too many stairs? am i crazy?

[argylesocks]

Forgive me if this sounds silly. DP and I have to move house by the end of Feb.. yesterday we found this very lovely two bed flat in a really nice part of town. The location is perfect, we love the flat, the price is great...

the only problem is it's on the 4th floor. This is DC1 so I don't really know what to expect.

I'm 22 weeks now and I'm very fit so I feel fine but will I regret it when I'm 40 weeks waddling up the stairs or trying to carry a buggy and baby up? I don't want to be sitting at the bottom of the stairs in tears because I can't get everything up.

I think it will be fine and will even help me loose the baby weight but am I being overly optimistic?

I'd hate to give up such a nice flat because of stairs but I just don't know what to expect with a baby.

Is there anywhere you can store the buggy, etc at the bottom? Or can you leave it in the car? personally, if you have to lug a buggy up 4 flights, with a kid and possibly shopping, etc - then i know I couldn't cope.

Currently I'm 39 weeks pg. I've been ok - but I did get a trapped nerve cos the baby was lying funnily, and so i couldn't do stairs without literally taking forever and also yelping in pain every step. BUT it was only for a short while. Even if you are unlucky enough to develop SPD - it won't be forever.

However, if the flat's perfect in every respect, i'm sure you'll get used to the stairs, and if it means taking it slow when you are heavily pregnant, then it'll only be for a little while.

That's strange because by law anything over 3 floors requires a lift. Except if one of those floors is considered sub terrainian.v

Hi Argylesocks - congratulations first of all! If you absolutely love the flat, I would go for it regardless. No house is ever perfect!

I'm only pg with my first myself, so I can't tell you from my own experience, but I know people who managed perfectly well living on the 4th floor (same as you). She ended up bringing baby up first and then going down for the buggy - even better if you can leave that downstairs of course.

Some people deal with things a bit more easily than others of course, but if you see yourself doing it I am sure you would take it in your stride.

i wouldn't. i was 34 weeks when i moved from a property with two flights of stairs to a ground level house. I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to not have to negotiate that many stairs at 39 weeks.

Also, when I've done my shopping, i can just open the front door and bring it straight in. when you've got a baby, buggy and shopping, i think those 4 flights will be a pain to say the least.

if you have a choice, i'd look for somewhere at a lower level.

if however, you're in a city and it's fab accom that you couldn't get at ground level, then it might be a harder decision.

congrats and gl.

Then every tenement flat in Scotland is breaking the law, paternal

Wish I'd known that when I lived in a top floor flat!

Presumably, you mean new builds?

OP - I know I couldn't do it. I live in a terrace which has an allocated parking space not a drive and I find it difficult sometimes to negotiate baby, buggy, changing bag, shopping etc 30 yards on the flat. But I'm definitely not fit

I live in Scotland and lived on top floor of a tenement flat (3 flight, 2 lots of stairs per flight) when I had my first dc. I never found it that much o a problem and lived there until ds was 18 months. I had a travel system with car seat on top of buggy, I used to take car seat off, take him up a few flights, go bag for buggy and repeat!
When he got older I used to bump the buggy upstairs which never seemed to bother him, just did it really slowly and carefully.
I had biceps like arnie by the time he was a year old!

If you love the place that much then go for it, just make sure you get yourself a really robust pram that will take the strain for you.

Hi again, what town did you go for in the end? I used to live in a flat with my parents with four flights of stairs (before we had children). I never used to mind the stairs then. I admit whenever we stayed over with our DC it wasn't the most convenient of things, but neither was it the end of the world. The hallway was big enough to leave the buggy in, and we just carried DD or DS, as they get bigger they can walk up the stairs themselves. The woman next door had a baby and a dog, and she seemed to manage ok, i think she's since had another baby.

I think there are swings and roundabouts to most properties. We have a house at the moment, but parking is a nightmare sometimes. I would rather 'struggle' with stairs than having to park at the other end of the street and get two kids and shopping etc to the front door.

The only thing I will say, is that having children has really made me appreciate outside space. Does the flat have a garden/balcony? Or is it really close to a park? I love our house, but very often wish we'd looked a bit harder/longer to buy something with more of a garden as ours in tiny!

