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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

5th floor no lift - should we move?

18 replies

Whiskers10439 · 10/10/2015 16:16

Hi all,
My husband and I got our BFP a few weeks ago and I'm starting to think about the future. We live on the 5th floor with no lift and I have no idea how difficult that might be when baby arrives. We don't want to move since we love our flat and there are no other issues with it other than the stairs. This will be our first baby so we have nothing to compare with. DH often works away so I will have to survive on my own, not sure how I feel about getting pushchair, baby and shopping up the stairs... Does anyone have any experience or advice?
Thanks!

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SpendSpendSpend · 10/10/2015 16:18

In your position i would get a stroller pram suitable from newborn not a travel system.

Runningupthathill82 · 10/10/2015 16:26

What Spend said. Stay in the flat if you love it, but forget a big pram - I reckon a stroller from birth is the way to go anyway.

The expense and faff of moving is always a pain, but if you're pregnant - and you don't particularly want to move anyway - then it would be even worse!
I'd just pop the shopping in a big rucksack, baby on one hip or in a sling, leaving one hand free for the stroller and the other to grab onto the handrail. It'll be fine.

Skiptonlass · 10/10/2015 16:58

I've had several friends start out in top floor tenement flats with good intentions but all have moved!

If you stay, you'll need a sling, a really lightweight pushchair (leave in car if you can park nearby) and I'd look at online grocery shopping too - if you end up having a section for example, you'll not be able to carry baby plus anything else up stairs for a while...

Noappointmentnecessary · 10/10/2015 17:01

Move!! I live on a 2nd floor flat and wish we had moved. We leave the buggy in the car. It is hard to carry everything up the stairs. It is tiring and once, I forgot something and had to go mall the way upstairs to get it. I suggest a sling too x

VimFuego101 · 10/10/2015 17:02

If you do online shopping will they bring your groceries up the stairs for you? You could do a big shop that way if so. A sling is definitely the way forward for carrying baby up and downstairs when you have bags to carry.

VimFuego101 · 10/10/2015 17:03

And yes, a c section would be a worry - you'd be pretty much trapped for a while until you're up to carrying baby and managing stairs.

expatinscotland · 10/10/2015 17:05

Move. I've lived in flats with no lift and kids and it sucks.

j0j080 · 10/10/2015 18:22

I would move too. I'm 32 weeks pregnant, was pretty fit before and am still reasonably fit now but the thought of 5 flights of stairs to get in and out of flat in the third trimester is exhausting me! And that is before the baby even arrives. It would be possible to stay, but it sounds like it would be hard work indeed.

WitteryTwittery · 10/10/2015 19:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Kickedinthetits · 10/10/2015 19:52

We moved when dd was 3. Living in the third floor was too hard. There was always this corn-chicken-fox adoration where I would have to work out how to get the baby, the pushchair and the shipping upstairs and who could I leave alone. A lot of the time I ended up not going out because the logistics just made it overwhelming.
Also appreciated having outside space when we moved. Balcony isn't the same as a garden.

5678group · 10/10/2015 21:56

Move. Absolutely. As pp says I also know lots of people in beautiful tenements with good intentions who have all moved.
I lived in a town house when I had my first and that was bad enough if I forgot something up 2 flights of stairs in my own house.
I moved when pregnant and then moved again with a 6month old. First move was a lot easier.

macdat · 10/10/2015 23:49

I'd definitely say move. It's hard! I'm only pregnant with my first, but even babysitting my nephews and nieces, dragging them up to my house on the first floor with prams, let alone adding shopping or anything else into the mix, was difficult. I only have them once on a while, but it's made me sure I want to move before I have mine. And I'm only first floor (3 flights) couldn't even imagine doing fifth floor.
And when they're out of the pram, 5 floors will probably be quite difficult for them so you'll be carrying them til they get a little older.

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 11/10/2015 00:00

I used to live in a 3rd floor flat and had an EMCS. You can still use stairs but slowly (kind of walking like a crab!) but then once I was in the flat it was all on one floor. That's only difficult for a few weeks anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.
Yes, as PP have said a lightweight pushchair and / or sling. Or if you can leave the pram downstairs.
I know this is hated on mumsnet but I found a nappy bin useful because it's a long way to the bins.

I think with a baby it's fine - it might become harder carrying a toddler, especially a non-compliant one

bluewisteria · 11/10/2015 06:54

I would move! As you had your bfp recently you can move in time for baby without much stress, take your time finding the next right place without being sleep deprived. I think it's far easier to move when pregnant than with a child.

I would also think it's better to ere on the side of caution and move now. Better to have new born and think 'ah we could have stayed in our flat', than 'oh god, have a new born, hate this layout and have to move NOW!'

Also, if you have grandparents helping out, can they manage 5 flights plus child and pram?! Ours couldn't. And not having that freedom of family help is tough.

NerrSnerr · 11/10/2015 07:08

I would move. It would be too much of a pain in the arse for me.

WaitroseEssentialPancetta · 11/10/2015 07:12

Even if you manage fine, friends with babies are going to find it really hard to visit you

ToffeeForEveryone · 11/10/2015 10:45

I'd move. I'm already not looking forward to the one flight of stairs to get in and out of our flat holding a baby!

I was reasonably fit and active before I got pregnant and I would never have thought something like a flight of stairs would be a problem. 21 weeks now and finding that simple everyday things like going to shops and carrying bags back up home are getting tricky. Part of that is just the pregnancy itself making me out of breath, but it is a faff, everything takes longer and more energy. 5 flights and I think I would be really struggling.

Skiptonlass · 11/10/2015 17:49

Moving isn't too bad really ;)

We built our own house and moved into it over my pregnancy (got the bfp the week we broke ground and moved in at 6 months preggo.) yes, we must have been crazy...

Our flat did have a lift, but the once or twice it was out of order was enough with bad spd to make me want to move! Its great to have more space, a garden (ahem, well a big pile of mud and giant boulders but it's destined to be a garden...) plus no worrying about pissing the neighbours off with a shrieking baby.

It is totally possible to stay in your flat of course, but having hauled friends' babies/shopping etc up several stairwells it is not easy!

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