Cheer me up, 7 months pregnant, planning home birth, trying to move house

[wouldyoupleasemove]

Been trying to move house for months and months, short chain, dream house in road where we have many friends, wretched woman at top of chain refuses to set exchange and completion date. Our mortgage runs out at Xmas and has already been extended a few times so potentially will be moving at eight months pregnant the week I finish a very stressy job for mat leave. Booked for home birth for DC2 and really really want it but the uncertainty and stress is driving me potty. Has anyone done similar and lived to tell the tale? Or can cheer me up with stories of it all suddenly coming right after months of uncertainty?

Hi. Sounds like you've got a lot of things you're trying to get to fall into place at just the right time. There's only 2 things that look like certainties: you finishing work and giving birth in a couple of months time. Hopefully, once you're on maternity leave, you can spend more time concentrating on yourself and the other things will eventually get knocked off the list. Although stressful, I've known a number of women who have moved at late stages of pregnancy or even on the day of moving! I think it's completely normal to want everything prepared and in place before you give birth, but the more you worry about it, the less you'll enjoy the last stages of pregnancy. I'm sure things will come together. It never surprises me what's round the corner when you least expect it! (smile)

We had a similar situation wouldyou - only a short chain but endless delays, went on for months and months. in the end our mortgage offer was also on the verge of running out, which we used as the stick to beat the others with, telling them we'd pull out instead of extending.

We finally moved when I was 36 weeks pg and still working full-time, like you in a stressful job and working long hours. The only way we managed the move was because DH had finished a contract job so was able to take two weeks out to deal with it all.

The process and the move itself was a bloody nightmare - I feel your pain - but we did it and we're in now and the baby didn't put in an early appearance TF!

We're not going for a home birth so can't really comment on that, other than to say that it's taken us a good couple of weeks to get the place reasonably sorted and to feel at home in - I reckon it always takes a bit longer than you think so enlist lots of help from friends with unpacking - or get some paid help if that's an option. You don't want to find yourself in labour surrounded by half-unpacked boxes and not knowing where things are.

It is a truly hideous process and battling through it whilst pregnant makes it a good deal worse - the amount of stress we've gone through has made me worry about the possible effects on the baby and I certainly haven't had much opportunity to "enjoy the latter stages of pregnancy" (though TBH i dont enjoy it much anyway, fed up with being slow, huge & uncomfortable!) but its done now. Im sure you'll get there - keep the pressure on your solicitors & the estate agents (though am sure you're doing that already).

Good luck! It can be done!

Thanks Reckless and Doula. It really is rubbish isn't it? Glad that you are now settled in your new home. My DH is off the whole of Xmas so should be able to help loads although I had kind of hoped that he would take care of DC1 while I lounged around eating choc. Am also worried about effect on Bub although I had a really terrible time when pregnant with my first child ( my mother was dying) and DC1 was a chilled out baby and a very happy toddler so maybe I worried too much.
Best of luck for the birth Reckless