This post may contain affiliate links to items I love, and I am confident you will too! All opinions are my own, however, I may receive a small commission on purchases. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For any health advice I give on nutrition and weight loss, make sure you check with your doctor, as I am not a health professional.
There comes a time in every pregnant woman’s life when she feels like she needs to clean every corner of the house, wash all baby clothes, re-pack the hospital bag, and do other similar chores.
For those who don’t know: when a pregnant woman feels this unstoppable drive to organize, clean, and prepare everything for the baby’s arrival, is called the nesting instinct. It usually starts somewhere around week 38 of the pregnancy or closer to your due date. Nesting is a completely normal instinct that happens during pregnancy and it can be just as powerful as it is for other mammals.
It’s important to know that going through a nesting phase is normal just as it’s normal not to have this phase. We’re all different and so are our pregnancies.
However, if you’re going through a nesting phase, here are some projects that you can do before the baby comes.
Pack your hospital bag
Start with something small like packing your hospital bag. When it comes to bag packing, there are no rules as to what you should or shouldn’t pack. You know yourself best so the best solution is to pack what you think you’ll need during your stay in the hospital.
Usually, women like to pack toiletries, their nightgown, and a robe, maternity underwear, pads, and other essentials.
As for the baby, you can pack baby clothes, wipes, and diapers, a blanket, and so on. Again, you can pack whatever you want, but keep in mind that you’ll get ice packs for the perineum, maxi pads, and even underwear from the hospital after giving birth, so make some space for those things, too.
Set up the changing station
Changing stations can be very handy solutions to keep all the necessary things within hand’s reach when changing the baby’s nappy. And there will be A LOT of it, believe me.
Changing stations are usually tables or dressers with a lot of drawers where you can store diapers, bibs, socks, onesies, PJs, and other changing essentials.
Another great thing to have ready is a diaper caddy, a mobile diaper station where you can store diapers, wipes, spare clothes, creams, and so on. These caddies are great because you can take them with you wherever you go!
Oh and don’t forget to stock up on diapers, you’ll need a ton of them!
Do the laundry
All the baby clothes you either bought or that were gifted to you, need to be washed and then put away. Other things such as towels, blankets, cot sheets, duvet, and pillow covers should also be washed. So, find a detergent that doesn’t have harsh chemicals in it, any eco-friendly would do, and stock up on it. You’ll be doing a lot of washing in the foreseeable future.
After everything has been washed, you can start organizing baby clothes. Try sorting everything by size and organize according to what seems most logical to you.
Stock up on food and toiletries
Stocking up your pantry, fridge, and freezer before your baby arrives is always a good idea since you won’t be doing much grocery shopping once the baby comes. So, try to stock up on healthy and convenient food. Buy frozen vegetables, canned beans, cooked whole grains, other healthy snacks, and nonperishables.
Apart from stocking up on food, stock up on toiletries such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, detergents, and whatever else you can think of.
Deep cleaning mode
If you need to clean then clean. There is no stopping the cleaning urge when it hits, you can only roll up your sleeves and start cleaning. Washing windows, scrubbing floors, vacuuming carpets and couch, and so on.
However, before you start, make sure you have some help because you won’t able to do everything alone. Make it a cleaning party and try to stay away from ladders and high places, instead stay close to the floor.
When using cleaning products, try to use natural, chemical-free products. They won’t give off harmful fumes and natural cleaning products can clean just as well, if not better than those chemical-based.
Baby proofing your home
Even though the baby won’t be able to move around for quite some time, it’s important to baby proof the house. Create a safe environment for your child by keeping the crib safe, using gates, covering all outlets, childproofing cabinet doors, and locking drawers with harmful content and so much more.
At first, baby proofing will seem like such an overwhelming task but once you get going, you’ll see all the things that need to be baby proofed. Of course, at first, there will be things that you miss when making your home safe for the baby but thankfully you can always baby proof them additionally.
Decorate the nursery
Probably the most satisfying nesting job of all is nursery decoration. Deciding which color the walls will be, or choosing the wallpaper, choosing artwork, purchasing crib and dresser, buying baby toys, all of these things count as a nursery decoration.
Many parents decide to go with a theme for a nursery, either for a girl or a boy. Others, keep things neutral because they want the baby gender to be a surprise. You don’t have to go with a themed nursery, you can just go with whatever you like.
If you’re on the hunt for inspiration, Pinterest is always your best friend.
Cooking
Sometimes nesting instinct is accompanied by certain obsessions. For some pregnant ladies, those obsessions are cleaning, for others cooking. If you have a sudden obsession to cook and spend time in the kitchen, then take advantage of it and cook in quantity.
Make meals that can be reheated, frozen, or food that can be eaten cold. Cook, bake, and have fun. All the food that you make will come in handy that first week after the baby comes home because the last thing you’ll want to do is cook.
Your closet
While you’re getting the baby’s closet organized, you can organize your own as well. There will be clothes that you won’t be wearing for quite some time after the delivery.
You will be breastfeeding, so it’s a good idea to have appropriate clothes for that occasion. Convenient tops, bras, dresses, and so on.
Also, for at least a couple of months after delivery, you’ll reach for comfortable maternity clothes only, so it would be ideal if you could have that kind of clothes within hand’s reach.
Install an infant car seat
It’s a good idea to install an infant car seat before the due date. Once you purchase the car seat you like, install the seat yourself or have a professional install it.
You must install the car seat properly, so if you’re unsure of how to properly do it, take it to an expert.
Once the nesting hits, there is no stopping it, you have to do what you’re programmed to do, and that’s creating a safe and comfortable environment for your child. It’s important to know that the nesting period is different for every woman.
And if you thought that nesting implies only making a nursery ready, you were wrong. Nesting means turning the whole house upside down to make it safe and clean for your child. And hopefully, now you have more projects that you can enjoy during your nesting period.
Looking for diaper bags? Take a look at our article on 12 Designer Diaper Bags for Under $100 next!
Post Submitted by Jasmine Anderson
Jasmine Anderson is a Sydney based lifestyle blogger and a toddler mom. She loves to spend quality time with her family, go thrifting, and spend just a little bit too much time on the internet.