Are you buying or renting? If you're renting then I guess it's not such an issue with the stairs or garden as you could move in a couple of years anyway.

Sorry to ramble on!!

I live on a fourth floor flat with no lift. I am 32 weeks preg and managing the stairs just fine and think of it as good exercise. I climb slowly now now that I am approaching the end of my preg. Today, DH and I went to look at prams and even the lightest of prams (bugaboo and icandy peach) seemed heavy for me and I wouldn't want to deal with lugging that, the seat, shopping, and baby up and down 4 flights. BUT there is a woman with 3 kids (v young and she seems to manage fine). So, it is up to personal stamina and willingness. If you love the flat and think you can deal with no life in the long, go for it. My friend managed fine with one baby for the first few months (and she is super fit) but she was very glad to have moved out before second baby arrived.

We are looking to buy a flat in a mansion block and by and large they have no lifts. We won't buying anything above 1st floor.

Absolutely no way, you'd cope if you had to but it would be silly to choose to put yourself in that position - I speak as someone with a 2yo who lives on the 3rd floor of a block of flats where the lift sometimes breaks down.

Newborns and buggies are heavy enough. Toddlers and buggies are nigh on impossible to lift on your own. Add a bag of shopping, and I'm afraid you're stuck at the bottom of those stairs until your husband gets home.

Even if you feel fit and healthy now, lifting that kind of weight up and down 4 flights of stairs in an awkward position (and there is no comfortable way of lifting a buggy with a 10kilo baby in it on your own) will put serious pressure on your back. Also, what if you have stitches or a C-section? You could be stuck in doors for weeks after the birth.

I'd worry that you and your baby would end up feeling isolated, as you could not come and go as you pleased. Sorry, don't mean to put a dampner on your dreams - just want to warn you.

sh77 - Get a Maclaren Techno XT. Light and just about narrow enough for you to lift on your own!

I can second the maclaren. Mine has lasted four years and two kids, and I should think we'll still use it with the next one due in May. They are great. I'm sure somebody told me that you can now get car seats to fit them???

sorry re line "can deal with no life in the long" ! perhaps subliminal i meant to say go for it if you can deal with no lift in long run.

notanother - thanks for tip re pram. Will look into it. Following your advice, I agree. I will be having a c-sec and am dreading climbing up those stairs and envisage being in for a while. Also, DH and I discussed how I would get out in the early days. The only convenient thing is to structure my day so that we meet and he can carry stuff.

sh77 - You might want to get a good sling as well! I had a baby bjorn, DD lived in it until she was about 10wks - much lighter than a buggy.

Best of luck x

well, it's not really for the long run as we're looking for something temporary. We're not buying and only plan to stay for a year at the most so I don't have to worry about toddlers, etc. We'll probably be moving again when the baby is about 8 months.

We need an in-between house before we can buy anything. We're going to look at it again on Monday so I guess I'll have to decide then. And as it's a flat it doesnt have a garden but it's literally across the street from the ocean and the park. It has an ocean view from the front room. That's what I meant about it being a great location! I think being able to walk across the street to the beach will be worth the hassle but we'll see.

It's not the pregnancy but the pushchair, baby, shopping etc that becomes a pain. Especially when you have more than one DC.

I had c-section with my first and was on fourth floor with no lift and it wasn't that bad. Kept the buggy in the car boot and lugged DS1 up the stairs. However, couldn't do it now with the 3 DCs without feeling fed up. And with (a) toddler (s) it would be really annoying.

As you say it's temporary then go for it, especially as you will be able to walk across the street to the beach, which is a huge positive that cancels out many negatives!

Agree with others who have said to get a Maclaren buggy. They are "luggable" if necessary.

