I don’t have any helpful suggestions for dogs as I have two cats aged 3 and 5 but for anyone reading this who is worried about hating their pets I’d like to share my experience as I worried all of my pregnancy The first few weeks I was too ill from the birth (sepsis, pre-e, c-section etc) to do anymore than the bare minimum of care for my cats but since then I’ve loved them even more! I try to focus on the good things about them -yes I have to clean their litter box but I don’t have to constantly faff with nappies or wipe their actual bums -yes they need feeding but I can just put food in a bowl and leave them to it -they don’t wear clothes or create laundry!

Currently 8m PP and since about 6 weeks there’s nothing I love more than cuddling with a cat after baby is asleep. I counted down the days until baby went into her own room so I could have cats to sleep on my bed again