My two dogs lived outside before my daughter was born, and we had a good size yard for them to run and play in, so they were happy outside. During my pregnancy I was too sick to walk them so they became used to me just sitting outside with them, instead of their usual activities of walks every day with me.
Planning ahead is important to keeping your pets happy when your baby arrives.
For expected parents who have dogs or any pets living inside, it might be a good time to start leaving them outside for some of the time, so they get used to this different routine, for when the baby arrives. If you have a big yard that’s great, but if you don’t maybe see if you can get a friend to walk your dog, if you were as sick as me, otherwise start getting your dog used to walking a certain times and used to a different schedule, as they just want their exercise to, until you get back on your feet and ready to take baby and dogs out together.
If your dogs are inside dogs, get then a kennel so they have somewhere to sleep and hide if needed while in the house. Babies like routines just like animals do. After your baby arrives you will have less time for your pets, so try and take some time out of your day to play with your dog. Most pets will accept a new baby with no problems, also make sure your pets are up-to-date with all their vaccinations.
After my daughter was born, I introduced my dogs to her a little bit each day from the day we got home from the hospital. You just never leave a baby or child unsupervised with any animal even though I trusted my dogs, it’s just not worth the risk. Our dogs were wonderful with her, letting her sit with them, or lie beside them when she was just starting to crawl around as she got older. It was amazing to watch how good they were with her. Dogs are a man’s best friend.
I also think our dogs were just happy to be going out on walks with me again each day (after such a long time of me being to sick to walk them during my pregnancy) and taking baby along with us, was just a bonus for them, as they were very protective of the pram/stroller when ever my daughter was in it.
It’s amazing really but I’m sure my daughter recognises their barks from when she was in my belly, as she has never been afraid of our dogs, even when they can get loud barking, and loves hugging them now she can walk. All babies are different though just remember that, mine just happens to love all sorts of animals, from lizards and frogs up to dogs and horses. Where as my friends daughter doesn’t like dogs or any animals and runs to her mum whenever she sees a dog coming, so just judge your child’s reaction and take it from there.
As my daughter has gotten older I’ve had to explain to her NOT ALL dogs are friendly, and you MUST ask before patting anyone else’s dog or any sort of pet.
So basically get your dog or pet used to the changes that are coming, so they are not jealous when another person is taking all of your attention away from them. Especially if that pet has had the run of the house up until now. Make sure your pet knows to stay out of baby’s room, you can start practising this early on when you are setting up your baby’s room.
If you have a indoor cat, you might want to start getting it used to being outside, as it’s not good to have cats around you while you are pregnant, and never clean out litter trays or go anywhere near there poo, as they can carry nasty diseases called toxoplasmosis which are harmful to the unborn baby, leading to problems later in life. My husband had outdoor cats before we got married and I wouldn’t even go out an feed them while I was pregnant as doctors had told me all the diseases they might or might not carry, and it was scary to know how it could affect my unborn baby.
Cats especially don’t like change, so plan ahead and try and get them used to what is coming, if you plan on putting them outside during the day and only bring them in at night, that is your personal choice. If their outdoor cats already all the better.
The best advice is to keep all pets outside until your baby is bigger and crawling around in the house, at least then they can get away from something if they don’t like it.
I found my daughter enjoyed watching the fish swimming around in our fish tank, it was relaxing and seemed to keep her occupied for awhile. She also liked me taking her to the pond to watch the koi fish with all their pretty colours and a lot bigger for her to find.
So hold off on getting any animals for children until they are old enough to understand about looking after them, as it will end up just being more work for you Mum, unless your OK with that. I know a cute bunny for Easter sounds great, or a puppy under the Christmas tree, but definitely ask the parents before you get their child one. My daughter and I are on the go and travel a bit, so animals are something for the future for us when she’s older, but that’s ok, we still see plenty of animals including kangaroos on my parents property and my sisters dog. My daughter tells the dog I’m your second Mum.
If you have any baby and pet stories you’d like to share please leave a comment below.
Baby & Toddlers
I try to buy some education toys for my daughter as she gets plenty of other things from my family. I have a jigsaw Alphabet train with all different animals on it for each letter, and its fun to say the Alphabet as we put it together. Also great for hand eye co-ordination.
Books for bedtime reading is a must, its part of our nightly routine together. My daughter picks a different book to read each night, of course she has her favourites. It helps to get reading material your child is interested in. Baby Bop Bedtime, she loves, its basically all the steps we do getting ready for bed, and if I miss one she lets me know.
