Pets and babies: can you have all the beings you love together?
Yes, the answer is yes, but much more attention needs to be paid to issues like hygiene and order at home to maintain the baby’s best health, especially during the first few months. In my case, I was fortunate to be able to get my dogs into daycare during the post-cesarean quarantine in which my daughter was born, but not everyone has someone who can help them in this way. I was totally sure I wanted my daughter to grow up with her dogs, but the pain and inability to move during my recovery, made me make the decision to be a bit apart from them during those days. And the truth is that I missed them a lot, and by the 40th I felt a void in my life.
From day 41 – yet I still didn’t feel at 100 – I returned them home for that first and wonderful encounter between them 4. I must say it was love at first sight, they recognized that it was the little being they smelled during my pregnancy, and she touched them, and she charmingly discovered the dog breed. If you are a dog lover just like us and want to know the best tips for caring and raising them, visit The Goody Pet.
I was one of those people who slept with their dogs in the same bed (with this I want to explain the closeness I have with them). That had to change. That and several other things changed, but they were adjustments only because to date my dogs are still just as loved, they are still inside the house and they were never “sent to the roof”, as an expression of abandonment.
Recommendations between dogs and babies
Subject to the different opinions and experiences of all of you, I can recommend in particular these 14 actions to maintain the health and harmony of all.
1.- Prevent pets from entering the newborn baby’s room.
2.- Do not allow pets to climb into your bed.
3.- No kisses of pets on the baby’s face.
4.- Bathe them 1 time a month.
5.- If the baby was playing with them and caressing them, wash your hands before moving on to the next activity.
6.- Have the routine of taking them out for a walk and do their needs outside, in order to prevent them from getting dirty inside the house.
7.- If they are done inside, you have to clean the area.
8.- During the crawling stage of the baby, it is necessary to sweep and clean as much as possible.
9.- Also during this stage, take care that the baby does not approach the food of pets, they can put them in the mouth. I kept the plate of dry food on top and lowered it to eat 3 times a day.
10.- If your pets have a toy, always keep it separate from the baby’s toys, and as it grows, explain that everyone has their toys.
11.- Teach your children from young age respect for animals. Don’t let them get hit, assaulted, etc. Maybe it’s not with malicious intent, but they can hurt them because they don’t measure their strength. In addition, the pet can react badly and also harm the child.
12.- Deworm your pets at the recommended time. In the case of dogs, every 6 months. Likewise, keep your vaccinations up to date.
13.- Also in the case of the baby, keep your vaccinations up to date.
14.- In case of illness of the baby, it is best not to live closely with pets. If not, delimit an area large enough so that your pets are there and the baby can continue with his life without having major health complications.
It is a great truth what is said out there: if babies and animals live together healthily from a young age, the human develops antibodies that will prevent him from getting sick afterwards if he suddenly decides to integrate a pet into the family.
In addition, this way they learn animal respect from young age, not only towards homemade pets but towards wildlife in general. They grow without fear of animals, and will not be adults unable to approach all other species.
Another advantage is that from a young age they learn the responsibility of feeding, bathing, and walking pets, responsibilities that cost more work to include in the routine when they are a little older.
And that is the problem in many cases: that children want a pet because they felt empathy with it, or because their friend has one, parents access it, acquire it and then the child forgets about it as he would with any other toy, forgetting that it is a being that must be cared for and cared for. That responsibility grows with the child naturally at birth in a pet home.
My daughter is 3 years old and loves to be with her three dogs, play with them, take them out for a walk, feed them, etc. They have a natural coexistence as with anyone else. From my trench, I totally recommend that – except for special health circumstances – you never choose between your baby and your pets. You can have the best of both worlds.
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