Hi

My OH's brother (well his wife!) has just had a baby and we were going to visit next weekend. But now they've been given advice that until the baby is 4 weeks old they should not allow dogs into their house at all. I thought that it may be worry around having the dog jump on the baby - but my suggestion of having our puppy (6 months) baby-gated in the kitchen during our visit was not acceptable ... so I think it's more around infection etc. I can't find anything on the internet on this ... I have only found some stuff on not having animals in a premature babies bedroom, and also around making sure that the dogs don't feel left out - but nothing around not having dogs in the house at all.

Has anyone else heard of this advice? And if the advice is true - how do people who have dogs cope with this? And why is it only for the 1st 4 weeks? And does this go for cats as well? And what about the germs etc that my OH and I could be bringing in - isn't this equal/more of a risk that a puppy?

I'm sorry for so many (probably daft!) questions :) but I don't have children and I'm just trying to understand ...

Thanks very much!

I brought my own baby into a house with two resident dogs and he's been a remarkably healthy child. As long as your dog is fully vaccinated and wormed there should be no problems. There are very few diseases that pass from dog to human. Your niece/nephew is more at risk from meeting other humans than animals, and besides, if your S-i-L's breastfeeding, the baby will be getting her antibodies.

There's no medical reason why a dog shouldn't be in the same house, or even room, as a baby. However new mothers, particular first-time mothers, worry a lot and often aren't rational; stress isn't good at this time, so it would be more diplomatic to leave your dog behind.

Probably to do with the same reasons we are very careful about our puppies' health when they are young. All young animals, including ourselves are very vulnerable when young. So, it is important to respect your brother's wishes. However, what you can do, is to take your puppy with his crate and leave him in the crate near you, so that the pup does not feel left out and has a nice haven to relax in. Then every so often, you can carry him out for a quick walk and a leg stretch.

Cheers,
Patty

But in fact just after birth yo8ng animals and babies are protected by maternal immunity which is boosted during lactation, it is when this immunity wanes (before their own immune system is up to speed or they have been vaccinated) that they are actually vulnerable.

Well things may have changed in 27 years, but I brought my daughter home at 8 days and put her carrycot on the floor for our Afghan to sniff!  Her only illness was Whooping Cough aged 3!  27 years later, she's still a very healthy lady.
There are a few zoonoses, things that can transmit from dog to human, but for me it's all about building up immunity rather than wrapping in cotton wool.  Maybe these new parents don't feel the same? :(

We've had the same sort of thing with some relatives of ours - except that the four week period has been extended somewhat.  The eldest child is nearly 3 years old and the baby is 6 months !
It's obvious that they just don't want dogs around their kids full stop so either one of us stays at home or neither of us visits.

I was brought up surrounded by animals of all descriptions (dogs, cats, rabbits, goats to name just a few) and on top of that my parents were managers of a battery chicken farm.  We lived in the house next door and I went to work with my parents every day from the age of just a few weeks until I went to school.  One of my earliest memories is sitting in my pushchair cuddling a chicken! 

I've always laughed and said my immune system got a kick start as I very very rarely catch anything.  All my friends can have colds and it bypasses me.  I didn't even catch the normal childhood diseases, like chickenpox, until adulthood.    I definitely think it's a case of building up immunity.  The parents who wrap their offspring in cotton wool, although with the best of intentions, will probably find that those children will come down with everything going as they get older. 

If the new mum is breastfeeding it might be to do with the antibodies that mum passes to baby through her milk.  The first few weeks are very important in building up immunities against the environment and helps to reduce the baby developing allergies.

As JG so rightly says, new mums are paranoid with their new babes and will take every precaution at first.  Her baby so only right to respect her wishes as she is only doing what she feels is best for her baby.

When the baby starts crawling, eating worms, flowers and sticking his/her hands down inside his/her dirty nappy/toilet/bin, mum will start to chill out a bit :D

Friends have just had a baby she will be 4 weeks tomorrow. They have 2 Labs who went to stay with relatives while Mum and baby were in hospital. They were going to stay for a bit longer but midwife advised having dogs home right away so they could all get into a routine esp while Dad was at home. Seems to be working fine

Anne

Yeah, much depends on the midwife you have.  I didn't have any pets when I had my first and the midwife used to turn up with her dog in the car and came into my house covered in dog hair and I wasn't impressed.  Of course now I have a dog, I am much more chilled about it, you have to be when you end up getting dog poo on your hands, picking up sick etc. I would have freaked years ago.

I am pregnant with my first child and due in 10 weeks (yes countdown has began) and own 2 Shar Pei who have doggie friends over to visit.  There is no way my boys will be banned from being near the baby - what would be the point when we will all be living in the same house together?  I was brought up with Border Collies and my parents (they were slightly mad) had a pup 10 days after I was born and we were the best of friends.  You need to exercise caution in not leaving the baby with the dogs without any supervision.  I can imagine in my house that the baby would be covered in slobber in 30 seconds given half the chance.

I am sure living with animals makes you healthier anyway and I think I read somewhere that babies brought up in houses with animals have a better immune system.  I am definately not one to get colds or anything like that although my husband who wasn't brought up with dogs gets everything going!

I had 3 of my 4 at home, with dogs still on the premises.   I know that there is a danger to PREGNANT women, in cleaning up cat faeces, but I've never heard of this - maybe the new parents are just being over-cautious themselves.

Margot

I brought my son home 2 days after a c-section and settled him in with 2 older children, 2 Great Danes and 7 horses including drying rugs, horse hair, various tack hanging around - and he met his first horse at a week old LOL

Edit: And I breastfed. And my community midwife knows all about my madhouse and never said a word!

Hello

Thanks very much for your replies ... the new parents have a cat so I'm not sure why dogs have been singled out! I think maybe they're being a little over-cautious ... :) They live a long way away (requires an overnight stay), so this time my OH is going to visit while puppy and I have a girlie night in together.

I just hope that they relax a little as the baby grows up so we can all visit together :) :) :)

Thanks again ...

Just think of it so Tui doesn't catch anything from the baby!!! :D ;) LOL

I did think of mentioning that ... but thought it would be too inflammatory :) :) :) :)

he hehehehe.  I think they should be more cautious of the cat!  Dogs are a lot easier to control and you generally know where they have been.

I know what you mean when you say it all depends on the mid wife you have...........i had 2 dogs when I had my first little girl and when the mid wife came to do the first home visit she said "oh my god youv'e got dogs, you are going to keep them away from the baby aren't you?" I replied "dont be so stupid this is the dogs home if I didnt think dogs should be with babies I wouldn't of had a baby" accompanied by much rolling of eyes.

I still had the same two dogs when I had my other little girl although my dobe was very elderly, when she came to visit she said "oh wonderful you have dogs, I love to see children brought up with animals they show more tenderness and respect if they are" she also noticed my dobe was elderly and we got talking about breeds and she mentioned she had 2 newfies and said that we should look into owning one of them if we get another as they are fab with kids. Well thanks to that midwife we are now the proud owners of a 2 year old newf and a 13 week old newf. So thankyou very much midwife.:)

Sounds like a first time over cautious parent to me ;)

My two children have always been brought up with dogs and they are happy healthy children :)

I think your SIL needs a bit of education :)

Lucy
xx

Hi Sarian,
            Mine have been around a premature baby at home with no problems. Also, I discharge babies from the Neo-natal Unit where I work into homes with multiple pets....... It is important for a bond to be forged I think...
They sound like they are being a little over cautious, but if they are new parents they will be :D
Enjoy the girly night in with Tui,
Hugs Gabrielle x