My daughter has been riding a three wheel scooter since she was about 2 years old, and loves it. It really helps with her co-ordination skills, plus easier than a bike to start with. I wasn’t sure how she would go, but was surprised how quickly kids pick things up, especially after watching the other kids at the skate park do it.
We also have a bike that I can push along with a long handle, its great and saves on my back getting sore bending over all the time pushing her. Hopefully she’ll be pushing those peddles around all by herself soon.
Kids really don’t’ need much their first few years, love and attention is the most important thing for me.
Books for bedtime reading is a must, its part of our nightly routine together. My daughter picks a different book to read each night, of course she has her favourites. It helps to get reading material your child is interested in. Baby Bop Bedtime, she loves, its basically all the steps we do getting ready for bed, and if I miss one she lets me know.
My daughter has been riding a three wheel scooter since she was about 2 years old, and loves it. It really helps with her co-ordination skills, plus easier than a bike to start with. I wasn’t sure how she would go, but was surprised how quickly kids pick things up, especially after watching the other kids at the skate park do it.
We also have a bike that I can push along with a long handle, its great and saves on my back getting sore bending over all the time pushing her. Hopefully she’ll be pushing those peddles around all by herself soon.
Kids really don’t’ need much their first few years, love and attention is the most important thing for me.
How big is my BABY
Pregnancy Calendar week by week
Chart your baby’s growth
Your Pregnancy Week by Week, 6th Edition (Your Pregnancy Series)
Newborn Advice
Swimming Lessons: I grow up around the beach and water, so was keen to get my daughter used to the water as soon as possible. I took her to a baby and Mum class when she was 5 months old, she loved the water, a lot of giggles and smiles, being in the water with her was amazing. I’d recommend to any Mum to get their babies used to the water at an early age.
Compared to some babies that don’t even make it into the water the first class, our teacher told me. The teachers show you how to hold and support your baby and eventually put their heads under the water, once their ready and comfortable in their surroundings.
A hoodie beach towel is a must as we spend so much time in the water, and especially when baby is small you need to make sure their heads and ears stay dry and warm. Fit Pregnancy for Dummies
Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality
Real Birth Stories
To say the least I had one of the worst pregnancy’s ever, my doctor said it would get better, but it never did, I threw up morning, noon and night, and couldn’t get out of bed, I ended up in hospital on a drip because I couldn’t keep anything down. So to expect the delivery and birth to go any better was a joke to me, to top it off my doctor was away that weekend, and I had a new doctor who didn’t really know my history, but did an amazing job under the circumstances.
I’d been into the hospital on the Wednesday before with pains in the stomach, I stayed for a few hours so they could check everything was OK with the baby. I’d told the doctors all along that the baby was up to high in my chest, and was this normal, giving me heartburn from anything I tried to keep down.
I was back in hospital Saturday morning with contractions, I was told not to go to hospital till they were 10 minutes apart, but they went from 10 minutes apart down to 2-3 minutes apart on the way to hospital, which wasn’t a good sign either. Doctors in the end had to give me something to stop the contractions as my placenta had detached and was coming out first, which is what keeps the baby alive I now know, and didn’t realise how dangerous it all was at the time. I was rushed in for an emergency C-section, where I lost a lot of blood, but had a healthy beautiful baby girl.
It took me a lot longer to recover from the loose of blood more than anything and stayed in hospital for 6 days. Looking back now, if I had had an ultrasound those last few months the doctors could have seen the problem with my placenta, but everything turned out fine in the end, thank goodness, and I have a beautiful baby girl. The best advice I can give any first time mum is mention everything to your doctor and in the end if you feel that something is wrong get it checked out.
Please add your own real life stories, and share with other mum’s.
Chart your baby’s growth
Your Pregnancy Week by Week, 6th Edition (Your Pregnancy Series)
Newborn Advice
Swimming Lessons: I grow up around the beach and water, so was keen to get my daughter used to the water as soon as possible. I took her to a baby and Mum class when she was 5 months old, she loved the water, a lot of giggles and smiles, being in the water with her was amazing. I’d recommend to any Mum to get their babies used to the water at an early age.
Compared to some babies that don’t even make it into the water the first class, our teacher told me. The teachers show you how to hold and support your baby and eventually put their heads under the water, once their ready and comfortable in their surroundings.
