GRAND Magazine - November/December 2017 - 25

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Practical Matters: Immunizations You'll Need
You definitely don't want the first thing you give your
grandchild to be an illness, so make sure to have these
immunizations.
Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR Vaccine)
If you were born in 1957 or later and aren't sure if
you were ever immunized, you can get a blood test to
confirm your immunity.

Influenza
Yearly flu shot is recommended
Chickenpox
Talk to your doctor if you've never had chickenpox
Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough)
Get a DTAP or TDAP

Hepatitis B
Vaccine is recommended If you're sixty
or older with diabetes or work in health care
Shingles
If you're sixty or older
Pneumonia
If you're sixty-five or older

Family pets will need to adjust, too

Before your new grandbaby visits your home for the first time, you'll
want to prepare Bowser or Snuggles, too.
For dogs, experts suggest a visit to the groomer - including a bath
and nail trim - as well as a check-up with the vet to make sure your dog
is healthy and up-to-date with immunizations. If your dog needs a
refresher on basic obedience, such as sit, stay, down, leave it, and drop
it, this is a good time to brush up those skills. After the baby is born,
you might want to bring home some items that have the baby's smell
on them and let your dog get used to that new smell.
When your grandbaby comes into your home for the first
time, it's wise to have a helper who
will attend to the dog if you'll be
holding the baby. The helper will
have your dog on a leash, but in a
relaxed manner and have treats on
hand to reward good behavior.

25 GRAND

NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2017

Try to keep the first interactions calm and positive and take little steps, such as letting the dog sniff the baby's feet while you talk to the dog affectionately.
With your cat, you can also use treats and praise to get the friendship
off to the right start. There's a myth that cats try to smother babies. That's
not true, but cats are usually more able than dogs to do things like jump
into the crib, so you can avoid that by keeping the room where the baby
sleeps when visiting off-limits to the cat.
Pet allergies?
People have different levels of comfort about contact between babies and
pets, so you'll want to support the parents' wishes. Allergies tend to run in
families - and this goes for all kinds of allergies. Unless a baby is allergy-prone,
experts now agree that exposure to common allergens, such as pet dander,
may actually protect a child from developing an allergy to them.

Cheryl Harbour is the
special editor of the "My
GRANDbaby" section
and author of Good to Be
Grand: Making the Most
of your Grandchild's First
Year, a combination of upto-date information and
grandparently inspiration.

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GRAND Magazine - November/December 2017

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