Whether you're just planning a move across town or are heading to another state (or even coast), you may be wondering how you'll ever get everything on your to-do list accomplished before it's time to wave goodbye to your home. These ordinary moving concerns can be magnified significantly if you're planning your move while entering your third trimester. What should you know about your health and safety when moving during your last few months of pregnancy? Are there relocation services that can assist you? Read on to learn more about what you can do to best prepare for a potentially stressful -- but certainly worthwhile -- household move.

How can you stay healthy while moving during pregnancy?

Unless you've been placed on full or modified bed rest by your obstetrician, you should have no problem taking on light duties during the moving process, like packing and hauling small boxes or even lightweight furniture. However, you won't want to lift anything heavier than around 25 pounds during your third trimester. As your pregnancy progresses, your tendons and ligaments begin to stretch in anticipation of the birthing process, and the exertion of lifting too much weight can cause additional tissue strain or even lead to permanent damage. The closer you get to your due date, the more likely you are to rupture your membranes (or break your water) by overexerting yourself, so take frequent breaks to drink water or simply rest. 

Before and during the move, you'll want to take special care to ensure you're fully hydrated. This is especially important if you're moving during the summer months, as the combination of high heat and exertion can quickly dehydrate you -- and dehydration may lead to contractions or even preterm labor. However, hydration is necessary during winter months as well, as it can be hard to gauge your water loss if you're wearing a heavy coat or sweater. 

To ensure a smooth transition between medical practices, you'll also need to arrange to have your medical records (particularly your pregnancy history) transferred to your new obstetrician's practice before your move. If you're able to have these records scanned to a USB drive or uploaded to the cloud rather than simply faxed or mailed, you'll have some insurance against lost faxes or other potential sources of miscommunication. Getting this done early will help you hit the ground running with your new obstetrician and ensure you're continually monitored by a medical professional.

What services are available to assist you with your move? 

Because you'll be unable to lift heavy boxes or most of your household furniture, you'll need to enlist the assistance of professional movers to help transport your belongings from place to place. However, if you're planning a long-distance move, you may save more money by renting a pod shipping container and hiring movers at both your current home and your new home rather than paying the same group of movers to drive your belongings across the country by truck. This will help you avoid food and hotel expenses, as well as overtime charges for the duration of the trip.

Depending upon your schedule and the amount of time you have to prepare for the move, you may also need packing assistance. While it can seem odd to have strangers putting your most prized possessions in boxes, these workers have much more experience in safely and sensibly packing a variety of household items, and you'll be amazed at the speed with which they can box up your entire house. Because your boxes will be organized and well-labeled, you shouldn't have any trouble finding everything you need once you arrive at your new home. If you are interesting learning more, click here for more info on moving.