5 Tips for Moving with a Toddler While Pregnant

I would like to start by saying that I don’t recommend moving while pregnant or dealing with a toddler.

I certainly don’t recommend moving while managing both!

Moving is one of the most stressful things to do and it’s amplified with pregnancy and toddlers.

We bought a home in new construction last year and had plenty of time to purge our belongings, pack up and list our house. At least that was the plan. We found out I was pregnant about 3 weeks before we were to close on our new house. Since I had a complicated pregnancy last time, we were both worried about me lifting anything, which really slowed down our packing process.

The pregnancy had the most impact on the move. I was in my first trimester and not only was I exhausted but I felt sick on and off. Not only was it difficult to keep my toddler fed and entertained as I couldn’t move from the couch, but I had the constant nagging feeling that there was so much packing to do.

Being pregnant was still easier than managing a toddler, however. If you’ve ever tried to do a task with a toddler, you’ll know that it takes three times longer to accomplish anything.

So, if you think of all the boxes that need to be packed and labeled, imagine your toddler “helping” by moving things out of one box and into another or simply pulling things out of boxes and throwing them around the room. Yep, it was awesome.

We ended up hiring a moving company that packed up about 1/3 of the house that remained unpacked. It was a big investment, but I physically couldn’t pack anymore. They ended up spending about 8 hours packing with a crew of 4 guys. This actually made me feel pretty accomplished that we had done all the rest on our own, while pregnant and caring for an active toddler.

1. Hire a Moving Company

Bonus points if they will pack up your house and reassemble furniture at your new home. It will save you so much stress and physical labor to do it this way.

2. Find Childcare for your Toddler

It’s best if your toddler is completely away from the houses while moving is in process. It takes a lot of pregnancy brain power to figure out where all the boxes need to go and what needs to be set up so that your toddler can sleep in his new room. This is also helpful when signing closing documents (as these can take forever!)

3. Plan on Takeout Food for at Least a Week

The kitchen has the most stuff of any room in the house and it will take so much longer to unpack and set up that you estimate. Plus, you’ll be so busy trying to unpack while taking care of a toddler that you just won’t have the energy.

4. Know Your Limit

Focus on one room at a time and slowly unpack. Make sure to take lots of breaks to sit down to hydrate and eat. You will run out of energy much quicker than you realize, so if your toddler naps, try to use that time to either rest yourself or focus on unpacking a box or two.

5. Accept Help:

If someone offers to bring you dinner, watch your toddler, help you unpack, etc by all means take them up on it! It’s always easier to unpack if someone is there to keep you motivated and on track.

These suggestions may not work or be an option for some families, but they really helped our family survive. We were so fortunate to have friends and family jump in to help us out.

After this experience, we’ve vowed to NEVER move again.


Marcie a Seattle-area stay-at-home mom to her 2-year-old son Owen and is currently pregnant with her second baby. She and her husband love traveling with their toddler (locally and internationally) and like to take advantage of the amazing events and classes offered around town. As a family they like to be out and about! You can read more of Marcie on her blog Marcie in Mommyland and you can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.