Should you Move House Before or After the Baby is born?

In this week’s home moving blog, we will look at what happens if you have to move home close to the due date of your baby’s birth.

If you have the choice, is it better to move before or after having a baby?

Most mothers recommend moving BEFORE the baby is born.

And overwhelmingly the consensus is to get as much physical help as you can whether you are moving home whilst heavily pregnant or with a newborn baby.

Organising a home move can be stressful and exhausting enough without the added worry of moving home right before your due date, or just after the arrival of your new baby.

Here we will find out the views of home movers who have had to make that decision as well as home removal experts and we will look at both sides of the coin so you can make your own mind up.

But first: The safety and wellbeing of mother and child should always be the number one consideration and professional medical advice should always be sought from your doctor.

You may find this due date calculator useful when planning your home move. www.nhs.uk

You may also like to read: 20 Tips for Moving Home With a Young Family. Moving home with a young family throws up its’ own unique challenges. In this guide, we offer some suggestions to make your home move easier, cheaper, and safer when moving home with young kids.

3 Top Tips for Moving Home Whilst Pregnant or With a Newborn Baby

Whether you are heavily pregnant, or under constant demand from your newborn child, it is possible to move home without having to do anything strenuous or time-consuming yourself.

For any successful home move, there are just a few easy steps that you need to follow and here we will show you how to accomplish a stress-free home move from the comfort of your armchair.

#1 Get Help Decluttering

Decluttering your home will considerably reduce your home moving costs and will mean that you will have the optimum amount of space in your new home.

Additionally, having sorted out all your belongings, you will know that the quotes you receive for your home move will be more accurate.

This means that the things that you do not need or intend to move to your new home, need to be sorted out.

There are professional companies that can help you declutter or you can ask family and friends to do it for you.

Get professional help decluttering: Association of Professional Declutters & Organisers

If heavily pregnant you will not want the risks posed to you from dusty lofts and sheds for example, not to mention the stress and strain of moving things around.

However, you can still be on hand to direct what can be disposed of and what can be kept.

Many of your surplus items can be donated to charity and some charities will come and collect these things for free.

Useful information: Where to Donate Things for Free. In this guide, we have made of list of commonly decluttered items and where you can donate them to a good cause.

You may also like to read: The Epic Guide to Decluttering for a Home Move. In this guide, we offer suggestions of practical ways to declutter every room of the home and also look at how to emotionally detach yourself from all your clutter.

#2 Hire a Full-Service Removal Company

A full-service removal company will provide the manpower and skills to pack up all your household possessions and then move them safely to your new home.

Packing is the most stressful and time-consuming part of moving home and professional packers can offer excellent value for money.

They will know how to maximize the space inside each box which will ultimately save you costs on packing materials, which can be extremely expensive.

You may also like to read: Are Packing Services Worth the Cost? In this guide, we look at whether hiring professional packers is worth the cost or if it is just as easy and cost-effective to do it yourself.

It is easy to organise the hiring of a reputable removal company from your armchair, and these are the easy steps you can follow to hire the right removal company for your home move:

• Get a removal cost estimate from up to 4 reputable removal firms so that you can budget for your move, and also compare the quotes you receive.
• Read reviews of the companies that have contacted you so that you can determine if they are suitable for your particular home move.
• Compare the quotes and the services offered by those removal companies

#3 Hire Professional Cleaners

You will want to leave your old home spick and span for the new occupants. And moving into a nice clean home leaving you only the minimum of work to do to settle in makes sense, so why not hire professional cleaners?

A quick Google search will find local cleaners to do the hard work for you. Alternatively, you can always try and ask one more favour from friends and family.

The safety of your unborn child will obviously be foremost in your mind, and you may want to read this paper from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists regarding chemicals that are used in household cleaning products.

Is it Best to Move House Before or After the Baby is Born?

There are pros and cons for both moving home before and after your baby is born judging by all the forums we visited and advice we sought, and there seems to be no easy answer.

