For many Australian pet owners, the dog is genuinely the firstborn of the house. They have spent years curled up at the foot of your bed, sleeping soundly right next to you. But as your due date approaches, your sleeping arrangements need a bit of a rethink.
Bringing a newborn home changes the whole dynamic of your bedroom. Between midnight feeds, low-light settling and the safety requirements of infant sleep, having a furry, heavy or unpredictable pet sharing your mattress gets complicated quickly.
Moving your dog out of your bed doesn't mean you love them any less. It means you are getting ahead of a change that has to happen anyway. The trick is making the adjustment weeks or months before your baby arrives, so your dog doesn't connect the new arrival with losing their favourite sleeping spot.
Why Bed-Sharing Layouts Have to Shift
It is easy to feel a pang of guilt about changing your dog's routine, so it helps to look at the practical reasons behind it:
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A cleaner sleep space: However clean your dog is, their paws and fur bring in the outdoors, along with dander and allergens. When you are feeding or settling a newborn in your bed, keeping that surface as clean as possible is simply easier on everyone.
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Avoiding a wake-up chain reaction: Newborns are noisy sleepers, grunting and shuffling their way through sleep cycles. If your dog is a light sleeper or barks at small sounds, their reaction can wake a baby who had just settled, turning a two-minute stir into an hour.
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Safe infant sleep: Even if you plan for your baby to sleep in their bassinet, exhaustion is real and unplanned bed-sharing does happen. Red Nose Australia advises that pets should not share a sleeping surface with a baby. Their guidance on safe sleep is the thing to follow here, and it is worth reading directly.
If you have questions about safe sleep set-ups more broadly, a midwife is the right person to ask. Beth at Birth with Beth (https://www.instagram.com/birthwithbeth_) shares clear, calm guidance on preparing your bedroom and your expectations before baby arrives.
The Step-by-Step Dog Sleep Transition
The worst possible time to change your dog's sleeping spot is the night you bring your baby home. A sudden eviction right as a new person appears is confusing for them. A gradual, positive approach works far better.
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Introduce a comfortable alternative bed (weeks 28 to 32). Set up a genuinely comfortable dog bed on the floor of your bedroom, or in whichever room they'll be sleeping in. Make it inviting by putting a piece of your worn clothing inside so it smells like you.
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Establish the bedroom boundary (weeks 32 to 34). Use a consistent, calm command like "on your bed" at sleep time, and reward them with high-value treats when they settle there. If they jump onto the mattress, guide them back down straight away, gently and without frustration.
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Simulate the new night-time environment (weeks 34 to 36). Practise your evening routine with the new layout. Turn on the dim nightlights, make quiet noises, and move around the room at 2am so your dog gets used to your future night-time movements while staying on their own bed.
Reclaiming and Protecting Your Own Comfort Zone
Once your dog has moved to the floor or another room, you get something back that matters more than you'd expect in the third trimester: your side of the bed.
By this stage, staying comfortably settled on your side without drifting onto your back is hard enough without negotiating for mattress space. The Sleepybelly Pregnancy Pillow is designed to take up the space you actually need it to, supporting your bump and your back so you can settle in and stay there. Many women find that reclaiming that room, and filling it with support rather than a sleeping labrador, is what finally makes the last few weeks bearable.
Preparing Your Pet for the Grand Introduction
Where your dog sleeps is only one part of the transition. As Australia's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby service covers, pets benefit from broader sensory preparation too.
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Introduce new scents early: Before your baby comes home from hospital, have your partner or a family member bring back a worn baby wrap or beanie for your dog to sniff. It lets them process the new smell calmly, before the person attached to it arrives.
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Keep routines stable: Try to hold your dog's walking and feeding times as steady as you can, so their world doesn't feel like it has been turned upside down all at once.
For a detailed look at behaviour adjustments and positive reinforcement training for growing families, the ABC's guide on how to prepare your dog for a new baby is a solid Australian read.
The Bottom Line
Shifting your dog's sleeping habits before your due date is one of the kindest things you can do for them, and one of the most sensible things you can do for your own sleep. By starting early, keeping it positive, and reclaiming your side of the bed with proper support, you head into those first weeks with a calmer house and a dog who doesn't blame the baby.
For more on setting up your home and your bedroom for the newborn stage, have a look through our other guides on the Sleepybelly blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I move my dog completely out of the bedroom?
It depends on your dog's temperament. If they can settle quietly on a floor bed without whining or trying to jump up, keeping them in the room can help them feel included. If your dog is hyper-vigilant, whines, or reacts sharply to infant crying, moving their bed or crate to another room well before the birth is the easier path for everyone.
My dog is whining at the side of the bed. How do I stay consistent?
Consistency is the whole game. If you let them up "just this once," you have reset the training. When they whine, wait, then reward them once they settle quietly on their own bed. Try not to give attention or eye contact while the whining is happening, so the lesson lands that whining doesn't unlock the mattress.
How can I make sure my dog doesn't feel jealous of the baby?
Dogs don't experience jealousy quite the way we do, but they absolutely notice shifts in attention. The trick is making sure good things happen for your dog when the baby is around. Offer a special chew or lick mat during feeds, and keep up dedicated one-on-one walk or play time each day.
Can a pregnancy pillow stop my dog from climbing back into bed?
It isn't a dog barrier, but it does change the shape of the bed. Filling the empty mattress space where your dog used to curl up makes it a less obvious spot to slide into, which quietly reinforces the boundary you've been training.
The information in this article is general in nature and intended as comfort support only. It is not medical advice. Always consult your midwife, GP, or a qualified healthcare provider for guidance specific to your situation.
