Moving While on Maternity Leave

The Best Plan for Moving While on Maternity Leave

Honestly, moving at any time is rough going. No matter how smoothly you plan it, trucks break down, movers accidentally smash the baby crib, or the new house won’t be ready in time. Considering this, the best plan is to not move while you’re on maternity leave.

Cons of moving during maternity leave:

• If you’re still pregnant, you’re already tired. A move?! Seriously, that could push you over the edge.
• If you’ve already given birth, moving can be very difficult. It’s ultrahard being a new parent. Add moving into the mix and being a new parent becomes harder.
• You can’t lift boxes and furniture. This means you’ll need extra help. This could cost you a lot of money.
• If you’re moving across states, it’s going to be slow-going if you’re driving. newborns need to be fed and held often. That’s a lot of stops. If you happen to still be pregnant when you move long distance, every bathroom rest area will practically call your name. Pregnant ladies and their pesky bladders are no joke.
• Your new house will take double the time to get organized. Moving in, setting up, and decorating will take second place to a baby and sleep.

Pros of moving during maternity leave:

• This is one time you’ll have the perfect excuse not to lift boxes or do any hard labor during a move.
• It can feel good to have a clean slate (i.e. new digs) to start your new life with your baby.

The cons outweigh the pros. The best advice is to move before you’re pregnant, early in your pregnancy, or way after the baby arrives. Since not everyone has that luxury, next up are ideas that can help make moving while on maternity leave easier.

Plan Your Move Better

Solid planning can be your best friend. Get a notebook and pen and start jotting down ideas as soon as you find out you’re moving. Write reminders about basics like forwarding mail, setting up utilities, and renting a moving van.

Since it would be hard to cover all the tips related to relocation during maternity leave, here are some of the best tips:

• Hire help: If you can’t find free help by means of family and friends, consider hiring a moving company. They do all the work and all you have to do is pack and unpack. If it’s in your budget, you may even be able to hire someone to help you pack and unpack.
• Get extra baby help: If your little one has arrived, try to get a friend to come help who can hold her and take over diaper duty while you get some arranging and unpacking done. If you’re moving long distance, look into temporary child care home help before you move.
• Take it easy: Pregnancy is not the time to be putting extra stress on your body. Only do what you can. If you can only unpack one box a day, well, that’s the way it goes. It won’t help you to have a healthy labor and birth if you’re past the point of exhaustion.
• Before the move: Look online for phone numbers of the nearest take-out restaurant near your new place. You’ll be glad you did. It can also help to locate and map the nearest grocery store and drugstore.
• Health care plans: If you’re changing health care providers, make sure you have the most recent copy of your medical record in your possession, plus send a copy to your new provider. If you’re having a hospital or birthing center birth, be sure to plan enough time before your due date to tour the new facilities. Lastly, make sure you’ll still have maternity health insurance coverage in place.

Plan Your Short Distance Move Better

• Consider moving slowly. For some people, moving part of the house at a time isn’t possible. If it is an option, it’s something smart to consider. Moving can seem far less overwhelming if you do it over a month. Each weekend, move two rooms worth of stuff.
• Think about staying away. Go stay with a friend or family for a few days while your partner or moving company moves your household. This allows you less stress, more rest, and if your baby’s here, more time with her.

Plan Your Long Distance Move Better

• If your baby has already arrived, make sure you plan on taking both a truck and a car. You can’t simply tow your car behind a moving van because there are no back seats in 90 percent of moving vans. Up front, in a truck, is not a safe place for your baby’s car seat.
• Be sure to map your route to include plenty of stops. At least every three hours, you’ll need to stop for nursing, holding, and diaper changing. Gone are the days where you can speed through three states in two days. You’ll be stopping a lot so plan accordingly. This means book hotels that are only about eight hours apart.
• Consider flying. You and your baby can fly to your new city while a moving company or your partner drives your stuff to town. This could be much saner than driving long-distance with a newborn. Remember though, if you’re still pregnant, airlines may have restrictions on how late in pregnancy you can fly.

Lastly, realize that no move is perfect whether moving while on maternity leave or not. Know that a quickly and perfectly organized new home won’t make you a better parent. Really, your baby won’t even notice all the unpacked boxes. Take your time, be realistic, and it can be less stressful.

You might also like to check out Move Central: more tips, extensive checklists, and tons of moving resources.