Change of Sleeping Quarters

I'm sure this has been a thread in the past, but I dunno if my situation is a tiny tiny bit different:

We have two cats, Isis and Saki, and they have had open access to our bedroom since we got them six years ago, and Isis has almost always slept on the bed with us. the DH and I recently found out I'm pregnant, and are going to keep the cats out of the bedroom while the baby is in there, for the first year or so, so have started to shut the cats out of the bedroom. We did open a new room for them, that they didn't have access to before, and that seemed to do the trick for a few days. Until last night. Isis meowed and cried all night long, apparently to the point that she upset her tummy and ended up both puking up her dinner and having a bout of mild diarrhea. The only thing I can think of that was different between last night and the previous few days, was that we weren't home as much as we usually are on a friday, so she didn't get her people fix in. Plus, I smelled like my sister's dog, since we're house sitting/dog sitting for them while they're out of town. Is there anything I can do to make this transition easier for her? I don't want to just let her in the bedroom whenever she cries, it sets a bad precedent, but I also want to make sure she's not making herself sick with upset.

The reason we're trying to keep the cats out now is to get them very used to it by the time the baby comes. I want to keep the bedroom upstairs and the library downstairs at animal-free zones, so that there is a minimum of dander or anything that could affect the baby. I have a slight allergy to cats, and want to make sure that I can keep my cats by giving the baby a safe zone until he/she can build up some immunities, if needed.

sorry for the long post!

Congratulations on your pregnancy! 

I think it's fine to set your boundaries and decide that you don't the cats to sleep in the same room as the baby. Personally, I don't think you should keep the cats outside during the day. Interactions between the cats and the baby can be beneficial and I think it's a good thing to allow them under supervision. As for the dander, studies show that exposure to cats helps decrease allergies later in life - 

http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/09/study-why-dogs-and-cats-make-babies-healthier/

Having said all that, again, deciding to keep the cats out during the night is wise IMO, simply to help you ensure that all interactions between baby and cats are supervised (as should be during the first months, just like interactions with older siblings). You're right that you have to be consistent. There may be a few difficult nights but it's important that you keep ignoring the cries during the night. Entirely and completely ignore the vocalization (don't reply to the cat and don't show any indication that you've heard her). Brace yourself for a few difficult nights but if you're consistent, the crying will cease eventually. 

These changes are bound to be stressful for the cats, so it's good to start now and give them time to adjust prior to the baby coming. You should also work on reducing stress, especially since Isis seems to be having adujstment issues. Here are a few links about dealing with stress in cats - 

How to Tell if Your Cat is Stressed Out

Six Surefire Strategies to Reduce Stress in Cats

Potential Stressors in Cats - The Ultimate Checklist

Separation Anxiety in Cats

Last, but not least. Vomiting and diarrhea could indicate a physical problem. Stress itself can cause medical issues. Keep an eye on Isis and if you see more vomiting and diarrhea, please do talk to your vet.

Thank you so so much Anne! So we think we figured out the problem, at least a little bit. Friday we hadn't spent our normal amount of time with her, and being locked out of the bedroom at night was still a very new thing, so she wasn't getting her usual "people" fix. So Saturday, Sunday, Monday, we made sure to give her some extra attention (read: laptime), and now she only is yelling to get her breakfast at 5-ish in the morning. We're hoping to wean her of that eventually as well, but for now my husband has been waking up when she yells and cuddling with her on the futon until normal wake up time.  Since this is my last week of work, i'll be able to devote a specific time each day as her "special" time, and make sure she doesn't feel neglected, the needy little thing!

One weird thing though: She doesn't cry herself sick when we're out of town, and we've been gone for upwards to two weeks at a time. She only does this when we're home and there's a door shut between her and us!