At the end of the day it will be your own personal decision, and what we are doing here is giving you a balanced view based on other people’s experience.

So here are 3 reasons for and against for each scenario for you to consider.

3 Reasons to Move House Before the Baby is Born

#1 Many mothers cite not having to look after the newborn whilst also having to unpack and organise their new home at the same time as a bonus for moving home before the baby arrives.

#2 With no newborn to demand your constant attention, the organisation of your home move will be easier. Get as much physical help as you can, so get plenty of help to do the actual packing and moving.

#3 Your newborn child will need plenty of things such as nappies, pushchairs, cots, and clothing which will all take up valuable space in the removal van. Arrange to have these delivered directly from the store after you move in. That way you will save money on moving costs and save time having to trudge around stores when you could be sorting out your new home.

Bonus: Being heavily pregnant means that people will be far more willing to offer a helping hand.

Must read: How to Motivate Family to Help You Move Home. If you have family members around you but are struggling to get them motivated to help with the home move, then this guide will be invaluable to you.

3 Reasons to NOT Move Home Right Before Baby’s Due Date

#1 You will have built a relationship with your midwife and they will be familiar with your medical history and pregnancy. Moving home late in the pregnancy may mean a new GP and midwife who obviously will not have had the time to build the rapport that you have with your original medical team.

#2 The arrival of your baby is unpredictable, it could arrive early. So it would be better to arrange a move date well in advance of your due date or well after your due date. You will then be in a better physical and mental state to cope with a home move.

#3 Close to the end of your pregnancy you will be in no physical condition to help with any of the manual home moving tasks. Your hormones will be all over the place and little things that can always go wrong during a home move will add even more stress for you, which is definitely not good for you or the baby.

You may like to read: Childproof Your Home Room by Room. In this guide, we go room by room throughout the home and offer suggestions on how to childproof each one ensuring your kids’ safety.

3 Reasons to Move Home Right After a Baby Is Born

#1 Newborn babies sleep a lot. Therefore you will have more opportunities to help to unpack and organise your new home.

#2 Your nesting instinct will be at its highest and you will be motivated to organise and get your new home sorted as quickly as possible.

#3 People will be queuing up to come and see your new arrival. You can put those extra pairs of hands to work or use the time that they are cooing over your infant to get a few tasks completed yourself.

You may also like to read: Tips for Moving Home With a Baby. If you have already had your baby then this guide offers some useful tips on making the transition to your new home as easy and stress-free as possible.

3 Reasons NOT to Move Home With a Newborn Baby

#1 Your newborn child will be in need of constant attention, what with nappy changes and regular feeding. How practical would it be to feed the baby with a house full of removal men and boxes everywhere?

#2 Moving home can be stressful enough. Some new mothers suffer from antenatal depression and adding the stress of a home move will not help. Especially if this is your first child, you will be extremely tired, and having a new baby means that your entire routine will be thrown out of kilter.

#3 You will not have had time to prepare your baby’s room. Nesting is a concern for many new mums and you will be moving to an unfamiliar home, maybe in an unfamiliar area, with none of your usual support networks.

Consider: You may have to have had a caesarian section, or you just may not be physically able to move about as freely as you normally would. The last thing you will want is to move home, have to get in and out of vehicles or subject yourself to undue stress and worry.

5 Top Tips for Moving Home Whilst Pregnant

#1 Get as much help with packing and moving as you can. The good news about moving home whilst pregnant is that you will be able to do all the organizing whilst others do the manual work. Being well-organised is crucial to a good home move so be sure to use the checklists below.

#2 Have your hospital bag clearly labeled and kept in a safe place so that it does not get put into a moving box by mistake. Be sure to also have packed a bag for all the things your newborn will require if they should arrive before the due date too. Keep both of these bags well away from the rest of your moving boxes so that you know exactly where they are.

#3 Set aside a room that you can relax and be safe in whilst the home move is taking place. Have a comfy chair and all the things that you may need close at hand whilst the move is taking place. Let the removal team know that this will be the last room to be cleared.