A hoodie beach towel is a must as we spend so much time in the water, and especially when baby is small you need to make sure their heads and ears stay dry and warm. Fit Pregnancy for Dummies
Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to RealityReal Birth Stories
To say the least I had one of the worst pregnancy’s ever, my doctor said it would get better, but it never did, I threw up morning, noon and night, and couldn’t get out of bed, I ended up in hospital on a drip because I couldn’t keep anything down. So to expect the delivery and birth to go any better was a joke to me, to top it off my doctor was away that weekend, and I had a new doctor who didn’t really know my history, but did an amazing job under the circumstances.
I’d been into the hospital on the Wednesday before with pains in the stomach, I stayed for a few hours so they could check everything was OK with the baby. I’d told the doctors all along that the baby was up to high in my chest, and was this normal, giving me heartburn from anything I tried to keep down.
I was back in hospital Saturday morning with contractions, I was told not to go to hospital till they were 10 minutes apart, but they went from 10 minutes apart down to 2-3 minutes apart on the way to hospital, which wasn’t a good sign either. Doctors in the end had to give me something to stop the contractions as my placenta had detached and was coming out first, which is what keeps the baby alive I now know, and didn’t realise how dangerous it all was at the time. I was rushed in for an emergency C-section, where I lost a lot of blood, but had a healthy beautiful baby girl.
It took me a lot longer to recover from the loose of blood more than anything and stayed in hospital for 6 days. Looking back now, if I had had an ultrasound those last few months the doctors could have seen the problem with my placenta, but everything turned out fine in the end, thank goodness, and I have a beautiful baby girl. The best advice I can give any first time mum is mention everything to your doctor and in the end if you feel that something is wrong get it checked out.
Please add your own real life stories, and share with other mum’s.
Family Holidays
Travelling with kids is never as easy as doing it on your own, but with a lot of careful planning it will be a very fun and happy time spent together. I’m a single mum and something I always look for is value for money when planning a holiday with my daughter.
Family holidays on a budget, from travelling with baby’s, toddler’s, and older. Pick the right place, time and accommodation for a wonderful, memorable, stress free family holiday, with the kids in mind to enjoy every minute. Check back for updates on my holiday suggestions as I find them.Travels with Baby: The Ultimate Guide for Planning Trips with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children
Disneyland Family Holiday
I have recently taken my daughter to Disneyland in California, she was still under three years of age at the time, so she got in free, which is always good to save some cash. We stayed at a hotel a friend helped me find and I would recommend this place to anyone needing good, clean, close to Disneyland and affordable accommodation, its nothing fancy but does the job. Del Sol Inn, Anaheim Resort, www.delsolinn.com. Plus not needing to use your car will save on petrol while there. If you are a AAA member you will get even better rates.Everything Family Guide to the Disneyland Resort, California Adventure, Universal Studios, and the Anaheim Area: A complete guide to the best hotels, restaurants, ... attractions (Everything: Travel and History)
We only stayed there 2 nights, but it was just what I needed and included free continental breakfast that we got to enjoy each morning, as we took our time getting ready to be at the front gate when it opened at 8am. Which was only a 5-10 minute walk straight across the street. I could take my daughter right back to the hotel for her nap at 11am and when she woke up gave her some lunch before heading out again, which I have to tell you she really needed. I hated seeing kids crying in Disneyland their tired take them home (hotel) for a nap. Then we would just walk back over to Disneyland to enjoy a afternoon and evening of fun, which ended for us at 7pm with a very tired little girl ready for food and bed. With me not following far behind.
Young kids really do need a rest, and sleeping properly in a bed will help them enjoy the rest of their stay, as well as giving yourself a well deserved break. They will be tired from all the excitement of seeing everything at Disneyland, it really is a lot for little minds to take in. I would recommend not trying to do Disneyland in just one day and stay at least 2 nights with young children. Plus there are park passes that included California Adventure as well as Disneyland, but as my daughter was so young one was plenty.The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2010 (Unofficial Guides)
Tip: My friend took me to the Disney Outlet Factory on the way down to Disneyland, where I bought some things for my daughter, Goofy, Lady and The Tramp (stuffed toys), Tinkerbell purse and bag, and Little Mermaid thongs, with the plan to give them to her during the day at Disneyland, it’s a great way to save money, an worked like a charm my daughter thought it was the best. As buying things in Disneyland can get very expensive. If you can’t get to a Disney Outlet Factory (maybe I was just lucky) you can try Target, Wal-Mart or department stores for Disney toys before hand.
I checked out the rides before hand so I knew which ones my daughter would want to see first before she got to warn out, then we could just work our way around Disneyland from there. Tip: Do the Dumbo ride first thing as there is always a line at that ride and try and be at gate when Disneyland opens. I also went across and bought our tickets the night before so we wouldn’t have to get in line the next morning. Check out the fast pass for the rides once you get inside.
