Okay, this is the scoop and question.

[seattlemamma]

Okay, this is the scoop and question. I am thirty weeks and have basically been busy with Dh's last year of school, graduation, commission ceremony, moving into and putting on the market our flooded home that we just finished fixing/repairing. I am also preparing to move via military to Japan in October. I have, also, just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, but based on my glucose levels believe it was a wrong diagnosis or not an issue and can continue with my plans to UC. My Dh is also at training and will not be here for the birth or these last weeks of pregnancy. As you probably guessed this baby was a complete surprise and I have had no real time to bond with him. At what point would you take the house off the market and just concentrate on preparing for a peaceful well planned birth? I am usually a week early. This will be my fifth child.
Thanks

[MsBlack]

Me, I'd take the house off the market NOW--ASAP. IMO, there are few things harder on mamas, babies, and births than moving during pregnancy. Sure, assault, bombing, housefire...those would be worse for you two...but as far as Normal Life Events go, relocating anytime in pregnancy takes it's toll of stress. The later in the pregnancy, the greater the likely stress-toll, from what I've seen.

I say--stop trying to sell the house now, and don't plan to get out until at least 8wks pp if not longer. Nest in! Worry about moving later.

[Banana731]

That's really rough! Are you comfortable renting? It's going to be difficult to close on your house in the short amount of time you have after recovering pp and before moving overseas. That is a whole lot to deal with when you are trying to focus on your baby! Is your house ready to be sold, as in are you showing it now? Maybe you could ask your realtor to just do open houses on Sat or Sun for the last couple of weekends here in June and then stop. Can you older kids help get the house cleaned up for the one day of the open house? Can you hire a maid to come in an clean the day before the open house instead? How will you deal with things if you don't sell before you leave? It is so stressful to PCS without the other stuff added in. Maybe if you put the house on hold and make those plans now you will feel better about dealing with the house in the short amount of time you have to? I would say go ahead and nest and bond and rest. If you can set aside an hour a day to sit with your feet up on the couch while the kids nap or watch a movie, you can use that hour hour off your feet to make phone calls or send emails. Schedule TMO, email your sponsors, call renting agencies, etc. Since a lot of what you have to do requires that kind of commnication anyway, if you do a little each day like that, you'll feel your still doing something and your not letting yourself stress about it all day everyday. That would probably help me.

Where are you headed anyway? We Just came back from Okinawa. We were there for 4 years. We loved it there!

[seattlemamma]

We Just came back from Okinawa. We were there for 4 years. We loved it there!

Thats where we are going! Any pointers or advice would be great.

I am afraid to rent because of the burden of repairs and stuff like that. We would be in the hole about 2-4 hundred a month not including the what if's. My house is mostly empty because we had to move on post to fix it up when it flooded. Now we are back in, but all five of us are only living in two of the 3 bedrooms and the rest of the house is empty. I am hoping/praying for a miracle and it just plain sells. I do have to finish unpacking, dejunking, then repacking the stuff I want to take with me. I might just get some church members to help me fix up the yard, clean the gutters, and some little odd jobs. Mostly we are spending our days at the YMCA in the pool. I am debating back and forth whether I should just go to the hospital or not. I really, really, hate the hospital though. All the fighting and waivers just to have a truly natural birth. Plus I detest people touching me in labor. I am afraid it will make for complications and a bad experience. It's funny, but typing this all out helps me to gather my thoughts and see things more clearly.

[cathicog]

I'm with Ms. Black. You need to de-stress, and you have too much on your plate right now, I'd bet. I would forget the house sale, try to make a functional household as much as possible until the baby's born, then try to rent out, perhaps, using a real estate person that does that for the military? A couple I did a birth for in South Korea did that- they had the realtor manage thier home while they lived in Seoul for 3 years. The military shipped them out, and back, so they did all the packing,except for the fragile and family stuff.Then when they knew they were coming back, they let him know and he gave notice to the lessees.Worked out pretty well. I saw your concerns on renting, though, and it makes sense. I would still UC though, rather than go to the military hospital. Or a local one either, in most cases! What would happen to the house if you didn't sell it before you left?

[UCmamaToMany]

Thanks MsBlack, LOL

UGH! Now I feel even more stressed. I SOOOO didn't want to move, but we have no choice. We have 8 days to move out of this house and of course the day we're told to move out is the day DH gets a job after 1½yr of unemployment.

We have a house thankfully but I am 35 wks pregnant and so unsettled and unprepared for this birth, which could easily happen in 2 weeks! (I've birthed as early as 37 weeks and have never really gone far past 38 weeks. Eeek!)

Yeah, I would definitely NOT recommend trying to move while pregnant. It is far too stressful. I wish I could stay here for 4 more weeks and then move but that's not feasible. {{{SIGH}}}

At least you have a choice seattlemamma.

[Banana731]

Originally Posted by seattlemamma

I do have to finish unpacking, dejunking, then repacking the stuff I want to take with me. I might just get some church members to help me fix up the yard, clean the gutters, and some little odd jobs.

Don't bother, seriously. Don't bring anything. Your shipping allowance on the way over is extremely low, the humidity and mold there will destroy your stuff. Only bring what you absolutely need. The Military has everything for you to borrow, beds,furniture, fridge, washer/dryer, etc. and it is a zero value economy over there for service members. You can buy second hand things over there for almost no money. I will PM you!

But yeah, call TMO for your long term storage pack out, ask your friends for that fix-up help, and set days of the week for your viewings. Tell your agent only on X day of the week, or something. So you can have the house looking it's best one day. Can you get a maid? Make it after that day! Are you really unable to rent for enough to cover all your expenses? It's a such a buyers market out there right now, I'm sure you know, it's a bad time to sell anyway.

FWIW- tricare prime covers HB now, maybe you could get them to cover a free standing birth center? If you want to be out of the house, but low intervention?

[seattlemamma]

FWIW- tricare prime covers HB now, maybe you could get them to cover a free standing birth center? If you want to be out of the house, but low intervention?

I will look into it, but last I heard you had to be a certified nurse midwife and they only pay 1500 of the usually 4100 fee. Very few CNM in Kentucky, because of the laws here. The problem or benefit is that my babies come very fast. (DD 4 hours, DS 2 hours, DS 45 min, DS 30 min.) Can't really travel unless I camp out a week or so before the birth near the place I decide to birth at, which I think will ultimately be at my home if I come to peace with it. The other problem is my last child was supposed to be born at the hospital I am currently getting prenatal care at..they noticed I didn't make it last time and want to induce with pit or break my waters so this little guy can be born in a "safe environment" LOL!.