Post # 1
Member
220 posts
Helper bee
Husband and I are currently in a 1 bedroom apartment and have been here for about a year and a half. We are building a house, however it won’t be finished until hopefully July. Our baby’s due date is in mid-April. Our options for our living situation in the meantime is 1)Stay in 1 bedroom apartment for 3 months and just suck it up or 2)Move across the building to a 2 bedroom apartment right now while I’m still able to get around and stay there until the house is ready.
We are mostly concerned with sleeping schedules and the noise of a newborn. I will be taking maternity leave, however husband does not get paternity leave and will end up continuing to work full time. He does shift work (am’s, pm’s, overnights) randomly and he really needs his rest (we aim for 6-8 hours for him a night) because his job really requires him to be awake and thinking well on his feet. This is our first baby so I’m not sure exactly what to expect.
We have two living spaces in the apartment right now (the bedroom and the area with the tv/kitchen). We could get an air bed and a pack n play for baby to sleep there while husband takes the bedroom. When husband is at work baby would sleep in the real crib in our bedroom.
What is your suggestion? I am worried about the noise of a baby crying being heard through the wall of the living room and into the bedroom. I would love for it to work out, as it would help us avoid moving twice in a span of 6 months. Do you think I am being realistic or should we just move to a 2 bedroom apartment now?
Post # 3
Member
435 posts
Helper bee
@hspw714: I don’t have kids of my own, but I feel like I would just make the one bedroom work for 3 months. Mainly because I hate moving, but also because a two bedroom is more expensive. So you could probably make do for the three months doing what you suggested with the pack n play…
Just my opinion… Good luck!
Post # 4
Member
47458 posts
Honey Beekeeper
@hspw714: I wouldn’t move twice in 3 months, the second time with a newborn.
I worked shiftwork most of my life. Hubs can get earplugs.
Newborn’s crying is easily settled most of the time by meeting their needs- feed, change, burp, cuddle etc. I’m not saying you will never have fussy times, but I still wouldn’t move twice in 3 months.
Post # 5
Member
90 posts
Worker bee
I think the noise would travel just as easily in a 2br as in a 1br, so I personally wouldn’t bother moving. Can husband practice sleeping with earplugs or a loud fan right now instead?
Post # 6
Member
2684 posts
Sugar bee
@hspw714: If I were you (also another person who hates moving!!) I would just stay where you are. You can always put a pack and play or the crib in your room….it would be more convenient for the first couple months anyways when you have to wake up and do nightly feedings and whatnot.
Post # 7
Member
9126 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
- Wedding: August 2013 - Rocky Mountains USA
Based on what I now about new babies from friends, if the baby’s awake, you’ll know it whether you have 1 or many bedrooms… So I’d stay put.
Post # 8
Member
12244 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
I would stick to the 1BR until your house is ready!
Post # 9
Member
7638 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
@hspw714: We had baby in a small bassinet in our room at night anyway, for the first 3-4 months. When baby woke up, I would go into another room to feed and change her. That worked well for us. Mind you, DH sleeps like a log.
Most of the time baby took the boob and settled, so there was not much noise anyway. When baby is more unsettled, I don’t think a 2 b/r would be any better for you than a 1 b/r. Either way you’re in the living area and DH is trying to sleep with his bedroom door shut.
In some ways, having a newborn baby in a separate bedroom is worse, because baby needs to make more noise to wake you up in the first place.
So I think you might as well stay with a 1 b/r.
Post # 10
Member
2195 posts
Buzzing bee
@hspw714: When I was a single mom with my first son I lived in a one bedroom, having a newborn will effect his ability to sleep 8 hours, but that’s how it goes having a baby. It’s totally doable for a few months!
Post # 11
Member
5658 posts
Bee Keeper
In those first few months you don’t need more than one bedroom anyway really. you’ll figure it out.
Post # 12
Member
1026 posts
Bumble bee
@hspw714: it depends on your husband and the baby. Personally I would just deal with the one bedroom since you know it will only be 3months. My son is 8 months now, and my husband works a very similar schedule to yours. Our son has slept in our room since birth and still does. It has worked for us, but we have been very blessed with a baby who sleeps well, wakes with whimpers not screaming and goes right back to sleep after nursing. So aside from the odd day or so of teething here and there, or not feeling well when he had a cold there was minimal disturbance. My husband is also a deep sleeper, and after the first 3 weeks had no problems sleeping through the usual night wake ups for the baby.
Post # 13
Member
861 posts
Busy bee
You would be totally fine in a 1 bdrm. We have a small 2 bdrm and a 6 month old and we never use the 2nd bdrm other than for her clothes. My husband was working too and slept fine. I agree re: earplugs if it’s a problem. I don’t think you would improve on your situation moving to a 2 bdrm.
Post # 14
Member
496 posts
Helper bee
I lived in a one bedroom with a newborn until he was nearly 2. It was a large 1 bedroom, but we survived. Hold tight, don’t add a move to the headache.
Congrats on the new home and eve more so, your baby!
Post # 15
Member
9950 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
I agree with
@julies1949:… Moving is a lot of work (quite frankly it sucks). Doing it 2x if you don’t need to makes no sense to me.
I also agree with
@geeky_bee: noise in a single floor apartment is going to be the same whether you have 1 bedroom or 2 to utilize. Babies cry… the noise travels (and newborns tend to be quite loud)
And lastly,
@paula1248: makes a good point too… many New Parents sleep with the Baby in their own Bedroom just out of convenience and peace of mind. You can get to a newborn a lot quicker when they are in the same room, than if you have to wake up, and then make your way to them elsewhere in the home.
And ya… Earplugs can be a god-send for someone who needs to be sleeping in an unpredictable or noisy environment. I’ve used them before for snoring room-mates, and I think they’d be good for your Hubby if he is doing shift work and trying to sleep when baby is awake.
Hope this helps,
Post # 16
Member
220 posts
Helper bee
Thanks for the advice, everyone! Unfortunately DH is a very light sleeper. He is leaning more towards moving to the two bedroom. He would like the baby to stay with me in the master bedroom and then if he needs to sleep for work he will take the second bedroom. He is also against ear plugs, lol. He doesn’t think he can fall asleep with it (plus he has to sometimes answer calls in the middle of the night). We have a white noise machine already. I guess he is thinking that with baby noise in the master bedroom, at least it is closed off by the door, then would have to travel through the main living room area and then at least the second bedroom door would be closed. I also would not have to intrude into his sleeping space while he is sleeping unlike if we stayed in the one bedroom.
With our one bedroom apartment, if baby were to cry in the bedroom, we have just a shared door and wall separating the noise from the main living area. I’m not sure who’s right. It seems like he is more willing to spend extra money for the two bedroom because it means he would be able to make up for it by picking up a day at work instead of being dog tired everyday he goes to work. The price difference between the two would be $500/month. Ugh.
Regarding our house, our original time line was to be moved in by the end of May. Now it’s looking like end of June or early July. I don’t know if there will be more delays than that but it is possible.