me and my husband our expecting our first baby. we live in an apartment with 2 dogs. im really worried about how im going to manage walking the dogs enough when i have a baby. the dogs need to go out to use the bathroom about every 3 hours and need two long walks a day. how am i going to take the dogs to the bathroom? i cant leave the baby inside alone while i walk the dogs and the baby will be born this december so i dont think i can take the baby with me everytime they have to go. when my husband is home it wont be a problem but he is gone about 9 hours a day. has anyone else had dogs and a baby in an apartment? how did you manage? any advice will really help. thanks
Answers:
i read your post and I thought " ohhh awww I remember worrying about everything a few months before I had my son too" I didnt have dogs but I had other concerns and everything seemed so difficult to imagine since you truly cannot imagine what a baby will add to the mix until he/she makes her appearance. not to worry though! You will (WILL) be able to do all of the things you normally have to. It will be a modified version in some cases but everything will get done good as gold in the end. Depending on the size of your pups I think the Bjorn is a must for you. I didnt just use it to take walks though. I used it to do dishes, put in laundry, talk on the phone, you name it. My son LOVED that thing and was one of those babies that needed it because he had to be swaddled or up against you or he cried for a few months. if the dogs are small and walk well on a lead you could try a stroller. If they arent great on a leash, now would be a good time to reign them in and brush up on those skills with them. You can take the baby out even in december after they are a few weeks old. Up until then have family with you to help out. Some companies even offer paternity leave now so see what you can manage. You will need that help in the very beginning. But at two weeks, I took my newborn on a cartrip and to the beach in the end of August. Bundled up, a baby can do just fine in the winter.
Remember this when you start to worry - most babies love to go for walks. They like the motion of it and they like being close to you in one of those snuggly things. Your dogs need to be walked. You will probably just fall into the pattern of doing these things together and find yourself walking the dogs more, not less unless it is sleeting or storming outside.
BTW I live in an 2BR apartment in the city with my son, an English Mastiff and a bf who is moving in come next year. It might feel a little panicky right now but you will be fine! What a great mom you are going to be just for worrying now about it!!
I don't have this experience.. but you could hire some neighbour kid to walk the dogs for you each day.
You could wear a snuggly with the baby in it...so your hands would be free...
try hiring someone you know to take the dogs for a walk and take care of them oh and congrats
I'm not sure as to what kind of dogs you have, but I would suggest using Purina's SecondNature. Not sure if you have seen it around but it is a litter box for dogs. When a dog has been trained to use it, they will still use the bathroom outside. SecondNature would be great when you need to walk the dogs, but need to tend to the baby as well.
http://www.doglitter.com/getpage.aspx?d=...
If you aren't willing to put the baby in a stroller to take the dogs out, the only option I see is to hire a dog walker or a baby sitter.
i would get the baby bejorn (sorry about spelling) but its where you put the baby and its near your body, so your hands are free. than you will be able to walk the dogs. but for the first couple of weeks when you are healing and everything, you might want to get a friend or family member to walk them. or you can hire some one. best of luck!
I am so glad to hear that you are still commited to keeping your dogs. They are part of your family, too! I would suggest getting one of those Baby Bjorn carriers that attaches to your chest, and dress the baby up really warm and keep him/her under your coat during the walk. You could also hire a dog walker to come by and walk them at certain times, or try to get a family member or friend to drop by and help you out.
A friend of mine had a similar situation, but hers was much worse- she had 2 babies and 1 LARGE dog. However, she managed just fine, and it is certainly possible to manage. First, your adult dogs should not have to go outside every 3 hours. Adult dogs should be able to go 8ish hours without using bathroom. They should be fed an hour or so before your husband goes to work, and walked right before he leaves. Then, they should only have to go 1 time while he is gone. What I would do is I would get a carrier (or stroller) for the baby, and keep the dogs on leash. You can also go to the pet store to get a special attachment that will allow you to hook 2 dogs on 1 leash easily, so that you only have to use 1 hand to walk your dogs, and then use your other hand to tend to your baby and such.
I hope this helps.there are a ton of options out there. Good Luck.
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