Congratulations, you will be bringing a new baby home soon! We want you to have the smoothest move possible so you can focus on welcoming new life to your family. Making a big move while pregnant definitely adds to an already exhausting situation, but there are ways to reduce the stress for mom and baby. Check out these tips for planning your move and making the most of the moving day.
1. The first step is to talk to your doctor about moving homes during your pregnancy. They can discuss physical limitation guidelines specific to your health and situation as everyone and every pregnancy are different.
2. The key to making sure your move goes smoothly is to create a detailed plan and stay organized. If possible, you should start planning your move at least two months ahead of the date you would like to move. Start by packing non-essential items and cross everything off your list a little at a time. Packing while pregnant should be a marathon event instead of a final sprint.
3. The time to declutter and organize is before your move. There may not be the time or the energy needed to tackle this after moving and certainly not after the baby comes home. Make it easier on yourself by only moving items that you regularly use, love, or need to survive.
4. It is hard to imagine how one small human being can require so much stuff, but that is life with a baby. If possible, hold off on purchasing baby gear or having a baby shower until after your move leaving fewer items to move from one home to another. If you receive items beforehand, keep them in the original boxes, making them much easier to move.
5. Leave all the heavy lifting to someone else. Pregnancy is certainly not the time to bend, lift, and struggle with heavy items. Consider recruiting family and friends to help carry, pack, and load your stuff so you don’t have to.
6. If cleaning is made hard by your pregnancy or all the other things you need to take care of, consider hiring a cleaning service for the final cleaning of the home you are vacating and to prepare your new home. Another idea is to schedule a deep clean right before the baby is born or while you are in the hospital is even better as this will allow you to come home to a super clean house!
7. Remain calm during your move. Even babies in the womb are intuitive and easily pick up on the stress around them. So take a deep breath and stay as calm as possible because an anxious mama can make your move more challenging and stressful than it needs to be.
Some moving options are more pregnancy-friendly than others. Full-service packers and movers would be the easiest option as they will do all the work for you, but this is the most expensive option. Having a moving company you can trust during this time is essential!
Using a portable storage container from 1-800-PACK-RAT can make the moving process more manageable and less stressful. We service both local and long-distance moves by dropping off a mobile storage unit at your home. You can pack your storage container at your own pace after it is delivered to your home, then leave the driving to us! And if you need temporary storage between move-in and move-out dates or until after your child is born, we can take care of that as well, with over 60 facility locations nationwide! Whatever your needs might be, 1-800-PACK-RAT makes moving and storage simple.