Is this possible? Having a baby in a one bed flat

[BoredOfWaiting]

DH and I live in central London. We have a very good deal on rent in zone two and have a beautiful one bed flat and we have a secure tenancy. We couldn't afford to rent a two bed flat in this area we would have to move much further out which neither of us really want to do. If we were to move further out we would look at buying somewhere in a cheaper area which we could do but probably not for another couple of years as we have more saving to do.

We really want to start trying for a baby. Do you think it would be madness to have a baby in a one bed flat?

The layout is this:
Small hallway
Huge front room we currently have a sofa bed in the corner here as well as a desk and everything else
Decent sized kitchen with dining table
Small bathroom
Small bedroom (not big enough for cot)

Would appreciate any advice!

There have been lots of innovations in recent years in moving walls, Murphy beds and clever storage. There’s no reason why you couldn’t create a sleeping area for yourself that disappears during the day and put baby in the bedroom long-term. It would mean that your own living arrangements would be just like living in a studio flat, but that’s absolutely fine, and would enable you to stay for longer than 2 years, too, if necessary/desired. It would also mean that there would be enough storage for all of baby’s things - out of sight of the living area.

@Notjustanymum

OP started this thread in 2016

She's probably resolved her dilemma by now.

@vajingleberry I RTFT, too - just not the dates😂
Thanks for the heads-up!

A baby will be more than happy to share a bedroom with its parents.

In answer to the pp who reawakened the thread, yes you can buy any size you like

Yes, we did this. It's actually really nice having everything close by, especially if you are post surgery or just a bit tender, never too far from the kitchen and a cup of tea or the bathroom, baby always in sight.

It was fine when baby was crawling, but when they start pulling themselves up onto furniture it's tricky and there's fewer options to make it safe. Also as they get older, toys get bigger. We moved when kiddo was 1yo, and I was starting to tear my hair out a little, couldn't enjoy being at home.

ZOMBIE

Poster stated the bedroom is not big enough for a cot. Yet so many comments about turning it into a living room! 🤔

@ELOU1111

You do relaise that this thread is from 2016?

There are also lots of comments mentioning this.

You'll be fine for the first 1 year at least. After that I found we really needed to move the baby into their own room, with both of our DC. But then I do know others who happily cosleep with their 2 and 3 year olds.

I would say just go for it. You've got at least 9 months until the baby arrives, by which time you'll have saved more money towards buying somewhere bigger.

Currently living with a 13 month old in a one bed flat and it has been fine so far (we are trying to buy but we'll clearly be here a while yet) but - big but - we do have room for a cot in our bedroom. I don't think I would have wanted to do it if we didn't have anywhere to hang out baby-free in the evening - so you'll just need to think about what happens where.

Obviously first six months they're not meant to be sleeping alone anyway so baby free evenings isn't really a thing (we started leaving her asleep in the bedroom by herself for a couple of hours from about 4/5 months but I know others wouldn't). But from six months you are going to really want the option to have some baby-free downtime in the evenings, including possibly while you eat your dinner (unlike us you have space for a table in your kitchen - so that's a plus!).

I guess in practice what this means is that for the first six months one or both of you sleeps on the sofa bed with baby in a cot in the living room (unless you want to cosleep in the bedroom but I wouldn't do it just for this reason unless you otherwise want to). After approximately six months you go back to sleeping in your bedroom, baby sleeps in cot in the living room. In the evenings you have dinner in the kitchen and then retire to your bedroom to hang out. It means foregoing use of your living room in the evenings and means if you have friends round after baby bedtime you'd just have use of the kitchen but if you're happy with that as a payoff for staying in your nice central London flat then go for it!

oh ffs just saw zombie thread

Aww I wonder if OP had a baby and how she got on.

I managed it nearly 40 years ago. At first we shared a room but when she was 2 or 3 I got a sofa bed in the living room. I moved to a larger place when she was 4.

To the person who said 'babies have a lot of stuff' - they really don't need all that stuff.

[quote vajingleberry]@ELOU1111

You do relaise that this thread is from 2016?

There are also lots of comments mentioning this.[/quote]
No I didn't realise otherwise I wouldn't have commented...but pleased to see you are auditing the comments. I will be more diligent in future, was just having a quick flick through!

@BoredOfWaiting

DH and I live in central London. We have a very good deal on rent in zone two and have a beautiful one bed flat and we have a secure tenancy. We couldn't afford to rent a two bed flat in this area we would have to move much further out which neither of us really want to do. If we were to move further out we would look at buying somewhere in a cheaper area which we could do but probably not for another couple of years as we have more saving to do.

We really want to start trying for a baby. Do you think it would be madness to have a baby in a one bed flat?

The layout is this:
Small hallway
Huge front room we currently have a sofa bed in the corner here as well as a desk and everything else
Decent sized kitchen with dining table
Small bathroom
Small bedroom (not big enough for cot)

Would appreciate any advice!

Yes, l lived in a studio flat and had a baby there. It was cramped and every available space was filled but l made it work and l now have a house. It can be done but babys have so much stuff so there is that to think about

As people say babies can sleep with you, my friend had no choice with a older child. They mad the bedroom his as early bed times, space for school work and toys and they had a sofa bed. That way can still have friends around and kid has strong space.

My brother and sil had 2 children in a 1 bed flat- they moved house when their second baby was 4 months old. So they slept in the front room (that had been the living room) the toddler had the bedroom, the baby was in with them and they got a small sofa in the kitchen ( my dps stored their sofa, tables etc.
It was ok with 1 but too much of a squeeze with 2 dc.