You Are Nesting!
Something that is highly anticipated and can be incredibly exciting during pregnancy is the nesting instinct. This is a primal instinct that most if not all female mammals go through while preparing for their young, and can be seen in pregnant women as well.
For a pregnant woman nesting is an uncontrollable urge to clean and organize your house, while getting things ready for your baby. It can be as little as washing your baby’s clothes and bedding, to repainting your entire house because you all of a sudden don’t like the color theme you have. Some women will clean walls, baseboards, and door frames as an effort to make sure the house is clean. In some cases women who rarely have a “clean” house will be obsessed about having a spotless house.
It is believed that the act of nesting helps a woman feel more like she is in control. It can begin as early as the second trimester and last the duration of the pregnancy. The urge to have everything in “order” can wake a pregnant woman up at night, or keep her up all night while she completes her latest “project”. When the nesting instinct pops up at the end of pregnancy it can often signify the beginning of labor or that labor is just a couple of days away. It can take over the last hours of pregnancy with an urge to make sure everything is done and just right.
Nesting is normal and natural for a pregnant woman, even if her partner thinks she has gone insane when they find her bleaching down the kitchen cupboards at 3am. However, there are some precautions the pregnant woman should take.
Try To Avoid Paint Fumes
If you HAVE to have the nursery or house repainted at the last minute, try to get someone else to do the actual painting for you. Make sure you wear a mask when you are around the paint to minimize the paint fumes you breathe in.
Climbing On Furniture
When cleaning cupboards, reorganizing the closet and washing down your walls, try to stick to the areas you can reach without standing on a chair or climbing on other furniture. While you are pregnant your balance may be off, and you may fall or get light headed. If you keep your feet planted firmly on the floor then you won’t have to worry about an accident and the possibility of hurting yourself or your baby.
In The Garden
Most pregnant women know if they have a cat not to change the litter box as cat feces could harm the baby. However, you also must remember this and watch for feces and certain other pests you might find while gardening. In most cases anything you come in contact with will be safe, it is just best to take extra precautions.
Nesting can be a fun part of pregnancy for the pregnant woman, even if her husband doesn’t agree when his wife hands him a “honey-do” list and sends him out to pick up another roll of the wallpaper she used in the living room because she all of a sudden decided it would look great in the hall as well. When your partner roles his eyes because you are sending him out for supplies tell him it is all right, you will both be laughing about it in a year.
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Christine says...
Great post! I totally identify — nesting is such a satisfying feeling! I had to stifle a giggle at bleaching down the kitchen cupboards. . .
Doli says...
i totally agree and thts wht i m on my way doin ,givin ma home a fresh new look and spendin crazily,i even get nightmares of a pretty home..m obsessed
sarah says...
ive become obsessed with dettol antiseptic disinfectant i clean everything with it even put a couple of capfuls in my bath, if i run out i feel like i have to go and buy some more or i cant relax but it keeps me happy while im cleaning away and getting evrything spotless before my baby comes
Kellie says...
I completely agree my husband thinks I am NUTS because nothing is clean enough for me. I keep going over the same things with a white glove!! I feel like I am just never satisfied. I have only 3 weeks until delivery via c-section.
Barbara says...
I had this in the first trimester and part of my second im now 7 months and can not seem to motivate myself to clean any suggestions
Michelle Lavigne says...
Barbara – if you don’t feel like doing something – I say don’t! Babies don’t need a spotless house, and germs are not “the enemy”. In fact, many cleansers introduce a lot of toxic by- products and fumes into your home (ie-bleach and dioxin). I’m due in one week…and have been cooking and freezing meals for the past week. But otherwise, there are fluffs of dog hair under the coffee table and dusty shelves. This is the way our life is, and our baby will join it – as is! Anyways, don’t be hard on yourself for not displaying obsessive behaviour. Nest in whatever way feels good to you!
Alexia says...
I have been experiencing this since my 3rd trimester happened. lol I was up until about 2am this morning because I wanted to clean out my closet and rearrange my room. lol
Stacy says...
As for as early as the second trimester.. im in my second trimester im 13 weeks nearly 14 i have been non stop cleaning, disinfecting everything i walk past so i think that this post is really spot on. Last night i cleaned out every single draw in the house i was up until 3 in the morning and today i have been non stop cleaing the entire house.. ive mananged to rearrange the lounge room dinning room and the study.. i have run out of spots to dust, ive wipe down all the walls with disinfectent and keep in mine im only 3 weeks lol ill be having a lot to do hehehe
Stella says...
I am three weeks before my due date and boy can I tell you how bored I am to clean anything! I am trying to relax as much as I can because after baby has arrived, rest days are over!!!! Hey Stacy, maybe you could come over my house and give me a hand !! LOL