What are your thoughts about pets sleeping on the bed

[Babushka]

Is it really bad to allow you pets to continue sleeping on the bed once baby arrives? We have 2 small dogs that are just over a year old and have always slept on the bed with us, we don't want to throw them out of our room and treat them differently because we are having a baby, they are a big part of the family too.

We don't plan on co-sleeping, the bassinette will be beside me but someone at the hospital during one of my appointments commented that the baby will be in bed with us sometimes (cuddling/feeding/watching telly) so it would be unhygienic.

What are you thoughts on this? I'm 39+6 so baby is almost here.

Also, they don't sleep under the covers, just on top.

 

[All Girls]

It would be a big no no from me. I had two dogs. They were here before babies. They never slept in the bedrooms but no matter how much i would trust a dog i would not let it near my kids without my eyes on them at all times. So i would be a nervous wreck if they slept in the same room as us and the baby and what they could do while they are unsupervised when we are asleep.

I would never trust an animal unsupervised with any child. I would not risk it.

 

[Bladesgirl]

We had this discussion! We have 2 cats who have always slept with us on the bed but when I got to about 30 weeks pregnant we decided it just wouldn't work! I wouldn't be able to sleep wondering if they would curl up next to DS at some point during the night!! In the end we bought them a basket each and for 5 weeks had them in our room in baskets then started putting them down stairs!!

They hated us for about 2 months!! We are all friends again now and they even go to their baskets willing before we shut them off from us

 

[toby1331]

My guess is you are going to get people who are okay with it and others who are against it and have to ultimately do what works for you. My cats slept on the bed with me before LO and continue to sleep with me. We don't co-sleep but we do snuggle and sometimes nap in my bed. Only one or two of the cats will come into the bed while she's in there. Other than an initial check it out, they are not allowed her crib.

 

[Bladesgirl]

I forgot to say! During the day and when I'm awake they are allowed where they want and I try to let them near the little one as much as possible I don't want them to be threaten or jealous of him as I want them to co inhabit in peace

 

[Larkspur]

I have two small dogs, who have been around LO since he was born and have become extremely well-adjusted to him.

They don't sleep on our bed - they have a basket in our room, and LO has a cot and also co-sleeps - but they are allowed in to snuggle in bed in the mornings (even under the covers!) along with LO. Sometimes if I take a nap with him on the bed, they will come up and we will all sleep in a big pile.

They have taken to LO really well and love to snuggle up to him. I was very careful with the supervision of him during the early weeks/months, but as they got used to him, I gradually allowed them more and more unsupervised space (by which I mean going from being RIGHT THERE next to him and them, and able to push them back with a hand if they started licking him or he started grabbing at them, to being a foot or two away but able to lean over to intervene, to being in the same room, to walking out of the room for a couple of seconds, to now where I will leave them in the same room as him even if I have something to do in another room for a couple of minutes). They treat him like part of the furniture, mostly, and sometimes will play with him (ie will bring him their toys in the hope he will throw them for him).

I've allowed them to snuggle up to him since he was just three or four weeks old, and I don't have any hygiene concerns about that. LO is extremely healthy, apart from a couple of runny noses and mild coughs, he hasn't been ill in nine months.

Obviously the situation depends on a lot of things, like the temperament of your dogs, the breed and size, etc. But in the right circumstances, I believe you can introduce dogs to your children safely to the point where you do not have to supervise them constantly. I grew up alongside dogs with absolutely no problems and I believe the benefits and joy of responsible pet ownership outweigh the very small risk of accidents or injury (to either children or pets).

 

[Seity]

Cats and small dogs are fine. No big dogs.

 

[Babushka]

Thanks for your input girls & it's got me thinking. One of our dogs is a total lap dog & can't even jump on the bed or lounge herself so I would trust her with the baby in the bassinet whilst we are sleeping. However, the other one is a bit more energetic & she could possibly try to jump from the bed to the bassinet although she is a really heavy sleeper at night. Both dogs are small breeds by the way.

