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Pregnancy aboad/Midwife appts.


K_S

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Hi there,

 

I'm planning to buy a narrow boat and liveaboard back in my home town of London in the next few months. I'm currently pregnant with my first child and although I am living about an hour and a half away from the Hackney area I plan to move back to, I intend to be moved in and settled before I give birth. My drs surgery is in Hackney as i'm still registered to my old address and would like to stay on their books. I have arranged to have my midwife appointments in London as that's where i'll be when i'm in the later stages of pregnancy however I wondered if there will be any issues with this as my current address is in Suffolk? If anybody has experience of midwife appointments whilst living on a boat or any advice of bringing up a baby whilst continuously cruising it would be very much appreciated!

 

Thank you x

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You may find that some doctors and midwives will not come aboard boats (for health and safety reasons) - I know several people this has affected (in London and outside.)

I also think that as you are already pregnant, it is probably not a good time to be planning to be moving aboard for the challenges of Winter, moving every 14 days or less depending on local restrictions, filling water tank, emptying toilets, access across breasted up boats etc.

 

edited for unexpected change of gender

Support is available , waterways chaplains are a good support, and talk to the CRT enforcement if you are likely to be unable to move for a period of time.

Edited by matty40s
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You may find that some doctors and midwives will not come aboard boats (for health and safety reasons) - I know several people this has affected (in London and outside.)

I also think that as you are already pregnant, it is probably not a good time to be planning to be moving aboard for the challenges of Winter, moving every 14 days or less depending on local restrictions, filling water tank, emptying toilets, access across breasted up boats etc.

 

However, as it appears you are male and pregnant, you will take it all in your stride.cool.png

male? her profile says female :o

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You are doing the 'right thing' by doing some research before commiting to buying a boat, but if I may sugest you need to look at some of the more fundamental issues of boat ownership in London

 

Moorings

Water supply

Enforcement / Need to move every 14 days

Toilet emptying

Carrying 30kg gas bottles

 

Example - In the central London area there are (allegedly) only 7 water taps and 3 toilet emptying facilities for 1000-2000 boats

 

Example - so many people have moved to live on a boat in London that there are very few moorings - boats are tied up 2 or 3 or 4 'deep'.

 

Example - Zone 1 or Zone 2 'residential moorings' regularly make £10,000 / £12,000 rental (for permission to moor for 12 months).

 

Example - you cannot just 'tie-up' anywhere and stay as long as you like. C&RT have just employed 3 more Enforcement officers for London, if you overstay you will be moved on.

 

Example - will you be a single parent ? will you be able to carry gas bottles and full toilets just after the birth ?

 

You need to ensure that the life is compatable with you capabilities, the choice is yours to make.

 

You can do a search on this forum (top right habd side) for "Liveaboard London" or you can find the 'London Boaters' facebook page which will give you more information. and guidance.

  • Greenie 1
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If you do a few more posts you will be able to receive private messages - I've got some suggestions to share privately :)

 

I second Alan's suggestion of getting on the London Boaters facebook page - it will give you a good insight into the very specific issues that boaters face down here - it's very different to other areas of the country.

 

Personally, if I were in your position, I wouldn't even consider CCing in London at the moment, but others have, and successfully. Very best of luck with whatever you decide,

 

Lucy

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There is a boat families group on Facebook. There are lots of young families. I wouldn't want to combine having a newborn with being new to boating as 'getting settled' can often mean months of problems to sort out - like the newbie we met yesterday who has a great boat, it had a great survey, but just one month in, she discovered she needed a new engine and can't afford what that costs.

 

If you're buying second hand, you are almost guaranteed to have a whole list of problems that need fixing and it's not fun trying to find people willing to do the work this time of year, the decent engineers/gas men are over subscribed. Cruising in london can be a hard life - it's why there are so many rented boats - plenty realise this after just a few months. I would not want to do it, outside of London, I would, but in town? Nope,

Edited by Lady Muck
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40 years ago the mid-wives et al were more than happy to visit us aboard during two confinements.

 

But of course it was a different world then ......................

 

I have heard the same from others, but I also once knew a couple expecting their first child who were told that unless they moved into 'normal' accommodation they would be reported to social services due to the alleged increased risk to the wellbeing of the child. They weren't the sort of people to challenge this view, and ended up selling the boat and moving ashore.

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You are doing the 'right thing' by doing some research before commiting to buying a boat, but if I may sugest you need to look at some of the more fundamental issues of boat ownership in London

 

You need to ensure that the life is compatable with you capabilities, the choice is yours to make.

 

You can do a search on this forum (top right habd side) for "Liveaboard London" or you can find the 'London Boaters' facebook page which will give you more information. and guidance.

Greenie to you Alan - you put the post together in a very pleasant, but informative way without making it sound negative at all. Great example of how to share information without causing conflict IMO

 

 

 

ETA to remove extra word and to award the greenie now that we are through the lock smile.png

 

& to apologize for the smiley_offtopic.gif

Edited by Bettie Boo
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We had our first two on board, its no harder than in a house except that in our case there were two of us and, of course, the roles reverted to the traditional ones, I worked, built the new bigger boat, did the gas, water, loo, kept the batteries charged and all that kind of thing. You will find it hard to do everything but if you wait until you have the 3 bed semi and the reliable income and the nursery decorated with fluffy bunnies you could be old and grey. Friends have had families in terrible boats, yurts, squats, everything, and without exception its all worked out. Good Luck.

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I have heard the same from others, but I also once knew a couple expecting their first child who were told that unless they moved into 'normal' accommodation they would be reported to social services due to the alleged increased risk to the wellbeing of the child. They weren't the sort of people to challenge this view, and ended up selling the boat and moving ashore.

 

 

I have never heard of this in London. There are lots of newborns on boats

 

I should have added that this was about 30 years ago. My guess is that these days the system is more accommodating of people with 'unconventional' lifestyles. At the time their situation attracted quite a lot of comment, with other people giving examples of babies and children raised successfuly afloat.

Edited by David Mack
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