Just after some opinions on this situation:
MIL has recently got a large Alsatian who is the typical big, daft, friendly, boisterous and extremely messy (hair, slobber and occasional overexcited incontinence). MIL is a nurse (semi-retired), but doesn't keep a remotely clean house, as in everything is sticky/dirty/messy, and I'm no clean freak myself. For example, not only are kitchen surfaces sticky, but 'clean' plates/mugs/glasses out of the cupboards are really not clean - unless someone else washes up (which we do when there, and try to help with other housework, but we can only do so much) they get a quick dip in soapy water and left to dry, so are put away still covered in remnants of food, grease and finger/lip marks... Also when the dog makes a mess (e.g. wees on the floor, which happens a lot more than it should in my limited dog experience) it gets soaked up with newspaper and the floor doesn't get wiped with a cleaning product afterwards, and it smells.
DH and I have been ttc for a while and had a mc earlier this year, but before that happened, we had told MIL and she had touched (very lightly) on the subject of childcare, saying that she'd love to help and do whatever would suit etc - fantastic, she's lovely and I'm keen to have her help and input. DH even joked that she could pick it up from hospital and bring it back once it's earning its keep... except that that made me think about her looking after a child in her house, which gives me the heebies as it's so not clean.
Now, I love MIL and if we have a child, I love the idea of her being involved in its life, but AIBU, firstly to be not keen on her big boisterous dog being anywhere near a small baby/child, as the dog is barely toilet-trained, let alone had any other sort of training, to the point that DH often has to lift him off people when he's jumped up and knocked them down, thinking he's playing...
Secondly, AIBU to be really not keen on any child we do have (fully anticipating going all pfb over it if we are lucky enough to have one) being in a really unclean environment, i.e. MIL's house? Or is that good for its immune system or something... cringing at thought of touching any surfaces in MIL's house, especially crawling around on the wee-infused floor
I probably sound a right cow and I feel it, as she is so lovely, but it's just a hypothetical situation at the moment so at least I've got time to sort my head out if IABU 