 

[staralfur]

Yes, my little dog (20lbs) still sleeps on our bed. LO is in her own room now but he slept on our bed even while we were bedsharing. It's part of the safe cosleeping guidelines to NOT allow pets on the bed but it was a judgement call for us. Our dog slept on the outside beside my OH, so he was never right next to LO.

 

[Larkspur]

Yes, my little dog (20lbs) still sleeps on our bed.

LOL, the two of my little dogs put together weigh less than two-thirds of your little dog. My dogs are basically large rats.

 

[Peggy O]

My dogs are generally sweet gentle old ladies, but when we moved to the new house (just before LO) we stopped co sleeping with them (dogs) I wanted them to not associate this new sleeping arrangement with the baby, so for a couple months before she was born they got used to their new digs (a crib mattress with a home made soft cover) in our HUGE kitchen. We have a baby gate up and they stay in there at night. I have seen them kill a large bunny (yahh! just once but OMG I was mortified) and I am not risking anything happening. They are 55 and 65 pounds, 11 and 13 years old. All baby/dog interactions are closely supervised. I NEVER leave LO in the same room as them for one second alone, ever. They are dogs, and things can happen...as much as I love them and as sweet as they are. We all go for walks and hangout during the day. They have been happy in their new room at night. They haven't been upstairs (only bedrooms upstairs) so they have no idea what they are missing

I do miss them, but it is nice to not sleep in a hair nest too, lol. Honestly they are getting so old I used to worry about one breaking something jumping off my bed, or falling down the stairs at my old apartment. This works good for us.

 

[countryblonde]

my 60lbs pupp has always slept in our bed.. and still continues to now that we have our lo at home.. he's well trained and threw the night its fine... i still will not leave them unattended in the sare room just because a dog is still always a dog but overnight we are in the be too.. he's supervised.. i think its perfectly fine

as far as hygiene goes.. they saying having pets its really good for a child immune system and reduces the risk of asthma and other things...

so as long as your comfortable with it... sleep away

 

[greenbeans12]

I would still allow it. My reason for saying that is because it's NOT unhygienic. If your dog's are bathed regularly and aren't outside too much during the day then I don't understand how it would be viewed as gross but yet my OH is the same. He believes NO animal should be allowed in the bed at anytime. My 3 year old is messier then my dog and she still gets into my bed, LOL.

 

[stephie_corin]

We have two cats that 50% of the time sleep on my husband's feet. We cosleep and they do not come near the head end of the bed, me or LO and they know that the baby's cot is off limits. If I tried to keep our cats out they would scratch all night on our door plus it wouldn't be fair on them as they are totally in love with my DH and would be heart broken if they couldn't snuggle his cheesy feet

I agree with others who have said pets help strengthen children's immune systems.

I never leave LO unsupervised with them though.

If it makes a difference, our cats are indoor only cats and very clean.

 

[izzlesnizzle]

When LO was in our room we didn't allow the cat in anymore and would close the bedroom door but now shes in her own room, the cat is back taking up half the bed while OH and I huddle on one side of the bed like we're in a single!

 

[VikkiD]

I have 3 cats and a dog I don't allow any of them upstairs as two cats are Persians and moult a lot so I don't like the thought of their hair all over my bed.

 

[Dragonfly]

No pets are allowed in my bedroom. Especially when we had children. Both mine bed share with me and next one will to. I would never have an animal in the bed at the same time I wouldnt consider that safe co sleeping. And I dont like pet hair every where and whatever else is on them.

 

[special_kala]

Once the boy is here the dogs wont be allowed in the bedroom, mostly because my lab is a hairy bugger!

Really hes not allowed on the bed now but hes sneaky and im lazy

 

[XJessicaX]

I bed shared for a month or so with DD1 and my giant lop rabbit!

 

[discoclare]

bleurgh, pets and beds.

yes our cats sleep in the bed with us. (we don't co-sleep though, but G is in a cot in our room).