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Original poster

Logistics of moving house with a newborn

14 replies

swiftt · 27/04/2021 12:30

Can anyone who has moved house with a newborn please reassure me? I’m in an absolute state about this. I’m in a rented property, first floor flat. Moving to a ground floor cottage which will be much better. Things were supposed to work out so that I’d move in May, but long story short it’s been postponed and now I’m moving at the beginning of July. I’m due 10th June, and it’s my first baby. Very aware of the possibility of a late arrival!

So I could potentially have a baby that’s only a few weeks old when it’s time to move. I have plenty of friends and family to help, and I’ve finished work for maternity leave now so I’m going to pack as much as I can over the next 6 weeks so that it’s hopefully just a case of shifting everything and unpacking. I’m just so, so worried about the fact that I’ll be recovering from birth still, I’ll be knackered, what if baby’s a Velcro baby? I plan to breastfood so will baby be cluster feeding at that age? I feel like my hormones will be all over the place and the thought of all of that, the fourth trimester, plus a new house is just making my head spin.

I really can’t put the move off either. I’m also getting annoyed at people saying ‘oh, I’ll come and look after the baby for you’ as if that would help. Surely after just a couple of weeks I’ll be the one needing to look after my baby, and I’ll need everyone else to help with the actual moving! I don’t want to sound ungrateful, of course it will be nice to have people to let me have a break but I’m just feeling so worried about it all. Someone tell me it will be okay please!

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Keyboard91 · 27/04/2021 12:43

We are in the process of moving - covid is delaying everything! So looking possible I may be moving with a newborn and a 18 month old. I’ve got the plans in place now so that my family are doing everything. As I pack I’m labelling boxes with exactly what room they need to go in etc. Baby stuff will be packed in a suitcase and that suitcase will stay with me. I’m literally going to sit with baby and direct family for the actual moving part, and my brother is having the toddler at his house so I don’t need to worry about him. I won’t be leaving baby with anyone, I know from experience baby needs to be with me.

As long as you have everything you need for baby in one place, and that travels with you, then baby is covered. And depending on how you feel you can plan to do as much or little as you feel up to.

Can’t comment on boob feeding as only did it for a week, but likely yes to cluster feeding. And 4th trimester normally means baby that doesn’t like being put down. But baby may be okay in the pram or you could get a stretchy wrap to pop baby in so you aren’t tied to a chair.

OnTheBrink1 · 27/04/2021 13:00

I did it when first baby was 8 weeks old. Not ideal but we and DH packed up as much as we could before. Then after baby was born we continued packing and I put baby in a bouncy chair and did as much as aug could in between feeds. DH and FIL did the bulk of it and I took care of baby and helped.
You need people to pack whilst you are directing (whilst feeding and caring for baby)
The night before the removal men came, I stated with inlaws. (1 hour away) DH and FIL were there early with the removal men and then I met them at the new house. Could you do anything like that?

TransverseBabies · 27/04/2021 13:01

I haven't done it yet (my newborn will likely be 2-3 months old when we move) but 100% plan to do nothing. I had a unexpected C-section with my newborn, so if I'd been moving at the time you said, I literally couldn't help even if I wanted to. Plan for other people to do everything. Hopefully you will have an easy complication-free birth, but even if you do, I would plan for being completely incapacitated. Anything you can do at the time (making cups of tea for helpers, directing where boxes go etc) is a bonus. Even with these jobs, only do them if you feel up to it!

mummabubs · 27/04/2021 13:06

Just to empathise we were due to move on Friday but delays from our buyers mean we're looking at moving just days before my planned c sec for DC2, and I can completely see it still not going ahead and having to move with a newborn and a 3 year old. My sister moved when her daughter was a few weeks old, she just emphasised the value in decluttering and packing as much as you can beforehand!

TransverseBabies · 27/04/2021 13:08

And a couple of extra things I thought of as I clicked "post"...

