Is is even worth booking a one-off clean if the place isn't tidy....

[CleaningDilemma]

I have been struggling for 3 weeks with dreadful morning sickness and place has got rather messy - have 2 young dc and work in the evenings

I was thinking about booking a one-off clean but theres quite a lot of stuff that needs tidying up first - is there any point?

No. The cleaner would have to waste time moving the stuff. I am a cleaner. A tidy house can be cleaned way quicker than a messy one

What Noisytoys said. If the clutter is minimal, it can be OK. But, if every surface is covered with junk, then they're not going to be able to do very much for you.

I will take piles of stuff like junk mail, shift them to the left, wipe, shift them to the right, and wipe. But the junk mail is still there.

You might be able to find someone who will tidy, though. Provided you're not going to be to precious about where things end up, or that you're willing to at least sit on the couch and answer questions like "Where do you want this?" or "Shall I throw these three dozen takeaway menus away for you?" So, if you're literally unable to get up and tidy, due to your being poorly, there's a chance you can find someone willing to help you.

I would be willing to do so, but the client would have to be willing to talk to me like I described above, and the expectations of how much actual scrubbing takes place will have to be adjusted accordingly.