Have you/would you move house with a newborn?

[biggest]

We have been offered a great deal on selling our 2 bed flat and are about to take the plunge and sell. DC2 is due at end of July, but I don't want to change hospitals so I am not moving until baby arrives.
The thought of the upheaval scares me witless as recovery from having DS was shocking!
But we do need more space and DH needs to live closer to work, so considering trying to move around a month after due date.
There are so many unknowns of course - if I were to have a cs, or baby is late, or we can't find anywhere to live (eek!), that I am flip flapping and bugging DH who just wants to get on with it.
Any advice?

if theres a chance that you could push things through before the babys born, like a good few weeks before so your more sure that its not gunna arrive any second!

if you cant get the move done before then could you rent somewhere or stay with parents or similar whilst everything is done around you - as theres no way you should even be hoovering at the end, let alone physically moving things yourself!!

i moved when i was 7 months pregnant with DD2, and my 8months pregnant i had the house ready just about thanks to huge lots of help from the family with the move and setting the babys room up.

maybe try and talk to the ppl who are buying the house and explain the situation, its got to be like now or after the babys born, im sure they will be able to tell you which is more likely from their side?

I was eight months pregnant with DS1 - moved to the other side of the country and swapped hospitals - no problem at all. But DH did take the full strain of the move. I did as much as I could but really kept myself in check. He was fab.

For child number 3, I was homeless when I gave birth and had a home delivery (at a friend's house!)

The builders had screwed up big time, and on the day our temporary accommodation ended, our house was no where near habitable. I went into labour as I was packing the van to move (with two other kids in tow) - managed to drive to friends house, who's response when she saw me was 'Oh God - you're in labour aren't you.' Had baby number three upstairs that evening.

The next three months were spent in limbo moving around until the house was finished.

If you move, the baby will be fine. The problem will be being strict with yourself to make sure you devote your energies to looking after yourself. I breast fed, but baby had a few problems with weight gain until HV told me to start resting and eating properly. Once the builders went, her centile chart rocketed.

If you have a supportive husband, who understands he has to take the strain, you'll be fine. If you have a mum nearby who does not drive you mad, it may be a good idea to stay with her for a time while the move is actually happening.

Good luck.

We moved house due to DHs job when DD was 3wks old and I wouldn't honestly recommend it as I'm sure the upheaval added to my wobbling on the edge on PND. Added to still not being near family and DH being up to ears in new job, and it was less than a month before Christmas! Everyone is different though and maybe you'll love gettign new baby and new house sorted

We moved when DD was 5 weeks old. It was stressful as hell beforehand as we couldn't get confirmation we were going to get into the new place until the day we actually moved and I was on the phone to the solicitors every day trying to get it sorted.
The move itself was nowhere near as bad as I'd thought - the removal men were very sympathetic (the cakes and tea they got helped!) and my mum and dad came so that once I'd fed DD mum sat and got lots of cuddles whilst DH, my dad and myself sorted the guddle and had somewhere to sleep, sit and eat. It was actually much easier than had I been at work as I had the maternity leave to organise the house!
Normally we'd have done the move ourselves but having the moving men was the right thing to do and didn't cost as much as we'd thought - they were worth every penny. If you do it, get as much help as possible but tell everyone you want them out of the way by a certain time in the evening on moving day so you can sit and enjoy your new home!

All our relatives are in Ireland! We already have a toddler so will have our hands full, but DH thinks we can do it. But will definitely be after baby arrives.
Removal service a must I agree!
We would be moving across London rather than across country and I know some people in the area we will move to. Not sure if I know them well enough to hand them a duster and brush though!

Maybe a chance to get to know them a bit better?! When we moved we had people we didn't know very well from work/old neighbours genuinely offering help from packing to babysitting - if you don't ask you don't get and you can always return the favour when you are in a better position yourselves...?

Good idea, I have a few months to make them new bffs!

hi there
First of all congrats ON BOTH the impending arrival and the house move - both v exciting.

We did this - sold when I was 6 months pg -
we arranged a super-quick exchange on proviso that we would wait until after the baby arrived to complete.
This was DC1 so life was a little less hectic I must admit than you will have it BUT you have plenty of time.

We worked out 4 weeks from my due date - i.e. 42 weeks plus a fortnight to get arses in gear- which didn't allow lots of CS recovery time (I didn't need it) as the completion date. Actually DS was exactly a month old when we moved. Movers did most things - I just sorted baby out (a sling was invaluable) and wandered round with my clipboard bossing people out.

We packed everything except the kitchen ourselves (got the movers to pack that) and did it bit by bit - labelling painstakingly every box and also numbering and making an inventory on the computer so we knew where things were. We then stacked it all in one room out the way - things we didn't use got packed first and unpacked last (e.g. Xmas decs, old text books).

Can you get g/parents or someone to take your DC1 for a bit before and during the move so that you can sort a room out for them? And give you a bit more "space" to get organised?

From what i've read things that make DC feel happy about news places are key toys, bedding, familar things.

I have seen lots of moving house tips across MN - have a search and there are loads of practical tips - how to do bedding to save hassle, getting takeaway menus etc etc, don't pack kettle/corkscrew etc

HTH And good luck with it all

PS If you're in london, can recommend getting a quote from these removal guys
I've used them twice and my mum has too and they were great

We moved one week before my DS was born. It was crazy but exciting and I'm really really glad we got in before having him as I think it would be much harder with a newborn, esp if you have a tough recovery again. I had to swap doctors and hospitals, but that really didn't matter too much. Even though on paper my new hospital was much worse than the one where we used to live, they were very accommodating and it all went as smoothly as I could've expected. So I agree with with you DH. Better to get on with it and get settled in good time. Good luck!

We moved house with a 3yo and 2 month old twins a week before we got married and 11 days before christmas lol

Yes it was stressful but I think moving house is stressful whenever you do it!

I packed most of the boxes and DH did all the lifting and moving and then I unpacked the otherend.

In my opinion it would be easier to move with a baby than a toddler as at least they stay where you put them lol

Am moving to Sudan when new baby will be 6 weeks old and DD will be 16 months old.

It'll be a doddle (she keeps telling herself). We're having to rent this place in London whilst we're gone, so need to get it into fit shape for tenants before moving out in August... which will be interesting as we need a load of building works doing (2 weeks work) and so I will have to move out in July with DD and 2 week old bub (eek) and stay with family and friends as DH is already in Sudan, and although coming back for the birth, will be gone again come July.

Good luck! Looks like we're both going to need it.

I moved with 3 week old son and dh. We decided that it was worth it as it was from a flat to a house with a garden and we thought we would take our time in unpacking.

on the day we moved in the ceiling over the living room collapsed - missing ds in his pram by 6 feet!! We ended having to unpack everything in order to make room for the builders. We lived in a bedroom upstairs for a week whilst the builders put a new ceiling back. Not quite the move we expected.

If you get the chance use any support and help that you can, and if possible on the day of the move go somewhere else with your baby so that you are not involved at all.