move house while pregnant, or while on maternity leave?

[Soverymuchfruit]

DC1 due late Nov. Planning to take up to a year off. We're going to move closer to my work for when I'm back. I have big work projects to finish before I go (nobody else will do while I'm off, job not like that). Had thought we'd move next year - DP can take tons of leave too, has excellent work policy. I hate moving, he knows and understands, so he would do much of the hard work anyway.

But MIL says it would be madness to move with a new tiny baby and we should move now. Is MIL correct? Have never had a tiny baby to care for ourselves, we don't know.

(Btw we love MIL and are happy to take her advice seriously and she won't pester us if we don't - absolutely no anti MIL sentiment here! )

Another reason to delay the move is my current local hospital is amazing, I've been there quite a bit, its maternity ward is CQC "outstanding", I trust them and am happy about giving birth there. Will be moving a long way from this hospital and the new one frankly isn't as good. This stresses me because I was v happy with my hospital decision. But is that honesty a small consideration in the grand scheme of things? (New one is CQC "good" for maternity so I may be being spoilt but I was a bit alarmed that the report said they don't have enough midwives...)

We did both - moved in with family at 7 months pregnant and then into our home when baby was 3 weeks old. Both were rubbish!!! But the pregnant move was easier because I was more predictable- I knew what I could and couldn’t do. When the baby was there I was basically out of the game and dh had to do everything. We also had an older child to contend with but again we could arrange childcare for her, not for the baby.

@wintertime6

I would give birth somewhere you are comfortable and get finished up in work without the added stress of a house move. Once baby is safely here, pay for a good removal company to do all the packing and moving. A relative of mine moved house with a 4 week old, she said having a good removal company made the world of difference.

This. As a general rule I would say move before baby arrives, but based on what you said about the hospital (which is very important and don't let anyone tell you otherwise) and your work, I think it would be better to wait. If your husband can take time off work and you can afford a removal company to pack and move everything, I'm sure it will be fine with a baby.

PS Just to add, I wouldn't want to move with a newborn, so ideally wait until baby is 6+ months old if you can. If you can't you will find a way to make it work, it will just be harder.

The timescale from putting your house on the market to completion is unpredictable. It could be anything from a few months to up to two years. If you put your house on the market now, it is not possible to tell if you will move while pregnant, on the day you are giving birth, or any time after. It is more predictable to get everything organised, such as decluttering and researching agents, solicitors and the local housing market now and put on the market when baby is a few months old.

So I moved whilst I was 12 weeks pregnant. And again when DS was 5 months.

It was much, much harder with DS in tow. I absolutely would move pregnant.

@Soverymuchfruit

DC1 due late Nov. Planning to take up to a year off. We're going to move closer to my work for when I'm back. I have big work projects to finish before I go (nobody else will do while I'm off, job not like that). Had thought we'd move next year - DP can take tons of leave too, has excellent work policy. I hate moving, he knows and understands, so he would do much of the hard work anyway.

But MIL says it would be madness to move with a new tiny baby and we should move now. Is MIL correct? Have never had a tiny baby to care for ourselves, we don't know.

(Btw we love MIL and are happy to take her advice seriously and she won't pester us if we don't - absolutely no anti MIL sentiment here! )

Another reason to delay the move is my current local hospital is amazing, I've been there quite a bit, its maternity ward is CQC "outstanding", I trust them and am happy about giving birth there. Will be moving a long way from this hospital and the new one frankly isn't as good. This stresses me because I was v happy with my hospital decision. But is that honesty a small consideration in the grand scheme of things? (New one is CQC "good" for maternity so I may be being spoilt but I was a bit alarmed that the report said they don't have enough midwives...)

I moved while on ML but DH and DB did everything. But if you’re still fairly early in your pregnancy moving now might be easier