Moving States Pregnant: Why it’s AWESOME! (and some bonus tips!)

2

I admit it. Whenever I heard of a family with a pregnant mom moving homes, I was “judgey.” I thought: Isn’t pregnancy hard enough? Couldn’t they find a BETTER time to move? 

And then it happened it to me.

I soon discovered why I shouldn’t have been so judgmental. Because despite all of the mood swings, aches & pains, and general feeling of malaise, moving while you are pregnant can be awesome. Here is my experience (feel free to add your own inspirational music. In my head, I hear Jock Jams).

Moving States Pregnant: Why it's AWESOME! (And some bonus tips!)

This is why moving pregnant is AWESOME:

Because I was already nesting…

Before we found out we were moving, I was going through and cleaning baby #1’s clothes and gear, getting ready for baby #2. Once the news dropped of the move, I expanded my frenzied focus to the WHOLE house. There wasn’t a closet that didn’t get scrutinized. Out with the old–ready for packing only the things we need. And, clean. All.the.Things. Moving fit right into my minimizing, cleaning, nesting mode.

Because the professionals listened to me…

I am so grateful that my husband’s company hires professional movers to help us in the moving process. But having moved four times in six years, I have learned that some moving companies are more professional than others. On our last move, I somehow came out on the other side with lots of broken china and broken furniture, even though I must have heard a dozen times, “don’t worry, we are professionals” when I tried to object to their practices. So this time, before the movers even got started, I had specific “suggestions.” They were all prefaced with, “I know you are the professionals, but because I’m pregnant, I can’t …” And you know what? They listened to the crazy, pregnant lady! They were constantly asking me if what they were doing would work for me. And this was, by far, the easiest unpacking we’ve ever had (and only one casualty–a jar that wasn’t my favorite anyway).

Because I got help…

Usually when we move, I do all the cleaning–at the old and new home. I actually don’t mind the cleaning, and it gives me time to say goodbye and hello to all the nooks and crannies. But this time, because I was pregnant, I enlisted help. Specifically for the new home, I convinced my husband to spend some of our moving budget on professional cleaning help. So worth it! And Charleston has so many GREAT cleaning companies, it was hard to choose just one! (Okay, so I chose two. One for the floors, another for the house. Five stars for both!)

Because I was tired…

I am so grateful for the professional movers that my husband’s company hires to pack and move us, but unpacking–that’s all on us. And when it finally came to that step of the process, I was tired. The day we moved in (coincidentally my birthday. Happy birthday to me!), I was an unpacking machine! By bedtime, I had most of the important kitchen boxes unpacked. But the following days were tough. I basically muddled through the day with my toddler, and when my husband got home from work, he used his big, strong muscles to lift, arrange, and unpack boxes, all while I sat on the couch and ate yogurt and granola. Score!

But, seriously. This is how I made it through this move: I planned.

There are so many things to think about when you move. Knowing that I only had eight weeks before baby #2 arrived really helped me focus, unlike other moves where settling in was gradual. These are the top things we did that really helped (and why I never thought to do these things before, I have no idea):

  1. We thought through all the big furniture pieces and decided BEFOREHAND where each piece would go in the new home. And, IF they needed to come with or be re-homed.
  2. Since we were moving into a smaller home, I labeled each room (to be marked on the boxes) where they would go in the new home. For example, since we don’t have a basement in the new home, the basement theater room was labeled “front living room.”
  3. I bought some new toys and snacks to keep my toddler entertained (and out of the way). I also enlisted the help of my neighbor to watch him at her house so I didn’t have to worry about him. (Thanks, Cindy! So helpful!)
  4. This is, by far, the best tip! Before the movers packed up the moving truck, I added brightly colored tape to the boxes I needed to open FIRST! The other boxes could stay packed until January, for all I cared. These were the ones (toys, kitchen supplies, pillows!) that were essential to our living.
Moving States Pregnant: Why it's AWESOME! (And some bonus tips!)
Although I had the packers leave my son’s bed so he could sleep in it one more night before the move, what I didn’t consider was all the boxes stacked in his room. YIKES!

And that was my move while pregnant. Now to explore Charleston and find a pediatrician, dentist, babysitter…

What about you? Have you ever had to move homes pregnant? What are your tips and tricks for a smooth move?

2 COMMENTS

Comments are closed.