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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Living in a flat with a baby ...

57 replies

Lisarobinson444 · 16/02/2018 08:55

I’m due to have a baby in 3 months.
Currently rent my 1 bed flat through my local authority.
It’s a first floor flat.
I have my own front door,you open and it’s a small square than my stairs and the top is a landing.
I’m a bit worried about getting the pushchair up and down the stairs etc.
Luckily the flat is massive and I can easily fit a cot and even a double and single bed in my bedroom (if Needed)
The lounge is massive too so can easily fit toys etc
I’ve been told to keep bidding on 2 bed properties but still coming 40th etc.
Has anyone else managed in a 1 bed flat?

OP posts:
puffyisgood · 16/02/2018 09:36

Not perfect but millions do it. The stairs sound like the worst thing abt it, I wonder what ways around it there might be.

BellyBean · 16/02/2018 09:37

Dd is 6mo, I live in a house but still use a sling 95% of the time. Look for your local sling library.

MyKingdomForBrie · 16/02/2018 09:37

alpine surely you’d be better off out of London?

OP the space sounds good at least, I would second the lightweight pushchair suggestion.

Original poster
Lisarobinson444 · 16/02/2018 09:40

The lists here is finishing around 40/50 out of 110-120 so don’t know how long that will take.
I’m a bit worried about using slings,totally irrational fear of the sling breaking.

OP posts:
19lottie82 · 16/02/2018 09:41

If you’re living in a flat and have limited space surely a sling makes more sense than a prank, esp while your LO is tiny.

My friend was visiting from Japan last year with her DD and everyone uses slings there.

SaucyJack · 16/02/2018 09:41

If you speak to your housing officer, they'll be able to give you a more accurate time for when you'll be considered a priority for a two-bed.

In our area, you'd be expected to share until your child is about 5 or 6, so you'd be completely wasting your time bidding for a number of years yet.

You may well be living somewhere with less pressure on housing services tho, so it's worth speaking to someone to find out where you personally stand.

19lottie82 · 16/02/2018 09:42

Prank? Pram!

Original poster
Lisarobinson444 · 16/02/2018 09:43

I do know in my area it’s 4 bed houses that are like gold dust.
My friend has 3 kids in a 2 bed.

OP posts:
givemushypeasachance · 16/02/2018 09:46

My friend bought a pram but only used it once or twice with her first, she just used a sling and then the bigger/sturdier wearable carrier thing (is there a special name for it? it's more of a harness than just fabric). She bought a decent waterproof coat that's specially adapted to go over the carrier and her DS so she can carry him in all weathers, plus uses a rucksack to carry stuff (he's in front). He's 18 months now and that's still what they use, she's only about 5 foot 3 and slightly built but still coping fine with it.

mustbemad17 · 16/02/2018 09:49

Flat here, had nowhere to leave my pram downstairs either. You get used to it pretty quickly otherwise you don't go out! Within a couple of months you'll be a pro...you'll be able to do those stairs with a buggy, a week's worth of shopping and you won't bat an eyelid.

Kids weren't allowed here either OP, this was actually meant to be an over 60s complex as it has certain 'supportive' aspects; there's now more under 40s here, i've been here 6 years with DD & have another on the way. And they moved me in knowing i was pregnant. If houses are tight they will bend the rules

GoodMorning1 · 16/02/2018 09:50

If you're worried a sling will break go to a sling library and try some out with help from the volunteers. Doing this gave me the confidence to use one. Although I couldn't use one straightaway due to having a cs. So if you do buy a sling then bear in mind if you do have a difficult birth you might have to source a pram quickly!

I get your frustration with being in a one bed with a baby but it actually sounds quite roomy from your description. And a garden is a really good thing with a baby/toddler. You could move to a two bed and have less space overall if the rooms are pokey.

Where I live the baby has to be one before they'll make you priority for a property where the kid has it's own room.

FluffyWuffy100 · 16/02/2018 09:52

Sling + light weight folding from birth push chair

RebelRogue · 16/02/2018 09:57

You will be ok.
Upstairs (2nd floor) have a baby,a 6 yo and a dog in a one bed flat. No idea how they do it but they are. Council is in no rush to rehouse them either.

coconutpie · 16/02/2018 10:04

A 1 bed with a baby is totally doable - they'd be in your room for probably the first year anyway even if you had a spare bedroom.

