Moving house at 8 months pregnant

[AwkwardAsAllGetout]

Has anyone moved when they’ve been very very pregnant? We rent and had planned to stay in our slightly too small house til baby outgrew being in our room, sometime within the first year. But the opportunity has come up to move and I’m in a bit of a panic. Houses of the size we need are rare as hens teeth around here, but we’ve seen a house that’s pretty much perfect and only round the corner so perfect for the other dc as no upheaval from school or friends, and no extra commute for dh. But the practical side of moving feels beyond me atm.

I’m 31 weeks and we’re looking to move in about a month. I’ve been suffering from awful pgp for the last couple of months and even the simplest physical tasks are beyond me atm. Normally I’m very much a get on with it type person but right now I feel a bit of a helpless blob, and I really find it hard asking for help. Dh is being wonderful, and has looked after me so well, I just feel such a burden while I can’t pull my weight. I moved at about this stage in my very first pregnancy, but I had so little I did it in a couple of trips in my mates car . I’m also a real worrier, I like to mull things over rather than seize the day, and the thought of deciding to move has left me a bit paralysed with fear. I’m anxious at the best of times and all I can see is what could go wrong. When I take my worrier hat off, I KNOW that we have plenty of people around us who’d help, and that with the notice we have to give here, we’d actually have about a fortnight overlap where we get keys to the new place and still have this place too so wouldnt need to get everything done in one big moving day. But still I can feel myself panicking. I KNOW the house we’re in is too small, but I’ve been nesting like mad making room for this little one. And as much as there’s stuff that really bothers me about where we are now, all of a sudden it feels comforting and familiar and safe. Can someone please talk some sense into me?

I moved house at 38 week with a toddler. Decided it was much easier to go before than with a newborn. Definitely the best decision. Packing up was a little hard but friends came over and helped. on moving day, i sat in a lawn chair by the front door and as every box came in I sent it to the correct room. Then my friends came and unpacked the kitchen for me while I set up the babies room. The rest waited until I felt like it

We moved when I was 8 months, the week before Christmas! I'd been in a lot of pain too but saw a physio who specialises in pregnancy - do they have this in your area? We could self refer and they were amazing, pretty much fixed everything in one appt!

Moving wise we paid packers to do everything which was worth every penny and cheaper than I was expecting. They came the day before and did it in one hit which was great.

I'm so glad we moved when we did, much easier to move before LO comes along. We did manage to get the nursery sorted before LO arrived too but we didn't need to, they sleep in with you for the first 6 months so don't need their own room ready.

Good luck!

Do you think that if you didn't move you'd regret it, or do you think that you would look back and appreciate the fact that you didn't because it would have been too much? I think that would be your answer.

I moved at 5 months pregnant with pgp, sciatica and a 4yo. It was manageable because I didn't do much - hired packers who packed and moved everything, hired cleaners to clean both houses and my parents looked after dd for the day. We had takeaways for a few days and took a lot of time to unpack.

Will you be working at 8 months pregnant, if so I'd probably rule it out? If not then you'd be able to slowly unpack and maybe get people to help.

I keep thinking that houses like this are as rare as hens teeth....

Navy we have self referral to physio here too. I’ve been twice but they now can’t see me for another month as the woman I was seeing has left. I was tempted to ask about betting packers in but I think the money that would cost might be better spent on having the two leaves accessible for the two weeks so I’m not in a rush to get everything out and cleaned on the same day? I’ll call for some quotes today though. My dads just had a knee operation so won’t be able to help physically which normally he would, and I’ve been Kondoing like mad for a few months so I know we already have less things to move. I just wish it wasn’t winter! We have a trampoline and a playhouse that might not be able to come with us, and all sorts of garden toys and furniture that I doubt anyone would buy while it’s so cold.

Maverick, that’s a good way of looking at it. We saw the house yesterday afternoon and came home to talk about it (dh has been off work looking after me since the weekend as I ended up in hospital as I was quite horrible poorly) and he was very keen whereas I’m the more cautious one. I sent him off to fill out the paperwork before their office shut and realised I WOULD have been sad if he house had gone, and dh felt the same as he walked in and saw a man who’d looked around before us filling out the forms too, but luckily he’d gone for another house he’d seen that day.
I’m not working atm and haven’t for a while, we have a disabled son and officially I’m his carer. He loved the house which is a relief, and has already planned where his things will go. I think I’m finding all this harder because really the home is my responsibility. To be clear, no one expects that of me, and dh would be horrified to hear me say that, but I’m lucky enough to stay at home at the moment, so I do take a lot of pride in keeping the house nice and getting stuff done. Being unable to do that is very difficult for me. I like to decide something and then do everything to get it done. Knowing I won’t be able to pack while I’m here on my own all day seems like a monumental waste of valuable time.