I wouldn't go for it if its 4 floors and no lift
If you go out and get your baby asleep in the buggy they are going to be awake by the time you have bumped them up 4 floors!!!
As someone said it would be manageable if you had no choice but as you do have a choice i dont think it would be that wise to put yourself in that position. If you get a nice place on ground floor or with a lift, it will make your life quite a bit easier

my friend mved to their dream flat which was about 4 flights of stairs up, she's very fit and before pregnant was in an althletics team - when she was pregnant she thought the stairs would just help her loose the baby weight and would be fine however having had the baby she struggled so much with the stairs and couldn't manage the buggy up them, it was a nightmare to get in and out and she stayed in a lot getting more and more depressed :(
They've thankfully now moved and she's just as fit without the stairs and has never been happier.
Hope this helps, I know I would HATE to have that many stairs when pregnant and wouldn't be able to deal with it with a pushchair, bags, baby single handed!
It may be for only a short amount of time but it might be the most painful or lonely short amount of time with your new baby ever!
x

Use a sling rather than a buggy and you'll be fine!

i like the sling idea. when do they get too big/old for a sling? i'd rather use one anyway unless we're going out of town for the day or something, then i'd probably bring a buggy.

It depends on the type of sling and weight of baby. You can get some that you can use until they're 3 years or so, the name escapes me at the moment - I'm sure someone here will know it. I had a baby bjorn (?) and couldn't really carry DD for long once she was over four months, but she was a big baby (always on the 91st centile). You can get the same sling with back support now though, which I imagine is better.

I am sympathetic to the person who struggled to get out and about and was subsequently depressed. But I think that must be pretty unusual tbh. At the end of the day, if you're struggling, take baby out in the sling and do all your shopping online!

Personally I wouldnt do it. Nothing nicer than being able to push your sleeping newborn through your own front door in avproper comfy pram. I think alot of lifestyle choices would be compromised. I.e time day you go out, where you shop and how much to be and very importantly what pram you buy. Babies do tend to need alot of shopping which can of course be done online. but I always found in early days/weeks I needed stuff now! Agree sling would be major help

I wouldn't do it. What if you have another child? The first one might be walking by then, but not well or safely (and will sometimes be asleep when you get home). You've then got two children, plus bags, buggies, whatever, to get up the stairs.

I loved my sling, never used a pushchair at first, but after about 8m DD was just too heavy and pushchair it was.

I wouldn't do it either. I am 19 weeks pregnant and have 4 flights to go up and find myself out of breath. I am not an unfit person as used to run alot and go to the gym but now those stairs are a killer!

Plus in our flat we aren't allowed to leave ANYTHING in the communal area so therefore I would have to lug the buggy up and down the stairs as well as any shopping.

Thankfully we are moving in 2 weeks so won't have to do this.

If you have other options then I would go for an alternative if you can but I know what it's like when you fall in love with a place.

I am 26 weeks pg with DC2. We live on 3rd floor with no lift. Pregnancy with DC1 was a doddle despite the stairs, although it was still a right PITA to get shopping up.

Pregnancy with DC2 has been difficult. I really struggle with the stairs. DC1 is 21 months and he has to walk up now as I can no longer carry him. He learned to walk at 9 months so is a very established walker. Unfortunately he like to mess Mummy around on the stairs and run around and to be honest its an absolute nightmare. Especially if I have bags to carry too.

We have sold our flat as there is no way I can do this with two. We have kept our buggy downstairs and have now been told that any items left in the hall will be removed so looks like I am going to be housebound until we move!

It comes down to if you think you would cope and if you plan to have any more. With one it has just been difficult but doable, its with the second pregnancy I have really struggled.

The other option is if they don't let you keep buggies in hallway, if you have a car, keep it in the boot. Still a pain to get baby in etc but better than carrying down the stairs!

I live 4 floors up and DD is 5 months. On one hand I would say this - late pregnancy was a nightmare I got superbad SPD and was literally housebound for 4 weeks. Also with a newborn, I had moments coming back from being out where I really couldn't cope with the baby and shopping and wanted someone to rescue us!

On the other hand, I have coped and now am totally fine with the stairs. My SPD situation was a massive bit of bad luck and lots of things are stressful with a baby! I got a sling ( sleepy baby). We also got a mclaren xlr which from birth we used with the carry cot. So I used to leave buggy downstairs and carry the cot and baby up. Now I just use puchchair and leave it in a cupboard under the stairs ( on days when I go out for longer so don't just use the sling).

So in conclusion - if there is somewhere to leave the pram downstairs and you love the flat, do it. If not you will really struggle. RE slings - they are really, really great but it is important to have the option of pram if you need it, IMO.