My daughter thought Disneyland was a amazing place, very tired but fun. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes for the day of walking, and take food and drink in if you plan ahead. She didn’t like the dark inside rides to scary, but there are plenty of others to enjoy, The Jungle Cruise, Merry-Go-Round, Dumbo, and A Small World were a hit with her. She also got to meet Goofy and wanted to pull his tongue. There is so much to see you definitely need more than one day, the kids just love it.
There are plenty of place to choose from to stay, from cheap affordable to expensive but I’d say the closer to Disneyland the better when you have kids, and definitely get a ground floor room if you have a pram with baby asleep, I just pushed her straight into the room.
Check back soon for my updates or if you have question leave a comment and your email so I can reply to you.
Family holidays on a budget, from travelling with baby’s, toddler’s, and older. Pick the right place, time and accommodation for a wonderful, memorable, stress free family holiday, with the kids in mind to enjoy every minute. Check back for updates on my holiday suggestions as I find them.Travels with Baby: The Ultimate Guide for Planning Trips with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children
Disneyland Family Holiday
I have recently taken my daughter to Disneyland in California, she was still under three years of age at the time, so she got in free, which is always good to save some cash. We stayed at a hotel a friend helped me find and I would recommend this place to anyone needing good, clean, close to Disneyland and affordable accommodation, its nothing fancy but does the job. Del Sol Inn, Anaheim Resort, www.delsolinn.com. Plus not needing to use your car will save on petrol while there. If you are a AAA member you will get even better rates.Everything Family Guide to the Disneyland Resort, California Adventure, Universal Studios, and the Anaheim Area: A complete guide to the best hotels, restaurants, ... attractions (Everything: Travel and History)
We only stayed there 2 nights, but it was just what I needed and included free continental breakfast that we got to enjoy each morning, as we took our time getting ready to be at the front gate when it opened at 8am. Which was only a 5-10 minute walk straight across the street. I could take my daughter right back to the hotel for her nap at 11am and when she woke up gave her some lunch before heading out again, which I have to tell you she really needed. I hated seeing kids crying in Disneyland their tired take them home (hotel) for a nap. Then we would just walk back over to Disneyland to enjoy a afternoon and evening of fun, which ended for us at 7pm with a very tired little girl ready for food and bed. With me not following far behind.
Young kids really do need a rest, and sleeping properly in a bed will help them enjoy the rest of their stay, as well as giving yourself a well deserved break. They will be tired from all the excitement of seeing everything at Disneyland, it really is a lot for little minds to take in. I would recommend not trying to do Disneyland in just one day and stay at least 2 nights with young children. Plus there are park passes that included California Adventure as well as Disneyland, but as my daughter was so young one was plenty.The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2010 (Unofficial Guides)
Tip: My friend took me to the Disney Outlet Factory on the way down to Disneyland, where I bought some things for my daughter, Goofy, Lady and The Tramp (stuffed toys), Tinkerbell purse and bag, and Little Mermaid thongs, with the plan to give them to her during the day at Disneyland, it’s a great way to save money, an worked like a charm my daughter thought it was the best. As buying things in Disneyland can get very expensive. If you can’t get to a Disney Outlet Factory (maybe I was just lucky) you can try Target, Wal-Mart or department stores for Disney toys before hand.
I checked out the rides before hand so I knew which ones my daughter would want to see first before she got to warn out, then we could just work our way around Disneyland from there. Tip: Do the Dumbo ride first thing as there is always a line at that ride and try and be at gate when Disneyland opens. I also went across and bought our tickets the night before so we wouldn’t have to get in line the next morning. Check out the fast pass for the rides once you get inside.
My daughter thought Disneyland was a amazing place, very tired but fun. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes for the day of walking, and take food and drink in if you plan ahead. She didn’t like the dark inside rides to scary, but there are plenty of others to enjoy, The Jungle Cruise, Merry-Go-Round, Dumbo, and A Small World were a hit with her. She also got to meet Goofy and wanted to pull his tongue. There is so much to see you definitely need more than one day, the kids just love it.
There are plenty of place to choose from to stay, from cheap affordable to expensive but I’d say the closer to Disneyland the better when you have kids, and definitely get a ground floor room if you have a pram with baby asleep, I just pushed her straight into the room.
Check back soon for my updates or if you have question leave a comment and your email so I can reply to you.