New mom sums up difficulties of sharing time between baby and 'needy dog' who just wants to be loved

Being a mother doesn’t stop, no matter how big your child grows. However, in the initial phases, with babies needing extreme care and caution, a mother’s entire time seems to be focused on her baby. There are several instances where toddlers or older kids feel left out or neglected when a new baby comes into the picture. What many fail to realize is the case can be the same with pets. Having a pet that is used to your cuddles, time and attention brings drastic changes in the postpartum period. Dog mom Danielle–who goes on TikTok by @airbudkobe–recently gave birth to a baby. In a viral video, she perfectly summed up the struggles and the mom guilt that comes with it.

Danielle’s account is dedicated to her dog Klepto Kobe and after having her baby recently, she shared how she has mom guilt as she can not spend time with him and needs to focus on her baby. The video captures Kobe sitting by his mum, who is with her new baby. The visuals in the video expressed how she was trying hard to balance giving both her babies’ attention. In her caption, Danielle wrote, “It can be so hard to feel like your pet isn’t getting the attention he deserves. But you’re doing your best and that’s all that matters. Just remember you’ve given them a built-in bestie for life.”

Adding more, Danielle shared a follow-up video explaining what the struggles look like for a dog mom who has just given birth. She highlighted how having a needy dog can bring many upheavals for the dog and the baby, especially the mum. “Being a new mom with a needy dog is difficult,” the overlay text in the video read. She then revealed that her dog Kobe is often calm and understanding towards the new baby. However, she also pointed out that just like any sibling, Kobe displays signs of jealousy or frustration. In the video, the dog is seen sitting quietly and being gentle with the baby. However, sometimes, he abruptly moves around, jumps over the baby, tries to steal attention and so on. 

The mom is seen correcting Kobe for his misbehavior and having her share of frustration trying to provide attention to both her babies. “It’s hard for me to share this and see the way I talk to him sometimes,” she said. Adding more, the mom revealed that new moms are genuinely protective of their new babies, which could be a reason why things get challenging between the dog and the mom. She said, “New moms feel overtouched and overstimulated and Kobe adds to the stress for me some days.” Kobe’s unusual behavior seen in the video, explains the mom’s mixed emotions and struggle. The dog is seen taking away the baby’s toys and showing other signs of disapproval, indicating that he feels “left out.” While the mom understands the same, she has to resort to prioritizing her newborn.

Towards the end of the video, she said, “I’m trying to be more patient with Kobe and work on training him to be in his bed during floor time for my sanity and his baby sister’s safety.” The end of the video captures the dog mom and Kobe having an understanding conversation followed by a warm cuddle. Fellow pet parents related to the woman and shared their thoughts in the comments section. @arelancassandraa said, “This guilt is so hard. Wish I could explain to my dog what’s going on.” @krustyreive said, “The ‘we need our space right now’ is so real. I struggle with this with my baby and dog too.”