Having a baby changes every aspect of your life. What were once simple tasks have been complicated by a precious little person who depends on you for everything. Showering or running to the store can seem intimidating, so embarking on a move might put you in sheer panic mode.
Repeat after me three times: Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.
Before facing your move head-on, you must be organized and prepared physically and mentally before the stress is at an all-time high. Moving is overwhelming as it is, and an infant is a whole new set of moving parts to planning for. Here are five tips to consider when moving with a baby.
Don’t Pack the Daily Baby Necessities
This may seem common sense, but you may get flustered while dealing with packing, movers, and endless to-do lists. Or sometimes we don’t think about every step of our moving journey and what items we’ll need. Consider keeping these items in your car:
- Baby carrier
- Stroller
- Miniature cooler for breastmilk, formula, and baby food
- Many changes of clothing to accommodate weather and blowouts
- Extra baby toys, pacifiers, and burp cloths
Plan a little extra, be over-prepared, and consider weather changes, traffic, road construction, or any other unforeseen circumstances that may delay getting to your destination and ripping the baby boxes open.
Don’t Pack TOO Early
It’s a great idea to be prepared and pack early, but packing TOO early can cause frustration and extra work for you. If you pack too early, you’ll wind up living in a jungle of packed boxes for too long. You’ll start needing things and ripping boxes open, which means wasting supplies. Don’t pack the baby’s items too early because nothing is worse than sifting through boxes trying to find that elephant lovey while your baby is screaming in your ear.
Recruit Helpers
If you have the option, don’t try to do it all yourself. Ask friends and family ahead of time to help watch your baby for you on moving day or keep them entertained in a room that is away from the foot traffic. In addition, utilize childcare on days leading up to the move as you prepare for your packing and moving services.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s a babysitter, grandma, or a trusted friend, some help with your baby will take a load off your shoulders as you prepare for a big move. In addition, don’t be afraid to recruit your friends, family, or church folks to help you clean, pack and lift heavy items. If it’s a group effort, it goes by much faster, so you can sleep when the baby sleeps.
Never Underestimate the Power of a Backup Plan
If you have a type A personality, your backup plan backs up halfway through the alphabet. But, if you haven’t considered it, know that plans don’t always go smoothly, and sometimes unexpected roadblocks throw a wrench in your perfectly crafted plans. For this reason, having a plan B, maybe C, and perhaps D is essential. Consider what could go wrong and how it would potentially affect your child.
Backup plans help put you at ease and allow you to feel prepared, in control, and ready to conquer any hardships that may come flying at you as you try to relocate your entire life. This may mean having a backup plan for sleeping the first night in your new home. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.
Utilize that PTO
If you’re a natural-born workaholic, then you won’t like this, but taking a day off of work to pack while there’s plenty of sunlight is a game changer. Packing boxes with a baby in tow pretty much doubles the amount of time it takes. The best time to pack is when the baby is sleeping, so get up early, be productive during nap time, and hit the ground running when that little one is out for the night. However, the best-case scenario is to take a day off, have someone watch the baby, and work all day to get ahead and take advantage of the baby-free time.
Hire Professional Movers
If you haven’t done it before, hiring full-service movers when you have children is an absolute game changer. Packing and moving everything into a truck with a baby wanting to get in the way is quite tiresome and challenging. When the movers arrive, run some errands with your baby or take them to someone’s house to let the professional packers and movers do their job without worrying about tripping over an infant.
Find a New Pediatrician Ahead of Time
This is probably the last thing on your mind. You’re probably taking it one step at a time and will worry about finding new doctors once you arrive at your new home. However, it’s wise to find a pediatrician that takes your insurance ahead of time and makes an appointment to establish care because sometimes there’s a three-month waiting list for new patients. This is also an excellent measure in case your child gets sick and needs to see a doctor immediately. Imagine how proud you would be of yourself for finding a pediatrician ahead of time.
Traveling with a baby may not be the most enjoyable experience in the world, but with some preparation and wise planning, the whole process will go much smoother. If you’re on the hunt for a moving company in Utah, give us a call.