Can your Maine Coon hurt your unborn baby if they jump on your lap?

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The question is unusual. It is the first time that I have seen it asked. It was asked by Abi Berwager Schreier, an Atlanta-based lifestyle writer for the website Romper. She said: "...since my husband and I are trying to conceive, I started to wonder, can my pet hurt my baby if they jump on my stomach. I don't know if I'm pregnant...

Can your Maine Coon hurt your unborn baby if they jump on your lap?
Can your Maine Coon hurt your unborn baby if they jump on your lap? Cat lies on pregnant woman -- Photo: Reddit.com. This cat is polydactyl but not a Maine Coon.

Maine Coons can be large. Exceptionally, they can be as large as a medium-sized dog judging by the online photographs. Often, they can be about 20 pounds in weight. Abi lives with a Maine Coon mix weighing 17 pounds. She asked whether he could be a problem if and when he jumps up for head butts and some petting.

CAN I CUDDLE MY CAT WHEN PREGNANT?

She sought the advice of Dr. Yvonne Bohn, OB–GYN at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. And the answer or advice she gave is, I guess, commonsense to a certain extent. The answer depends upon the size of the cat or dog and the force with which they impact the abdomen.

A pregnant person does not want "anything to jump on, kick, or place direct force" on their abdomen. It can cause separation of the placenta from the uterus, which is called 'placental abruption'.

Can your Maine Coon hurt your unborn baby if they jump on your lap?
Nice relationship between pregnant woman and her cat. This is not a Maine Coon but a nice moggy. Photo: Reddit.com

As a pregnancy progresses the "safe area" becomes smaller. It gets quite technical. The doctor says that during the first trimester the uterus is still below the pubic bone which makes it unlikely that trauma can hurt the pregnancy.

Concluding advice from the doctor is that a pet such as a large Maine Coon can jump up and put their paws on you to greet you when you are pregnant provided "they don't do it really hard".

It seems that a heavy dose of common sense applies (excuse the pun). A pregnant woman should avoid any forceful contact between their companion animal and their abdomen. See your doctor about it if you're concerned.

The story is interesting, for me, in respect of one aspect of cat caregiving namely that we are referring to the largest domestic cat breed, the Maine Coon, and therefore the question has some validity. Of course, the advice applies equally to small dogs. A pregnant woman wouldn't allow a medium-sized dog to jump up onto their belly.

Are you able to share some personal experiences which might usefully add to the page?

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