Are we being hopelessly naive re: new baby in our flat?

[Cies]

I've just got off the phone to my mother and she wanted to point out a few "issues" with our rented flat which she thinks will make life unnecessarily difficult with a new baby (due November). This is our first baby, so don't really know what to expect, but I have been hanging around MN for a year or so and have got a vague idea.

So, here goes.

1. The entrance has one step outside, then 4 steps, couple of metres flat, 4 steps before you get to the lift. My plan is to use a sling for popping out to the shops etc and only get the buggy out for longer trips.

2. We have no central heating. DH and I have survived 2 winters by putting on extra jumpers and snuggling under a duvet on the sofa. I fully appreciate that this is not suitable for a baby, so we're planning on getting some plug in radiators, if our landlady refuses to install central heating.

3. The walls are quite thin - my mother's opinion. I don't think they are really, seeing as it's a flat, and they're not nearly as bad as friends' flats.

So, are we being totally naive in thinking a baby will be ok in this flat? And will we be ok coping in this flat?

Any advice/opinions oh wise mumsnetters?

Steps are not a major issue, I have about 6 steep steps up to my flat. I use a lovely comfy stretch sling for about 6 months (although my babies have been quite small). A light buggy with big rear wheels makes bumping up the steps easy, I have a Micralite Toro which is great for this.

You will need the heating on a lot, as you'll be home a lot and up in the night, so I guess you need to be careful about cost, are those plug in radiators expensive to run?

I wouldn't worry about the noise.

I would put pressure on the landlady to install central heating though, how do you get hot water right now ?
Is that a worry, as children need a hot bath and will that be expensive for you ?
Would your mother help to pay for you to move, if not she should zip it

Lack of central heating is not a problem imo.
I was brought up in a house without central heating. One fire in the front room. I can't remember having any problems because of it. In fact, in winter I remember getting up and being fascinated with the ice patterns on the single glazed windows.
While central heating is nice I don't think it's essential.

Your mother would call social services if she met me: I have three children, the youngest is 13mo, and need to get up 14 steps to reach our flat. I would recommend a pushchair with pneumatic tyres (at least at the back) for bouncing up/down steps. When we moved here (my second child was only 4mo and it was autumn), not only did it not have central heating but hot water was pretty unreliable as well.

As everyone else has said, it sounds fine and if you are happy with the location (and the size - don't underestimate how much space a small person consumes) then stay put. Good luck with everything.

DD was born when we lived in Shanghai and was two weeks old before she saw her first day without heavy snow. We didn't have central heating and were absolutely fine with just a largeish fan heater. You just have to be diligent about keeping the doors closed so you're not chewing through the electricity to heat unnecessary rooms. Swaddles were good too, and to be honest I certainly wasn't that fussed about stripping her off for a bath every single day.

Stairs are fine but you may need to make a contingency plan in case you have a c-section - I don't think I could have bumped the pram up the stairs after mine. I dare say you will end up keeping it in the car. Your biceps will be like rocks by the time your baby is a toddler. I am quite soft and squishy around the edges but have the biceps of Arnie from lugging DD up three flights of stairs.

A sling will help loads, I didn't really use a buggy for ds at all until he was 10 months. Even if you do take the buggy out with you you might find it easiest to pop baby in the sling while you sort out buggy etc rather than bumping it up/down steps with baby in.

WRT heating, we do have central heating but only have it on for a couple of hours a day in winter and never at night so also do the jumper/blanket thing in the evenings. Have used those oil filled radiators in the past and they heat a room really quickly and most of them have timers-just be careful when baby starts crawling as dd tried to pull herself up on one at my mum's house(luckily it was off).

You are all going to laugh at this, but my gran bought me one and it is PERFECT for night feeds

It'll be a bit annoying but much less so than moving house!
Hot water bottles make night feeds much better.

Carrying a pushchair or bumping it up 2 lots of 4 steps shouldn't be much of a problem.

i reckon the thin walls may upset you when your baby is crying, especially in the night as it may make you feel anxious or stressed - our nieghbour came round one night and asked if we could give our dd some calpol as it was upsetting them - it was three in morning and had been happening a few nights

steps - not too bad - i went for a very good maclaren and they fold up and are light to carry - choose one suitable from birth

heating - i dunno - i would want to heat the babies room on a very cold night for my peace of mind - not too hot of course. def get a good quality heater

i think the prob is more when you have a toddler - bit of space just makes life easier all round

I raised a toddler and a new baby in a second floor flat (no lift) for 18 months.

I kept the buggy in the boot of the car, and used slings to go up and down the stairs. As soon as the baby learned to crawl, he was taught to crawl up the stairs to save my back .

It was generally fine. I did notice I had a tendency to either stay in all day or stay out all day, to save wasted trips up and down stairs.

It got annoying while I was pregnant with my third. I was getting more tired and less happy with lugging - so I started staying in more.

Heating - I think it would be fine. At night it's not hard to wrap up the baby in layers. In the day it's warmer anyway.

Thin walls - bear in mind most of your neighbours will be out most of the day.

Mothers: will always have a bon mot to undermine you and worry you.