Moving and Switching Midwives when 7 months pregnant?

[swelldoula]

So- I am hoping to get pregnant this October or November. However, I will be moving out of state in May. I can get my prenatal care at my local birth center, but I would need to find a midwife in the city I am moving to at some point. We want to do a home birth. Does this sound like a bad plan? Has anyone here done this with relatively little stress?

Any input would be appreciated!

[swelldoula]

Hmm... I guess not! 

This isn't a totally bad idea though, right?

[Jaimee]

I moved while 3 months pregnant with my second and I'll be moving again while 4 months pregnant with my third.  While it's certainly not ideal, it's totally possible to find good care after moving.  In fact, after moving here while pregnant with #2 I hired the first midwife I interviewed and ended up letting her go when I was 36 weeks and hiring a different one.  Switching midwives that late in my pregnancy worked out just fine.  We clicked with the second mw immediately and felt quite at ease with her.  So even if  you don't have your entire pregnancy to form a relationship, you absolutely can connect with your care giver and have a great experience.  There are all sorts of ways to research birth options ahead of time, before you move, so you can get right to work interviewing as soon as you arrive.  I tend to look for natural parenting or attachment parenting Yahoo groups, which I join before moving and ask all sorts of questions.

All this being said, though, moving to a new area when pregnant is NOT fun.  It's not fun to pack and unpack while nauseous or fatigued.  It's not fun to drive/travel to the new place while nauseous, fatigued, and in your case possibly feeling bigger or having pains from sitting in the car (at 7 months).   It's also not fun to have to find your way in a new city, make new friends/neighbors, look for new playgroups, etc. while pregnant.   It's hard being new and not having anyone to bring you food after the baby comes or to help hold the baby while you shower.  It's hard not knowing where any of the parenting stuff is and having to figure it all out in a new place.   It's hard feeling unsettled and uncertain. 

So, quite frankly, if I could avoid it, I would absolutely not want to move while pregnant.  But not knowing what else is going into your decision for timing  this pregnancy, it's hard to advise.  Plus, if this is your first pregnancy, there's no guarantee that you'll conceive as soon as you start TTC.   You might get pregnant right away or it could take several months and then you might be moving while in your first trimester and dealing with morning sickness.   Is it possible to wait until after you move to TTC?

[swelldoula]

Thanks for the input!

This will be my third pregnancy, and I am fairly certain that I will get pregnant right away like I have in the past. I think you are right about having trouble in the post-partum period... not knowing anyone, no one to come over and bring food or help with the baby. I was hoping that either my mom or my MIL would be able to come out, but I don't know for sure. 

I'm juggling a lot right now, so our timing for baby #3 doesn't have a lot of wiggle room. It is good to hear that you moved during your pregnancies and it wasn't too bad. I guess I'll see how it pans out... we still aren't 100% sure that it is the right time for us.

[mbhf]

I have never moved while pregnant, but I have needed to find a new midwife at 34(ish)weeks and 28 weeks, once switching from a hospital based CNM group to a homebirth CNM and once from an unreliable midwife to one I was more comfortable with. I had great experiences both times. Assuming you know where you're going to be moving (or at least that you will know a couple of months or more prior to the move) you will be able to research midwives in your new area before you move and talk to them about your situation beforehand.

I guess I moved when I was pregnant once, but I was able to continue with the same midwife. The move itself was not bad. I didn't know anyone in my new area, and I ended up hiring a doula to help during the birth (it was my third child, she was happy to assist with them as well as with me, she and my husband switched off as needed).

[jenninjapan]

I moved at around 30 weeks this past April.  It was a bit frustrating not being able to do everything that I wanted straight away, but was fine. As for a midwife I have a traveling midwife and so have only had contact with her via email up until this week.  Once you get pregnant find a midwife in your new area asap  - you can send her updates from your prenatals so that way she will already be familiar with you and your situation.  I am sure someone could recommend a midwife to you through the finding your tribe section of the forums.  Good luck and think of all the nesting you can do!!