Relocating at 37 weeks?

[treespeak]

I'm planning a homebirth with my 2nd babe, and am currently 31 weeks along.  This is my second homebirth.  My husband was laid-off last month, and was recently hired for a job about one and half-hours from our current location.  So we need to move, have been looking for housing to rent, and finally found a place we love.  Problem?  We wouldn't be able to move in for 6 weeks--so I'll be 37 weeks along.  There is very little else available in terms of single family homes in our price-range, and I'm very hesitant to plan homebirth in an apartment complex--I know many women do it, but I'm very private, and would have difficulty making the noise I need to make if I know someone can hear me...

My current midwife is located near enough our new community that I'll be under her care for the entire pregnancy and birth, which is a plus.  However, my first babe was born at 39 weeks, and this baby is measuring way ahead of what DS was at the same gestational points.

So I'm just wondering if any other homebirth mamas have needed to move so late in pregnancy?  Any thoughts or advice?  Would you go for the house you love even if it means moving a few weeks later, or settle for less ideal housing and get the move over with earlier?

[bax]

We moved 2 weeks before my EDD with DD1 (she was 12 days late, so we were in the apartment ~3 weeks prior to the actual birth) and 2 weeks before my EDD with DS (born last week, 5 days "late"). Both were born at home (although we were planning a birth center birth for the first because I thought, oh, how can we move and then have a home birth right away?! It's a long story, but we ended up at home anyway--without all the supplies, etc., and everything was fine).

This time, we just prioritized packing and organizing the baby/birth things so that they were the first things we unpacked and set up. And I sort of knew that he wouldn't be born until we were ready, logistically and emotionally, which was the case. Seriously, the little guy just waited patiently until the day after my baby to-do list was taken care of.

As far as apartment versus house, I'd just pick where you want to live--you'll be living there a lot longer than the hours of your birth, you know? There were a bunch of workmen renovating the porch attached to the bedroom in the apartment where we had DD1, and I had no qualms about screaming through pushing. Maybe you are a much more peaceful, aware birther than I am, though, but when I'm pushing, I am not really composed enough to think about whether or not anyone can hear me.

[treespeak]

Thanks so much for your reassuring words, Bax.  We're going ahead with leasing the house we like--I sense that you're right about babe coming when we're ready logistically and emotionally.  Whatever unfolds will be okay.  Congratulations on your new little guy, and thanks for taking time to share your experience with me.