Moving House with a Baby: Tips & Tricks

There are lots of things to think about when you are planning a house move; whether you have enough boxes, have you let everyone know your new address and what seems like a zillion other things. Add a newborn baby into the mix and you have a whole other level of planning that is needed.

Babies and toddlers need a regular routine and can easily become anxious or upset with any changes. It’s particularly important to ensure that your child’s sleeping pattern is maintained. A change in routine, coupled with the stress that moving house brings, can be disruptive even for adults and it is easy to find yourself losing sleep through worry or sheer fatigue. Babies can pick up on this and it can also affect their sleep.

Your precious bundle of joy comes with their own unique set of complications and distractions so here are a few helpful ideas that should – hopefully – help your moving day to be as stress-free as possible.

Before moving day

As always, the watchword is PLANNING. Moving house can be chaotic and stressful even when you have the most detailed plans. Babies are able to take many things in their stride as long as their daily and nightly routines are unchanged. So try to make sure you stick rigidly to feeding and sleeping times, even during those times when you have to rely on someone else to look after your child, which you may need to do on moving day in particular.

Don’t be afraid to call in favours and entrust your child to a friend, relative or professional childminder. If your little one is still under the care of local health services or if they have any particular health problems, it may be a good idea to notify your GP and health visitor of your plans and your new address so that baby’s health records can be sent on ahead.

Make your life easier

Babies soon grow out of clothes and toys. If it is the case that your drawers and cupboards are swamped with things that you will never use again, why not consider giving them away? There are many charities both in the UK and abroad that will gladly take donations of unwanted clothes and toys. Otherwise, you could look to sell them and put the extra money towards moving costs!

Prepare a survival kit

In the rush to get everything packed and boxed up in time for the move, don’t forget to make up a ‘survival kit’ of baby’s essentials for when you get to the new house and in case of emergencies during the moving process. These should include:

•   Nappies, nappy rash cream and powder
•   Wet wipes
•   Baby milk or food, bottles and steriliser
•   Towels
•   Change of clothing
•   Favourite toy or comforter
•   Any medications baby may need
•   A sturdy carrier and car seat

Above all, designate a particular part of the house that can be a sanctuary and safe space if your baby is not being looked after by anyone else. If you have pets that are also making the move, try to keep them away from the baby as even the calmest and most reliable of pets can be unpredictable in stressful situations and unfamiliar surroundings.

Moving Day

When you embark on the trip to your new home, leave extra time to allow for comfort stops and baby-related emergencies along the way. One of the first things to do when you arrive at the new house is to decide which is to be the ‘quiet room’ that baby and their sitter can be put in while you get on with unpacking. Ideally, this should be in the room that you have designated as the baby’s nursery and it should ideally be kept free of clutter; constantly going in and out of the room to move boxes around could be unsettling for the baby.

Prepare the baby’s room

If you have sufficient time and resources before moving in, try decorating the baby’s room in the same colour and style as the old one, right down to the same lighting and the same soothing sounds. This can help to minimise any distress the baby may feel being in an unfamiliar place. A bedroom that looks, sounds, smells and feels familiar will help your child to settle in more quickly and hopefully, any disruption to sleep patterns will be minimal and short-lived. Place a cot or secure playpen in this room to keep the little one safe and sound whilst all the chaos is going on in the rest of the house.

Take time for yourself

Whether you are just at the beginning of the moving process or right in the middle of it, try to take some time out for yourself. Use baby’s feeding and bath times to switch off from the chaos and relax. After all, harassed and worried parents make for fractious babies and that is exactly what you don’t need.

Moving house can make the most capable and unflappable amongst us think that we’re losing our marbles. With all the planning and organising, and all the remembering to get everything done, from notifying the relevant organisations of the new address, taking final utility meter readings, packing and cleaning, it can make you wonder why on earth you ever decided to move in the first place. But, we promise you, it’ll all be worth it in the end!

If you are looking to move house any time soon, why not let AnyVan help to take at least some of the stress away? A good, reliable and professional removals service can help with all aspects of moving, leaving you to enjoy the excitement of a new home as a family.