Babies & cats

[lucyFTM]

I'm writing this unable to sleep after this incident has happened!
I was asleep in bed & my cat either fell/jumped from the headboard & landed on my head scratching my eyelid quite badly. It was bleeding loads so it looked worse than it is at first.
I'm 32 weeks pregnant & DH said we have to shut her out at night now because what if she hurts the baby when it's here. For context he doesn't like her very much mainly because she prefers me! But we both like it when she cuddles us in bed & is affectionate. If we shut her out she will meow & scratch at the door.
She is very sassy & will only do things on her terms i.e will go to bite you if try to stroke her somewhere she doesn't want to be touched.

Anyway the point is I know I will need to put my baby's safety first but the cat is totally part of the family for me. Has anyone got any experience with dealing with pets & a newborn?
Did you have to keep them apart?

A quick google brought up one case in Russia two years ago. Even then it wasn't certain.

It also seems that cat nets are still available if it is a worry. A net would also prevent a cat stealing the baby's breath too. Apparently, that used to happen a lot.

I had a lovely and very gentle and affectionate cat when my DD was born. I absolutely wouldn't trust her in the bedroom overnight with DD sleeping there next to me. Cats like warmth and snuggles, they could well jump into a moses basket and smother a baby without meaning to. In the day I wouldn't worry, just be vigilant, but I'd never let the cat near the baby whilst I was asleep.

Cats ‘stealing babies breath’ is absolute codswollop and just an old wives tale.

Had my DS 18 days ago and have 2 cats. We still allow the cats in our room but only if one of us is awake to keep an eye, which is most of the time as DS has a hard time sleeping in his crib during the night and reallynobly settles on one of us. Is by chance we both get to sleep the cats are shut out the room.

My cats have been great with the baby, one is very maternal and even comes to sit next to the baby when he is crying, which is adorable.

Cats ‘stealing babies breath’ is absolute codswollop and just an old wives tale.

Really?

Yes. Really.

we have 2 cats which sleep on our bed at night, have tried shutting them downstairs but one of them will just cry all night. (Yes I have tested this! - I lasted 5 hours before I cracked!)

My plan is for baby to sleep in a next2me, with a net over it. Once baby is in her own room at 6 months she'll probably be big enough to tip a cat off her (our cats are pretty small).