How you can prepare your pet for the 4th Trimester.
Having a baby is a major adjustment for both you and your partner/family, but often we forget that our furry friends need time to adjust to a new baby as well! Routines are thrown out of the window, the pecking order changes and there is a lot more noise in the house. After speaking with Animal behaviourist Sue Tasker I found out there is a lot we can and should do to help prepare our furry friends. If you can start preparing at least 3 months before the baby's due date that would be ideal.
Here are some ideas:
Mix up the routine before baby comes
If you are going to have a friend or professional to help look after the animal to start this structure months before.
Take the pram out with the dog before baby comes, so they can get used to walking with it.
If it's your first baby, get a life-like doll and start using the baby equipment, acting out feeding and baby changing while the animal is in the same room.
Playing baby cry sounds before baby arrives.
Buy new toys for the animal and be clear on what toys are for the animal and what toys are for baby
Wash animal’s bedding in the same products as baby will use
Some people introduced the smell of baby to the animal before mum comes home from hospital (take a baby grow that baby was wearing.)
Have a safe space for animal to go to when they want to get away from baby.
The use of stair-gates can be good, as the animal doesn’t feel shut away, but is safely away from baby.
If your animal is sleeping in your room/on your bed how will this change when the baby arrives? Start practicing a new sleep routine even 6 months before baby arrives.
I hope this has sparked some idea of how you will help your furry friend to adjust to baby. I would suggest reaching out to an animal behaviourist if you are worried as there is already a lot of stress with a new baby, the last thing you need is an animal creating more stress in the family unit.
You can reach Sue via her website www.pet-positive.co.uk