We did it. I wasn't much help though. I was 8 months and still working at the time. Good in that I've no idea where we'd have put all our extra stuff in our flat. On the other hand everything here is unfinished with boxes still unpacked and I have no clue when that will get done now there's a baby. Possibly better than still house hunting though.

Good luck whatever you decide!

I'm moving country to temporary accommodation at 33 weeks. Then moving country again to more permanent accommodation with our 6 week old - as long as baby is vaguely on time. I can't say I'm loving the idea but it is what it is.

I would do it for a bigger house that's difficult to come by. If you can hire a removals company I would totally do that. You can pay them to pack and unpack. Sure, stuff might not be exactly as you want it but it'll be good enough and you can all pitch in and just rearrange a cupboard an evening or something. We always have a removals company for our big moves because I can't lift much even when not pregnant. We also get a professional cleaner in to clean after we've left the old place. Again, I know not everyone can do this but it takes the stress of me big time.

*off me

In our area (SW London) packing and putting into the right rooms at your new house (including materials) is only about £200 more than the actual move itself so when you look at it that way it's money well spent as thats for 2 people doing about 10 hours of work each, so essentially minimum wage. I'd definitely look into it rather than thinking it'd be too expensive as I was really surprised.

We moved in the first trimester so incomparable really but definitely glad that we upsized then rather than waiting until we had a child which was the original plan.

I did at 39+5 with a 5year old, had carpets laid and had a homebirth - very proud of what I managed achieve, as I was single at the time. Baby came on due date. Just try not to exhaust yourself

We moved when I was 8 months pregnant, the week before christmas. I was already on mat leave and I supervised the moving guys, they were lovely and I just sat on a chair and told them where to put the boxes. People tend to want to help more when you're pregnant too! We spent our first night in the new place on a mattress on the floor. It was stressful, but doable. But I never want to move again as the actual process of selling/buying was long and complicated and stressful. BUT if you have found your perfect house then do it because it will all be worth it in the end!! Good luck!

We were due to move this month when I was 8 months pregnant but due to delays on our house we're now moving 2 weeks after my cesarean! We also have a 2.5 year old toddler. It sounds as though you've got lots of support though and do pay for packers if you can. You'll do fine, im sure. Good luck!

We did it at 34 weeks... it was hard due to severe pgp and I didn't do much other than make coffee's, surface cleaning and directing... I wouldn't do it again pregnant... good luck x

I had hoped to move house at about that time when pregnant with DS, but the sale got delayed by solicitor faff, so in the end we moved when he was 5 weeks old. Would have been MUCH easier to do before he had been born, even with full packing service it was so hard trying to sort everything out with a tiny cluster feeding baby.

From what you've said I think it's quite clear that you want to.

When we moved the removal company came the day before and packed up. I sat on my birthing ball drinking tea and offering tea to others. On moving day the removal company took the last bits while the cleaners cleaned. Honestly I did nothing - which was ideal heavily pregnant with a 4yo (who was at pre school). When we got to the new house the cleaners cleaned and then the removal company started unpacking. I made tea and ordered takeaway.

The hardest stuff was physically unpacking. Could you get people to help with that?

I moved two weeks before my due date. It was brilliant as could hardly do anything!

I moved while pregnant. Honestly? It was horrendous. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

My advice is to just be as organised as possible and try and do bits every day, rather than rushing through it all in a few days. Also take the financial hit of paying for services if you need them, and ask for help - you don't have the option of being a packer, cleaner, mover, driver, child minder and interior decorator all at once. OUTSOURCE! Friends, family, hire services, whatever it is you need to do.

Priority number one is you and the baby being healthy. It's easy to forget that and find yourself lugging a giant solid oak table up some stairs one moment and then on your hands and knees scrubbing floors the next and realise you've barely slept 4 hours a night in the last week...

We were potentially going to be doing the same, thankfully things changed and we're staying put. The easiest thing I've ever done when moving is start packing ASAP and obviously only pack the things safe to be picking/carrying. Number/name each box and get a notepad, as you're packing the box write the name/number of the box (kitchen 1 etc) then write exactly what's in the box. At least then when you have arrived at the new property and you think oh gosh need such and such and you can look on your list and say yep it's in that box so you haven't got to waste your own energy at a knackering time as it is going through a number of boxes to find what it is you need. Sorry I'm not much more help! Hope the move goes well and luckily I'm glad it's only really around the corner from current property so it's not a massive distance as well! Good luck! x