Here are my six tips on how to survive moving with a toddler, while being pregnant.
INSIDER TIP :: DO NOT DO IT.
But, seriously.
M – Make time to rest.
I’m 28 weeks pregnant with our second child and still suffer from HG and sciatic pain. I made it a priority to stay as hydrated as possible and take lots of breaks from packing and moving stuff around. I know it seems impossible to rest while trying to move, but just make it a part of your daily To Do List. I would set an alarm for 15-20 minutes, lay down, and put my feet above my head while taking deep breaths. Yes, my toddler would be all over me but I HAD to do this for my body to keep my blood pressure in check and not send my body into bedrest.
O – OHHHH HAAAAILS NO.
Moving while pregnant and with a toddler? Just stop what you’re doing now and reevaluate your life.
V – Vacation.
If we had the money, I would’ve sent my husband and son away for a long weekend so I could organize and execute the move myself. Men and women do things VERY differently and the logic with moving is no exception. What I did instead was pack as if we were going on vacation for the week. I took one suitcase and threw in a few outfits, swimming stuff, and toiletries for us to use for the month long nightmare that was our life move. Don’t forget to include any work attire you’ll need too. We all wore the same few outfits for a while, but honestly, WHO CARES!??? One of the last loads of laundry I did was all of our “vacation” clothes thrown in together on cold to get us through the move.
I – Invent ways for your toddler to destroy everything you’ve just accomplished “help.”
Ideally, it’s best to pack, move, and unpack while your child is sleeping or playing at a friend’s house. I did not always have that choice, so I created ways to entertain my toddler that didn’t involve wifi or cable. It could be anything from having him hold a large plastic baggie while I added items to it, “build” moving boxes, “clean” whatever room needed swept or dusted, or gate off one room and let him play with random items he has never seen before.
N – Nail down an exact moving date and stick to a plan.
I know many things come up during a move so you’ll need a backup plan to your backup plan, but just attempt to be prepared for things not to go your way. Give yourself some grace and keep moving forward. Take into consideration your partner’s personality and how you can make this transition go as smoothly as possible. For us, my husband is the hoarder and I’m the person who throws every single item away. #MinimalMeredithYall
G – GET HELP NOW!
The purchasing of our home was a long nightmare. I had a ton of help lined up, but our closing date ended up being pushed back an entire month so my original plan was ruined. It’s just my husband and I where we live, so I had to get creative on ways people could help. I scheduled times around my toddler’s nap to take him to play at a few different friends’ houses. I tried doing as much as possible during nap time and bedtime, but since I was pregnant, I normally passed out from the pain and exhaustion. We hired movers since I couldn’t do any lifting.
