Moving to Bay Area at 30 weeks :-/

emililyha · September 2015

Hey ladies....

My husband just got an awesome opportunity at a company in the Bay Area and we will be moving from the Midwest in the next 6 weeks. I'm terrified and excited for him but worried I'll miss my family who is all here plus a job I love... lots of mixed emotions today.

Anyone have experience raising their babies away from family? Any advice for us noobs to the west coast? Maybe just a "it's all going to be ok don't freak out" for me anywhere?

CaraBoonie · September 2015

No advice but I'm jealous! I LOVE the Bay Area, we have a fantasy 5 year plan to get out there that we may or may not ever put in action, haha.

cawalp · September 2015

The best advice I have for you is make friends. Me and DH are from SC and he got stationed in Cali before we even got married. I took a long time to make friends because I was so focused on how far away I was from family and my old friends and it made me miserable. I recently made a few very good friends, one who is pregnant just a little behind me. It makes it a lot more bearable and easier to adapt to an entirely new place. Definitely talk about it with your husband and discuss how often visits home will be feasible. Before baby we took them 1-2 times a year, but plane tickets are expensive. Now we really appreciate seeing our families and honestly I get along with my mom better when we are 3000 miles apart.
Everything will work out and the bay area is much better than the part of Cali that I am in, so you will adjust fast. Good luck on your move

narissa2013 · September 2015

moving is rough, but i got to say you are moving to an area with a lot of resources for families. And I think your pregnancy and new baby will be a good way for you to get connected to some of those resources to help ease the isolation. Try to say yes to whatever comes up and try out new things. There are A TON of transplants here, so you might find others going through the same thing. Good luck!

CaraBoonie · September 2015

True...you can use a mommy and me class or something to meet new people

Leah6120 · September 2015

We're a military family and currently living quite a distance from all of our family.. I have good days and bad days with it, but they are all very supportive and eager to be as present as they can. In the meantime we have friends here who are excited for us and I plan on joining some mommy groups as well. Just establish a good routine for keeping in touch with everyone and make the best out of it and you'll be great!

daninikicoli · September 2015

LOVE the bay!!! My husband is from Redwood City, so we have a ton of friends and family there. We go back several times a year, we usually stay atleast 2 weeks one of the trips. Great schools, great communties, amazing people. Lots of fun outdoor activities to partake in. We would love to raise our family there, but we are going to settle for a vacation home instead.

Embrace the adventure, it is truly an amazing area. It will be hard to leave your life behind of-course. Just try and focus on the positive. There is so much character in the bay... Oh and the best tacos ever known to man ... La Taqueria... You'll thank me later.

Oh and go Giants!!! The city is all about the Giants. Also Stanford games are so much fun... Tailgating there is the best... The parking lot is like a nice campground. Here is a pic from our tailgating session last year during the World Series. Now I can't wait for our trip there in October.

Good luck and enjoy!!

holocene · September 2015

Moving is so hard. We just moved away from all our family and friends in June. It's hard. But it's starting to get easier. Best advice has already been given - join some classes and make friends asap!

MBourne14 · September 2015

Hey lady! I live in the Bay (San Mateo to be exact, about 20 minutes from SF, on the peninsula). I can't imagine moving away from family while prego but love my OB, guessing you need a new one, and can offer any help or advice about the Bay you may have. It truly is a great place to live, bright side.

Mamabeagle · September 2015

The bay area is great, but it will likely be a huge culture shock for you. There are so many cultures and lifestyles mixed in a small region with a high population density. The good news is there is amazing food, good night life, and great entertainment and shopping at your fingertips. Not to mention-GO GIANTS!

mamadcb · September 2015

I live in the North Bay, and agree with PPs-- it's a great place to live! I realize being far from family isn't ideal, but at least when you live here people enjoy coming to visit

I hope you can make arrangements to still spend plenty of time with your loved ones. If you'll be up in Marin or Sonoma Counties, I can offer some suggestions!

claireloSC · September 2015

Congrats to you and your husband. I'm from NYC and now live in the Bay Area and moved here 5 years ago. My entire family still lives in NY. It's definitely hard to be away from my family but I've made other friends and of course I have my spouse as well. I agree with a PP who said it will be culture shock. Even coming from NY I felt the culture shock and still do at times. I made a lot of new friends through my first job here - not sure if you are planning on working? If not maybe you can volunteer to meet people or join a moms group through meetup.com or similar. Perhaps your family can come visit you after the birth to help out. I have lots of advice about the different areas as I've lived in SF, East Bay, South Bay and now on the Central Coast! Which part will you be in? Feel free to message me if you want more tips about specific areas too.

emililyha · September 2015

I'm so glad to come back to this positivity after a rough day of breaking the news to my loved ones. Of course everyone's supportive but it's going to be he'd to leave. I will be messaging those of you who offered advice for sure once I'm not on mobile. We'll be in the San Jose area but no real plan on exactly what city or neighborhood.

