We have to move house now?? Oh the timing!!

[LizzieMum]

I am under so much stress at the moment.  Maybe I'm exaggerating it, but I feel really unsettled.

We have to move house from where we are renting.  The owners want to move back  :-(  We need to be out by the middle of Feb, which gives us about 4 weeks to find a new place to live.  We haven't seen any nice places so far and the rental market is either places that are rubbish in bad neighbourhoods, or places that are so expensive we'll be up to the eyeballs in debt, so I'm just hoping something suitable will come up between now and then.

I don't have a nursery set up and we're going to be packing up to go right before the baby is due.  I feel I need to be making my "nest" for the baby, not living in cardboard boxes.  It can't be helped though, but it's still stressful.  Every few days I pack a box of things I don't think I'll need for a while (books and things like that) so it's not such a big job when it gets closer.  My mum and MIL will be able to help on the day too which will be great.

I think for me, it's more about having a baby due very soon, and I don't have stable accommodation.  

Has anyone got any tips for me?  DH says "it'll all work out".  That's probably true, but it doesn't stop my instinct of wanting a safe space to have my baby in, which at the moment, I don't have.

[SarahN]

I know this feeling well!  For the birth of DS number 2 we were in the process of having to move to a new area, find an apartment, and have my husband start a new job.  It was soooo  stressful, and not being able to nest and prepare a space for the baby made me nuts!  I wish I had some fantastic advice for you, but unfortunately I just had to wait out the situation and  hope it all worked out (which it did!)  Now I'm 32 weeks with number three and waiting for our house which is being built to be finished....which may or may not happen right around the time DS #3 arrives.  Timing in life is seldom convenient I guess.  I just try to focus on the little things that I can do to help me feel prepared and connected to this baby.  Reading books, washing baby clothes- even if it's just to fold them and stack them in a bin.  I wish you and your family all the best during your stressful time, and while it's incredibly annoying and not-helpful to hear...it will all work out!  Good Luck!

[LizzieMum]

Thanks for your reply Sarah.  I will try your suggestions.

We've been in our current place for 5 years whilst saving up to build eventually.  We didn't expect this to happen so suddenly!  Although it was always a possibility I suppose :-)  

[mrsteapot]

I really feel for you. We are in a similar spot. We will be moving about a month after this baby is due. Or 2 weeks after, if he holds to his brothers and sisters pattern of coming 10 days late. :)  Sarah has good advice, there are lots of things you can do to prepare and "nest" even if you aren't in your "tree". We moved when my current youngest ds was about 2 months. I had everything prepared just as if we were staying put. I did as you are doing and did some packing of things that I knew we could do with out. One thing I will caution you on is as you are packing boxes, keep in mind how much they will weigh. I didn't think about it, and I wasn't lifting any of them, so when dh and others would go to lift them they were pretty heavy. Opps. 

Anyway, you have my complete sympathy.