#4 Get your mortgage arranged as early in your pregnancy as possible as you may find it harder to get a mortgage whilst on maternity leave.

#5 Relax. Get as much ‘you time’ as you can prior to moving day, do whatever you need to do to relax and relieve any stress that is building up. The calmer and more relaxed you are, the less stressful it will be for the baby and those around you.

Must have: Every Home Moving Checklist You Will Ever Need. To help you organise your home move and keep track of all the things you need to do we have collated all the checklists you need into one guide.

4 Top Tips for Moving Home with a New Born Baby

#1 Get as much help with the home move as you can. Not only will the baby require your attention, but you may not be physically able to help with the move.

#2 Arrange for you and your baby to spend the moving day at a friend or family place until the physical move to your new home has been completed. This will be far calmer for you both and will allow you to attend to your newborn as required, have all the things your child needs close at hand, and you will be in a clean and safe environment rather than amongst the dusty bedlam of moving day.

#3 If it is not possible to be away from the home on the day of the move, set aside a room that you and the baby can retreat to for feeding and relaxation. Be sure to set aside a room at the new place too so that when you arrive at your new home you can go straight there and both get settled in as soon as possible.

#4 Be sure to pack a box or bag with all the things that you and your new baby will need on the day of the move. Have it very clearly labeled that it must not on go on the removal van and keep it with you at all times.

You may like to read: How to Pack an Open Me First Box. A moving day essentials box contains all the items you are likely to need on moving day and the first night in your new home. In this guide, we offer some suggestions of items that you may want to include in your essentials box.

4 Top Tips for Settling a Baby into a New Home

#1 Set up your baby’s room as soon as you can so that they are surrounded by familiar things such as their cot, blankets, a favourite teddy, and night light.

#2 Create a safe sanctuary. After setting up your baby’s room be sure to set up a safe family room where you, your partner, and the baby can all relax whilst the unpacking is in progress. Keep it free of moving boxes and make it as tranquil and calming as possible.

#3 Set a routine for yourself and the child. Everything is going to be a learning curve now you have a new baby, but try to set routines that will make the most of your time. For example, when your partner comes home from work, grab a nice hot bath, or an hour’s sleep. Try to set feeding times, or put the baby down to sleep at a certain time of the day. Try your best to keep to any routines that you established in your previous home or quickly establish a routine if you have come straight from the maternity unit to your new home.

#4 Accept help from friends and family. If someone wants to look after the baby whilst you unpack some of the moving boxes, great. Or they may offer to clean or help unpack a few boxes. This will free up time for you and make everything less stressful.

Here are a few things to consider when moving into a new home when pregnant or having had a newborn, especially if you are new to an area.

• Register at a new GP. Find guidance on how to find a new GP on the www.nhs.uk website
• Find the local hospital. www.nhs.uk 
• Locate the nearest shops that sell nappies or baby food. A quick Google search should help you with this.
• Think fire safety. Make sure there are smoke alarms that work in the new home. To be on the safe side replace all the batteries with new ones.
• Reach Out on Social Media. There are likely to be many new mums in your area looking for support and friendship. Social media can be a good place to find local groups and information that you may find useful.

Bonus home moving tips

• Seriously Consider Insuring your home move. This is especially important if your due date is on or about your home move date. If for whatever reason you had to cancel your home move at the last minute, or they were delays on moving day, you could end up incurring costs. This guide will tell you all you need to know about insuring your home move: Home Removals Insurance – Do I Need it?
• Get Babysitters. If you already have children then having them stay with a babysitter on moving day will be safer and less stressful for everyone. The same goes for pets too, arrange for them to go to the kennels on moving day.
• Childproof the new home. Another advantage of having the children and pets looked after on moving day, and preferably the following day too is that you will have time to childproof and pet-proof your new home. This guide will help you pet-proof your new home it help keep your pet safe and help it to settle into its new surroundings.

Good luck with the home move and the new addition to your family.