alone with dogs, it's just not a good idea. I can show you literally a million studies proving neither of my dogs is prone to aggression based on breed, and you're welcome to come meet them personally to confirm that they are sweethearts. They are PTSD therapy dogs who work with disabled veterans and handicapped children, do you have any idea how much testing and training they've been through? I love my dogs. When I adopted them from the shelter I made a promise that they would never go back. If I got some reason couldn't keep them, there's no limit to what I would do to find them a home together where I could visit every day. I was raised with shepherds, rotties, dobermans, and pits. Dogs are what you make them, and I was better off learning to love and care for them from a young age. Get rid of my fucking dogs, Jesus Christ.
We have an Australian shepherd and he's fantastic with our kids. Keep your dogs and tell others to F off. Dogs become what they are trained to be, just like you said. Your children will learn respect for their dogs, and other peoples dogs as well.
I've been asked/told repeatedly that I have to get rid of my dogs. I have a 3 year old pit and a 2 year old Shep mix whom we've spent thousands of hours training (both are certified PTSD therapy dogs). Easily the sweetest and gentlest dogs you've ever met. I've been told repeatedly that my pit is going to snap and turn on the baby, that the shepherd will lay on him and smother him, and that if I don't take my dogs to a shelter now I'm a bad mother. To begin with: I'm not an idiot. I'm never going to leave my baby alone in a room with 150 pounds of dogs. Even if they were tea cup chihuahuas I wouldn't leave a baby alone with dogs, it's just not a good idea. I can show you literally a million studies proving neither of my dogs is prone to aggression based on breed, and you're welcome to come meet them personally to confirm that they are sweethearts. They are PTSD therapy dogs who work with disabled veterans and handicapped children, do you have any idea how much testing and training they've been through? I love my dogs. When I adopted them from the shelter I made a promise that they would never go back. If I got some reason couldn't keep them, there's no limit to what I would do to find them a home together where I could visit every day. I was raised with shepherds, rotties, dobermans, and pits. Dogs are what you make them, and I was better off learning to love and care for them from a young age. Get rid of my fucking dogs, Jesus Christ.
We have an Australian shepherd and he's fantastic with our kids. Keep your dogs and tell others to F off. Dogs become what they are trained to be, just like you said. Your children will learn respect for their dogs, and other peoples dogs as well.
I grew up with an Aussie and he was the best! Agreed, if you properly moniter interactions between a child and a dog who is child friendly, there should be no cause for concern.
For all the dog lovers, what did/will you do to prepare dog for baby? My pup is already pretty docile, but can get excited sometimes, and obviously hasn't dealt with having a kid around 24/7. I've read articles ranging from just getting them used to furniture changes to walking around with a bag of flour in a blanket with babies crying on repeat.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
For all the dog lovers, what did/will you do to prepare dog for baby? My pup is already pretty docile, but can get excited sometimes, and obviously hasn't dealt with having a kid around 24/7. I've read articles ranging from just getting them used to furniture changes to walking around with a bag of flour in a blanket with babies crying on repeat.
I don't have advice here for you @meggyme other than we are going to get our dog used to crying baby noises we are going to play on the computer. Our dog barks at everything so we are hopeful we can get him used to the noise of a crying baby.
I would love to hear from others what they are or did do to prepare for baby with a dog otherwise and "second" the request. We have a rather large guard dog (Great Pyrenees) and he adores kids and has been around them often but I know I'll have to watch him and the baby in the house when the baby starts crawling and walking. I'm not sure our dog will stop his "charge and bark" routine at the window if he sees a threat he wants to bark at (and "threat" is a loose term for him). That and making sure baby doesn't try to get into the dog's food when the dog is around (our dog is not food aggressive to adult humans but he is food aggressive with other dogs...I've never had a child at the dog's eye level around the dog food) are the only two things on my mind right now to watch.
My MIL knows I plan on breastfeeding so I've gotten the 'well it didn't work with me and either child so it definitely won't work for you'- umm I'm not actually your child, and it worked great for my mom for both kids, she just quit by choice after a few months. and the 'as soon as they get their first tooth ween them, it's so gross to breastfeed kids with teeth since teeth mean they can eat normal foods'- shut the eff up. I also got told by my first OB (i've since switched) that since I'm pregnant no more carrying anything, not laundry, not groceries, not the cat because he's SO big (yea he's 14 pounds whatever. he's a big breed cat). my new one laughed and said 'you know your body, you're as low risk as they come. go do whatever you want working out wise'. I love old school people with their advice
I feel bad for you dog owners getting so much unsolicited "advice" about getting rid of your dogs. I only have one docile old cat, and still when I was pregnant with my first, I got lots of "what are you going to do with your cat now!?" uh...nothing? what? since when can children and pets not coexist?
@June2016BabyW YES YES YES I have begun loathing the "just wait" comments. My MIL is the biggest offender. I respect experienced parents' tid bits... But if I hear "you aren't even close girlfriend just you wait... Your boobs will hurt so much more, your going to feel the baby move all the time, you're gonna get huge"... after one more thing I say I may just explode!
lol is pregnancy a good enough excuse to use for telling people to shut up??