Get a sling. I can't use it at the moment, due to C-section, but I adored my stretchy sling with my first born. Walked all round Edinburgh with a 4 week old and had meals out where the waitress didn't realised I had a baby strapped to me till we'd finished eating! Having a sling helped me get some things done whenever I could and kept baby calm, could see it being invaluable on move day (if you do have the ability to help with some small jobs).

2 - make sure that a space in the new house is set up for you as the very first thing on move day, i.e. a bedroom with a comfy chair where you can retreat to feed/ take a break/ go to calm baby out of the way of all the moving activity.

Eileen101 · 27/04/2021 13:11

We did it, DS was a few weeks old.

Some friends came to help us - our stuff was all in storage or at my mums. We hired a van and DH and the friends emptied our storage and did all the lifting.
My mum and her partner came to help out - with cleaning, general unpacking and holding baby if I was needed elsewhere.

It's doable, but accept any help you're offered

Original poster

swiftt · 27/04/2021 13:33

Thanks everyone, this is super helpful. I’m thinking I just need to try and be as organised as I can beforehand, make sure that the first room that’s moved I can set everything up for the baby and then just leave everyone else to move the rest of the stuff whilst I stay there and unpack as things arrive. I also have a cat who’s a really anxious wee thing, and he’s usually my first priority but I’ll probably need to move him first with the baby’s things. It’s one of those that I’m sure will end up being fine but the thought of it just makes me want to cry! I will definitely get a sling, that sounds like it could make things so much easier.

OP posts:

parietal · 27/04/2021 13:45

assume that you won't be able to lift ANYTHING heavier than the baby. So you hold the baby & direct operations. Tell everyone else to lift stuff & move stuff.

murmurlade · 27/04/2021 14:54

Your friends and family won't let you lift a finger, that's my bet. As I imagine you would, just be extra profuse in your thanks to them as it really is a TOTAL pain helping someone else move house! It's hot and hard work and you don't know what goes where. You shouldn't need to lift anything except your brand new baby, just show everyone how grateful you are and they won't mind a bit. That's the best advice I can give!

lorisparkle · 27/04/2021 15:02

We moved with a new born baby.

Our plan for moving day was that DH and my Dad would finish off the packing whilst my mum took me to her house to be looked after (I had had a c-section so could not drive).

When the removals arrived at our new house DH, my Dad and DSis would sort everything out that end whilst I stayed with my mum to be looked after!

It would have all worked perfectly except the cat escaped. So me , DS1 and my mum had to go all the way back to the old house as the cat would only come to me!!!

My tips would be to enlist all the help you can!

Wabe · 27/04/2021 15:17

I was 8 weeks after a c-section that got infected, and couldn't do much, so we hired packers, went out and let them at it. They left us a bed, cot etc overnight, then we travelled to the new place we were moving from London to the Midlands while they packed the last few things and drove. We met the truck at the new house, and they unpacked with DH directing them where to put things, while I fed DS in the conservatory.

Basically, my advice would be to throw money at it if possible.

randomsabreuse · 27/04/2021 15:30

Do not lift anything at that point. Asking for major back problems/other ligament issues as your body will still be full of the hormone that lets your pelvis stretch to let the baby out! So you need people to do while you deal with the baby!!?

Original poster

swiftt · 27/04/2021 15:40

This is great, thank you everyone! Luckily the move is about a 5 minute drive away. I really can’t afford removal men or packers, but I think it should be manageable with all the help I’ll have. I’ll just try and get everything as organised as I can beforehand, and make sure I take it easy on the day. Fingers crossed!

OP posts:

Amichelle84 · 27/04/2021 17:04

We moved recently with an anxious cat and baby.

Aside from getting as organised as possible in advance we done the following and it all worked out really well.

I put aside the essential items I would need for baby, feeding equipment, nappies, spare set of clothes and somewhere for it to sleep.

I went to the new place first with baby and cat, gave the cat a chance to settle and meant we were out the way of the heavy lifting etc.

BF hired a van with 2 men and between them they loaded up and unloaded within a few hours. They can be hired pretty cheaply.

It really wasn't stressful at all, well not for me anyway :)

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