Question...anyone know? 10 weeks and cats

[Hoping4peanut]

I am 8 weeks pregnant and in the USA.

I had an appt at 7 weeks and saw the heartbeat.

My next appt is 10 weeks with a midwife, not a doctor. To plan the course of the pregnancy. Does anyone know what this appt might entail? Will we see baby again or hear the heartbeat to know things are good?

Any insight welcome...

Also..my in laws have a cat and we are trying to plan holidays. Hubby is worried about how the cat steps in feces and the. Jumps on beds, coaches, tabletops etc. he doesn't want to risk infection. But if we don't come for Christmas it will be majoooooor devastation for his mother. Any cat owners have suggestions?

 

[rosepetals36]

Poppin over from 2nd tri...they don't usually listen to heartbeat until 16 weeks but im in uk so different to u,

i have a cat and no probs with infection etc. Just be a bit more vigilant keep ur stuff in cupboards/drawers so the cat cant go on, keep bedroom door shut so not on bedding. Make sure worktops are clean before preparing anything etc, go visit foe the hols and relax unless the family is seriously ill all the time then i wouldn't worry

 

[ItsAWonder]

My doctor is completely relaxed about my cat, as am I. I do not clean the litter b/c toxoplasmosis is most commonly spread from inhalation when relating to cats. Same as gardening. If you garden you should always wear a mask as animals have probably used your garden as their toilet.

Other than that, she sleeps in my bed, walks on all of our furniture, paws may face when I am sleeping. Most of my friends who have had cats have not changed their routines either.

As my doc said - he has worked in the field for over 30 years and has never seen a case of toxoplasmosis from a cat or from undercooked meat. (Although I get my steak cooked to medium or med-well.)

 

[pandi77]

I am 8 weeks pregnant and in the USA.

I had an appt at 7 weeks and saw the heartbeat.

My next appt is 10 weeks with a midwife, not a doctor. To plan the course of the pregnancy. Does anyone know what this appt might entail? Will we see baby again or hear the heartbeat to know things are good?

Any insight welcome...

Also..my in laws have a cat and we are trying to plan holidays. Hubby is worried about how the cat steps in feces and the. Jumps on beds, coaches, tabletops etc. he doesn't want to risk infection. But if we don't come for Christmas it will be majoooooor devastation for his mother. Any cat owners have suggestions?

Is the cat an indoor or outdoor cat? cats get toxoplasmosis by eating infected prey outdoors or catching from another cat who does. If kitty is an indoor cat chances are VERY low you'd be exposed at all. I have 3 cats ranging from 5-21 years old and they are indoor cats but we took them to get tested when we started ttc just to be safe. All negative. My vet also mentioned more than half of people who get infected with toxoplasmosis actually get it from undercooked meat....same for us as kitty I guess lol.

 

[kerri28]

The cat is at risk for carrying it if they are indoor/outdoor cats because they contract with through their contact with killing small rodents an birds. It is passed through their feces. If the cat is an outdoor cat is it possible your family would keep it outside and thoroughly disinfect the house prior to your arrival?

 

[bumptwo]

Cats do NOT step in their (or anyone else's) poo! They are the cleanest creatures! Cleaner than us I'm sure! You are far more likely to catch something sinister off some dirty relative...

Go have fun and stop worrying! And I'll go and rub my outdoor cat all over me to prove I'm right. x

 

[ItsAWonder]

Yeah - there is no need to worry about an outdoor cat. Most animals carry toxoplasmosis including most dogs who get into dead things and eat other dogs poop. That's why the only real concern is cleaning the cat's litter.

Don't worry, have fun, you will be absolutely fine.

 

[Zooy]

You should be fine! I've got 3 cats and had no issues in this or my first pregnancy! Like others have said, kitties are rather clean animals!

 

[jenmcn1]

Just avoid cleaning the litter box. That's all. As it is spread through feces. I would definately still visit your family for christmas!! Chances of getting toxyplasmosis is SO low. Just relax and enjoy

 

[Scout]

Don't know about the appt, but you should be fine with the cats. The only risk, like others have said, is toxoplasmosis. It's only spread thru contact, not by inhalation, and the cat will only contract it if it's outside and killing then eating rodents. I had a high risk pregnancy and my OB was fine with me cleaning the litter box and handling my cat like usual. She always sleeps with me/on me.

 

[ItsAWonder]

Don't know about the appt, but you should be fine with the cats. The only risk, like others have said, is toxoplasmosis. It's only spread thru contact, not by inhalation, and the cat will only contract it if it's outside and killing then eating rodents. I had a high risk pregnancy and my OB was fine with me cleaning the litter box and handling my cat like usual. She always sleeps with me/on me.

Surprisingly enough, with the litter, the risk is inhalation (as well as contact and/or eating undercooked meat). I didn't know this either until my ob stated it. I used to work with 15 ob's and contacted a few of them and they all confirmed. You can find the research online as well, in medical journals.

 

[Night Flower]

I wouldn't worry And to stick an indoor cat outdoors is asking for its death.(someone mentioned to stick the cat outside)

 

[FarmMom]

I am in the US and OB and midwives' practices seem to vary. I had my first OB appt and scan at 8 weeks, another appointment at 12 weeks that was pretty much just listening to baby's heartbeat, appointment to hear HB at 16 weeks and get genetic screening blood test, and my next appt is 20 weeks for a scan. Unlike most of the posters i've seen on these boards, i was not offered an NT scan. My doctor said I would only get a 12 week scan if she couldn't find the HB at that appointment. Not sure if that is common or not.

 

[Jo.t]

Dont worry about cats ! I am on my 8th pregnancy & have allways had cats - I even clean out the trays !

Never had a problem x

 

[LadySekhmetDJ]

Not sure how much more I can add...I have 5 cats all indoors and I clean out their litter boxes. No problems. I grew up with cats (both indoors and outdoors), so I'm most likely already immune to toxoplasmosis anyways. If you haven't been around cats for a long time and the kitty is an outdoor cat, just don't clean the litter boxes...its that simple.

MW varies from place to place, heck even OBs varies too. I'm sure the MW would want to try to find heartbeat too. Worse case is just ask. My second scan at a OB just showed the heart beating and I ask to listen, she obliged.

 

[Sun_Flower]

I'll repeat what has been said before - if you've grown up around cats you're almost certainly immune as you'll have been exposed to toxoplasmosis a number of times before. If not, you just need to avoid the litter box if they have one. If they're a clean house then they will regularly wipe their surfaces etc anyway so it won't be an issue xx

 

[madetomother]

Have someone else handle kitty litter and you'll be fine.

 

[madetomother]

Cats do NOT step in their (or anyone else's) poo! They are the cleanest creatures! Cleaner than us I'm sure! You are far more likely to catch something sinister off some dirty relative...

I have seen many a cat lick their own anus soon after defecating. That's Cat Person wishful thinking.