I have two dogs - one border collie/Australian Shepard mix and a pure bread border collie. We played crying baby noises a few times and the dogs just tilted their heads at it. But I did put up the bassinet in our room a few weeks before hand and left the swing in the living room because the mix is very reactive with "new" things (I left the vacuum out one night and he didn't realize it until he came around the corner at 2 Am and lost his ever loving mind over it). My husband brought in our sons socks before we came inside and let the dogs smell them but other than that we didn't really "prepare" them.
Our mix loves kids, and he and DS are best friends. He is more hyper than the border but it hasn't really caused problems. I mean - our son has been knocked over several times by his tail or him running by DS, but we just tell DS to brush it off and stand back up - he's totally used to it now.
Our border is more skittish. I was worried about how he was going to do with the baby. Turns out he was fine with the baby - but once DS got mobile is when I had to keep a SUPER close eye on the border. Luckily neither dog is food aggressive and the few times DS has gotten into their food while they are eating they have just walked away. The border has gotten used to DS now and just removed himself from potential harms way (i.e. Toddler pulling on him or touching him). Granted, we do not let him pull on the dogs in any way and are constantly working on petting nicely with him.
It's just a matter of being very vigilant. Dogs adapt to change pretty well!
The "just wait" comments drive me up.the.wall. Yes, I know it's likely to get worse. HOWEVER, it doesn't mean what I'm going through at the moment isn't difficult or trying or painful (or insert-whatever-adjective-fits here). So shut your flipping mouth before I put my fist through your teeth.
Oh- it was especially maddening when our son was born and he literally did not sleep. I mean, he was awake 18-26 times each night (and yes, I kept tabs to try to figure out a pattern) until he was 15 months old. Don't tell me it'll get worse. I sleep 2 hours each night, and it's broken into 10-12 minute chunks, so SHUT UP.
We have a Maltese that won't give a f*** about the baby coming home. We also have a Boxer/Shepherd mix that we adopted that has extreme anxiety. We are anticipating that he will just hide when baby comes home. He hides if anyone comes over. Hopefully he adjusts quickly. When my brother moved in, he hid in our bedroom for like a week... And then would hide anytime he saw my brother for an addition couple months. Hope the poor guy adjusts sooner this time!
Married July 2014 DD born June 2016 Second due August 2020 (team green!)
Seriously the "just wait" comments drive me nuts! Yes I have had it drilled into my head that having a baby means less sleep, yes I am aware I will be tired and cranky and overwhelmed. Yes, I am aware I am swollen and bloated and everything hurts and I'm nowhere near delivery. How do I know this? Because people won't shut up about it, dammit! >.< Ugh what is it about pregnancy that activates the stupid switch in some people?
Today, when running into an old friend of mine, I met her husband for the first time. She told him that I'm expecting, and it's our first. My husband proudly proclaimed, "It's a boy." Her husband then said, "BOYS ARE THE WORST. I can set my nieces down and they'll play tea party by themselves. But this guy (points to his own son, who's within earshot btw) does something for 15 minutes and is then ready for the next thing. Good luck with that. Oh and are you sports fans? You'll never watch another game again. Yeah, I definitely wouldn't have another boy." We both just stood there with our mouths agape. I mean, how do you answer that?!
Re: Pregnancy "Advice"
Wipe your breasts and nipples with rubbing alcohol each time before breastfeeding to sterilize them for baby.
Don't push shopping carts, strollers, vacuums, etc.
Don't carry heavy things. Heavy is apparently anything over a couple pounds.
Don't raise your arms above your head or the umbilical cord will get wrapped around baby's neck.
Make sure you take baby out for a stroller nap every day or at least set the stroller or car seat out in the back yard because it's very important that baby sleeps in the fresh air.
The baby advice of the 1980s kills me though, a lot of stuff has changed and i'll make a fairly good educated decision on my own. She's driving me crazy can you tell? She questions everything I do! My SIL got mad she gave her exclusively breast fed baby a bottle bc she thought he was hungry. She thought my SIL wasn't producing enough. Yeah you don't do that. I was like please don't do that..shes like "oh your going to be fussy".
I get a lot of the wait until baby is here comments. Sleep now. Make time for DH now because there won't be time for him later. A few people ask me regularly if I'm taking my vitamins, eating healthy, drinking enough water, etc. As if I've just completely forgotten how to care for myself.
And several people are asking how my dog feels about the pregnancy. I'm pretty sure at this point she has no clue what's coming. We haven't set up a nursery and have only a few baby items that are stored in a closet. She may sense something is different but how would she know a baby is coming?
_________
Yeah, my family is from Russia/former USSR and this has been a big deal there for decades. Multiple family members told me to do the fresh air naps and also to pretty much never take my son anywhere in public for the first year or even more to avoid colds.