❤️❤️ the advice and positivity. This board is the best.

ChrissyD1203 · September 2015

I moved from NYC to Maine at 19 weeks. All our family and friends are in NY or Chicago. Living in Maine has been different. I miss our family and friends, but am grateful for a new adventure like this and it always great to get a new city under your belt. You are going to love California. You are in a place people will want to come visit- more than I can say for Maine in January!

inameenabeena · September 2015

I live in the bay area--Mountain View. Our families live across the country from us and it is hard but not impossible. There are some great resources for moms and babies that can help you make new friends. Blossom Birth in Palo Alto is my favorite. It'll be great!

TurtleMeg · September 2015

I'm in the bay area and there is a private Facebook group for CA mommies due in Jan. Let me know if you want to be added to connect to us really cool CA mom's

mschara · September 2015

I love the Bay Area!! You will too

I actually came from a whole other country and I find it lovely here. Between the weather, beautiful SF and a nice balance between city life and the suburbs, I truly think you'll love it!!

claireloSC · September 2015

SJ, nice! Lots to do there. I lived in Alum Rock in SJ a few years back.

mnspringbride · September 2015

I live in San Jose! We moved here from the midwest too

We raised our first son away from family, and it was all ok. We were a little jealous of our friends who could easily drop off the kids at grandma's house, but just find a couple babysitters that you love and trust and you'll be golden!

As other posters mentioned, finding a group of friends is key. When we first got here, we were overwhelmed with the size of the area, and how crowded and anonymous it feels compared to the midwest. When you don't know anybody, it can feel very isolating. But eventually, you'll find your tribe and everything will start to make sense and feel like home

Enjoy everything the Bay Area has to offer! For our first full year, we lived like tourists - going out and doing something fun and touristy every weekend. Now, when our friends and family come to visit, we have a full arsenal of places to take them, and we're still exploring new ones!

mnspringbride · September 2015

@TurtleMeg - I'd love to be added to the CA fb group!

MaMinette13 · September 2015

I'm in the South Bay Area too. Grew up here, but my whole family has since left. It's hard, but lots if phone calls and FaceTime help.

@TurtleMeg I'd love to be added to the group too! I was trying to think of ways to get connected to other mamas close by!

MBourne14 · September 2015

@TurtleMeg I'd love to be added too, please.

claireloSC · September 2015

I would like to be added too!

EzrieeMay · September 2015

I live in southern California but I'd MUCH rather live in the bay area. It's so much better to me. It's a lot cooler but it's just nicer. You're going to love it! :x

marloanne · September 2015

This post hit so close to home that I had to respond. We moved to the Bay Area from Minnesota about a year ago due to a great job opportunity for my husband. It's definitely been an adjustment as we are really close to our family and friends and I loved my job. We're still struggling to adjust but it gets easier every week!

The good news is that everyone will want to come visit you since you live somewhere awesome! And we also make a point to go back to visit as often as we can. There are so many amazing things to do and see in the area that you'll always be entertained and you will create so many great new memories. We've had a ton of fun exploring and having adventures. Also, the weather is fantastic especially compared to Midwest winters!

Meeting new people is important but it's also hard! We're still working on this one. It makes me a little nervous to have a baby without having the support system of close friends and family close by. I'm planning to start taking prenatal yoga and hope to meet some other expecting ladies I can connect with.

We looked at it as an exciting adventure that we had to take advantage of with the opportunity given to us. It's been a positive experience so far and we're having fun!

Feel free to reach out about anything as I've totally been in your shoes! Also, I would love to be added to any groups mentioned for CA moms. It'd be great to be able to connect to others in the area going through the same things!

Cheers!

ljalmeida · September 2015

@TurtleMeg - will you add me to the CA group please? Thanks

whatimeantosay · October 2015

@TurtleMeg please add me to the Bay Area January moms too!

KateFayn · November 2015

I would love to be added to the group! @TurtleMeg

Want a personalized experience?

Moving to Bay Area at 30 weeks :-/

Re: Moving to Bay Area at 30 weeks :-/

Choose Another Board

Search Boards