You need to consider slings. This fear of a sling breaking is irrational. A good sling or carrier is not going to break. Don't buy a non-ergonomic one (the likes of baby Bjorn etc). The baby's hips aren't in the right position so it can be uncomfortable for baby but also uncomfortable for you carrying them.

Go to a sling meet up and get some assistance from an expert and try some on. There are lots of options - carriers with buckles, wraps, etc. You will need one with that stairs as you need to remember you will have baby with you and you could have a bag of groceries to carry up too. It's a lot safer to manage a stairs with a baby when you can be hands free. I like the Tula carrier brand personally.

Buy an easily foldable stroller - there's a very tiny one that folds right up called the Pockit but that's from 6 months. Your easiest solution is to buy a sling / carrier - it will make your life a million times easier with the stairs.

StarUtopia · 16/02/2018 10:09

Totally doable - sounds easy to me actually!

I had two babies in a third floor flat - no lift. Couldn't lift both of them at the same time so had to take one down at a time and then go back up for the other one (was a nightmare though, not going to argue)

You keep the pram in the car if you have one or sometimes there's a cupboard/similar on the ground floor you can use. Whatever you do, you don't yank the pram up the stairs.

Saladd0dger · 16/02/2018 10:14

I lived in a 1st floor 1 bed flat with my eldest. It was a nightmare going up and down with a pram, it was as big as me. Think it took us a year to get a move. It’s doable just a pain

alpineibex · 16/02/2018 10:17

Yes, I would be better off outside of London, but unfortunately cannot afford a deposit and rent in advance atm. Stuck Envy

MuncheysMummy · 16/02/2018 10:22

For the first 6 months you leave the pram chassis folded up in your 'square' at the bottom of the stairs and carry baby upstairs in the pram carrycot with you then next time your going our carry baby downstairs again in the pram carrycot and click onto the chassis and off you go. Once baby is 6 months old and in the pram seat unit you just fold the pram up with the seat unit still attached and carry baby upstairs no need for the pram to ever come upstairs with you? Make sure you buy a pram that folds n one piece with the seat unit on such as Bugaboo Cameleon,iCandy Strawberry,think the Mamas and Papas Urbo does too and the Mamas and Papas Occaro? You 100% definitely need a pram with a carrycot babies should be laid flat to sleep DONT be tempted to buy a from birth stroller they are crap and baby won't be supported and comfy or warm enough either seeing a newborn in one of those is horrible!

DenPerry · 16/02/2018 10:27

Our set up was just like yours.. We managed absolutely fine, kept the pushchair on the square so it was ready to go out of the door. Then we had baby number 2.. Grin and it suddenly felt really hard. Had to use the living room as another bedroom but they were right next to each other so noise was hard to control! Anyway, having 1 was no problem at all.

kimlo · 16/02/2018 10:33

I had a simillar set up in my flat. I left the pram downstairs. Dd2s was an icandy so not exactly small. It was fine.

Domino20 · 16/02/2018 10:35

My mum, son and myself lived in a 1 bed flat for 3 and a half years! Of course you'll manage. YABVVU to think it's a problem!

sleepylittlebunnies · 16/02/2018 10:38

I had a Quinny zapp xtra for holidays when my babies were very small, there’s a new one out the zapp 2. They are from birth, baby can face you, pushchair folds very small and you can use it as a travel system with car seat attached. That might be a good solution as even left unfolded it may be small enough for your hall area.

itsmeimcathyivecomehome · 16/02/2018 10:39

You might be ok leaving pram downstairs or you might get told it's a fire hazard and you have to move it. Do they let people leave bikes there?

Either way, as you say things change, get one that's easy to fold.

PiggyGoesToMarket · 16/02/2018 10:40

We’ve just moved to first floor flat with baby, own door/stairs same as you. I find it a bit of a pain but I’m not used to living in a flat, so things like getting umpteen bags of shopping upstairs is driving me a bit mad.

I leave car seat/buggy downstairs, there’s just enough room to squeeze by and means if he’s asleep I can leave him in it.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 16/02/2018 10:43

Yes, right up until DC4 (the 2 eldest are adults and don't live with me! 😂). It's amazing how strong you get lugging the buggy up and down stairs. Also, the flat we're in now is a basement and the steps are slightly worn away so the wheels caught, DD2 (nearly 4 at the time), would go up, then I'd bring the buggy up, then I'd bring DS2 up and put him in the buggy.