First comes love. Then comes baby. Then, inevitably, comes a move. Yup, there’s nothing like a wee little one in your life to make you realize you’re craving a little more space…or an apartment that’s not a fourth-floor walkup or located under a subway train that rumbles its way by every 6 minutes.

While we know you’re excited to get settled into your new fabulous home with baby, getting there isn’t always easy. In fact, moving with a baby can be downright miserable. To help make it less miserable (and dare we say, enjoyable?), we’ve partnered with Zootly, a new technology company simplifying the moving industry, to bring you 7 tips for a stress-free(ish) move for mama.

1. If you can, plan to move while still pregnant. We know, we know, moving when you’re 7-months into pregnancy sounds less than appealing. But trust us, it’s much easier to organize, pack, travel and unpack when baby’s on the inside.

2. Use the booking app Zootly to find a moving company. Half the battle of moving is finding the right moving company, which for most of us means finding the cheapest movers that won’t break your sh*t. Zootly’s got you covered. Rather than wasting days googling away, Zootly’s services not only help you find an accredited and certified (i.e. trustworthy) moving company in the NY area, but also schedule moving day for you, provide accurate cost estimates, and then track your move while it’s in motion and allows you to pay right through the app too. Talk about stress-free.

3. Ask about professional packing rates. One of the hardest parts about moving is packing up your stuff. It can literally take weeks and mean piles and piles of boxes. And we’re guessing that when your new baby just had a mega blowout, digging through those boxes for that tiny linen spray you swore you wouldn’t need before you moved isn’t exactly ideal. Adding in professional packing services might be a smaller cost than you think, and since they’ll pack your stuff the day of your move — meaning you’ll have access to it right up until then — it’s worth every penny.

4. Pack one suitcase as if you were going on vacation with your baby. No matter how organized you were leading up to your move, you’ll inevitably be swimming in a world of boxes after it’s over. Rather than searching every box label for the golden baby ticket, pack one suitcase with a week’s worth of baby necessities that will last you till someone (hopefully other than you) unpacks the rest of baby’s nursery.

5. Plan for naptime. Moving is a lot of change for your new little creature of habit, so try to at least keep naptime sacrosanct. If your baby is the kind that has a regular crib nap, make sure to set your pack-and-play aside and create a cozy, closed-door space for a nap in either your current or new home. If a stroller nap or car nap will do, build in some dedicated time away from the madness of the move for your little one to get some shut-eye. And a dedicated someone to sit idly by during naptime. Which brings us to Tip 6….

6. Ask for help during the move. Moving Day’s a real doozy. While we certainly don’t advocate you doing any of the heavy lifting, you may want to be on hand — and hand’s free — to guide your moving team. Hire a caregiver, or call in a friend or family favor, and hand over your baby so you can be present while all your stuff goes out of one space and into the next. Ensuring each room’s boxes get placed correctly in your new home (and getting those big furniture pieces in the right spot the first time around!) will save you time and headaches later.

7. Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day. And your home doesn’t have to be either. It will probably take weeks to unpack those boxes, and longer to find the perfect place for all your stuff. Don’t beat yourself up about it! We promise you’ll have an Instagram-worthy home very, very soon. And there’s really no better reminder than a few dozen boxes laying around that you actually don’t need a whole lot more than mama to keep baby happy.

Thinking about making your move? Get $20 off your move with Zootly here!

This post was sponsored by Zootly.