Married: 12/16/12
TTC #1: 06/15 BFP #1:07/13/15
D&C: 08/28/15
BFP #2: 09/26/15
M: 06/03/16
BFP #2: 02/12/18
L : 7/26/18 (SIUGR, micropreemie)
To begin with:
I'm not an idiot. I'm never going to leave my baby alone in a room with 150 pounds of dogs. Even if they were tea cup chihuahuas I wouldn't leave a baby alone with dogs, it's just not a good idea.
I can show you literally a million studies proving neither of my dogs is prone to aggression based on breed, and you're welcome to come meet them personally to confirm that they are sweethearts.
They are PTSD therapy dogs who work with disabled veterans and handicapped children, do you have any idea how much testing and training they've been through?
I love my dogs. When I adopted them from the shelter I made a promise that they would never go back. If I got some reason couldn't keep them, there's no limit to what I would do to find them a home together where I could visit every day. I was raised with shepherds, rotties, dobermans, and pits. Dogs are what you make them, and I was better off learning to love and care for them from a young age.
Get rid of my fucking dogs, Jesus Christ.
Literally the only reason (that I can think of as a FTM) that I would get rid of my dog, no questions asked, would be if my child turned out to be allergic... it'd break my heart but at that point I think it'd be out of my control. A lot of the times when dogs bite children it's because they get scared -- kid grabs dog while he's eating or something of the like.
Well, my dog has always been pretty obsessed with both of us pretty equally maybe a little more so with me. Her behavior hasn't changed yet so I don't think she realizes anything is different yet. I wonder if that'll change when I'm closer to my due date or when we put the nursery furniture together.
Also got a speech from an older relative about how my anti-nausea meds (Diclectin) would cause birth defects. Nope nope nope nope nope. It's been in use for over 60 years and has been studied and tested plenty and there is literally zero evidence of any problems for the baby. What might actually cause some risk in this pregnancy is uncontrollable vomiting for months on end. But clearly you know better than me, my doctor, or the scientific community in general.
Because of that, I try to be hyper aware of not shooting down new moms on things they want to try with their babies - every one is different, every baby is different, and every family is entitled to go through this journey on their own without my opinions on the matter. (Although, this was very hard when my brother and his wife said they want to try elimination communication - I managed to keep it to myself, but in my head I was thinking there ain't no way, not with their lifestyle!!).
I would love to hear from others what they are or did do to prepare for baby with a dog otherwise and "second" the request. We have a rather large guard dog (Great Pyrenees) and he adores kids and has been around them often but I know I'll have to watch him and the baby in the house when the baby starts crawling and walking. I'm not sure our dog will stop his "charge and bark" routine at the window if he sees a threat he wants to bark at (and "threat" is a loose term for him). That and making sure baby doesn't try to get into the dog's food when the dog is around (our dog is not food aggressive to adult humans but he is food aggressive with other dogs...I've never had a child at the dog's eye level around the dog food) are the only two things on my mind right now to watch.
I also got told by my first OB (i've since switched) that since I'm pregnant no more carrying anything, not laundry, not groceries, not the cat because he's SO big (yea he's 14 pounds whatever. he's a big breed cat). my new one laughed and said 'you know your body, you're as low risk as they come. go do whatever you want working out wise'. I love old school people with their advice
I have begun loathing the "just wait" comments. My MIL is the biggest offender. I respect experienced parents' tid bits... But if I hear "you aren't even close girlfriend just you wait... Your boobs will hurt so much more, your going to feel the baby move all the time, you're gonna get huge"... after one more thing I say I may just explode!
lol is pregnancy a good enough excuse to use for telling people to shut up??
Our mix loves kids, and he and DS are best friends. He is more hyper than the border but it hasn't really caused problems. I mean - our son has been knocked over several times by his tail or him running by DS, but we just tell DS to brush it off and stand back up - he's totally used to it now.
Our border is more skittish. I was worried about how he was going to do with the baby. Turns out he was fine with the baby - but once DS got mobile is when I had to keep a SUPER close eye on the border. Luckily neither dog is food aggressive and the few times DS has gotten into their food while they are eating they have just walked away. The border has gotten used to DS now and just removed himself from potential harms way (i.e. Toddler pulling on him or touching him). Granted, we do not let him pull on the dogs in any way and are constantly working on petting nicely with him.
It's just a matter of being very vigilant. Dogs adapt to change pretty well!
Mrs. H
Crohn's Dx: August 2008
Endometriosis Dx: May 2010
Married: 05/19/2012
TTC #1: June 2013
BFP: December 2013
DS: Born 08/29/2014
TTC #2: July 2015
BFP #2: September 25, 2015
DD born June 2016
Second due August 2020 (team green!)
Seriously the "just wait" comments drive me nuts! Yes I have had it drilled into my head that having a baby means less sleep, yes I am aware I will be tired and cranky and overwhelmed. Yes, I am aware I am swollen and bloated and everything hurts and I'm nowhere near delivery. How do I know this? Because people won't shut up about it, dammit! >.< Ugh what is it about pregnancy that activates the stupid switch in some people?
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